If you have been visiting this blog recently, I am sure you will have noticed the many games I have been writing about. Over the last four months I have featured over thirty games. All of these are available to play with just the use of minimal equipment. So, grab a pack of cards, some dice, some chips and have fun!
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a variation on the commercial dice game Can’t Stop. Counter-Cameroon is described by Reiner Knizia in ‘Dice Games Properly Explained‘.
Number of players: 2
Playing time: 15 minutes
You will need:
The score sheets used by the players should contain the numbers two to twelve. Next to each category must be space enough to put four marks.
The two players take turns in rolling all four dice. Upon rolling the dice, that player must split the dice into two pairs, which then combine to make two numbers between two and twelve. A mark is placed in the categories corresponding to those two numbers.
When one player has placed four marks next to a category, the category is won by that player. Any further numbers formed by either player that match that category are not recorded. The player who won that category scores points as indicated below:
When all categories have been won, the game ends. Players total up the points they have won. The player with the most points is the winner.
- For a more balanced game, use the following point distributions: 6-5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-6.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features another game in which the aim is to score many points in different categories. Six Hundred, first published by Reiner Knizia in 1990, is essentially an expanded version of Yahtzee, with more dice and more categories.
Number of players: 2 – 6
Playing time: 40 minutes
You will need:
The game consists of eighteen rounds. In each round, play progresses clockwise. On each player’s turn, that player rolls six dice up to three times. After each roll, any number if dice may be set aside and the number displayed kept. Any dice that have been set aside cannot be re-rolled. After the third roll, the numbers displayed on the six dice is the final result for that turn.
The aim of the game is to score highly in each of the eighteen categories. these categories are divided into four sections: Numbers, Rungs, Clusters and Patterns. After rolling the dice, a player may choose to score in any category they choose.
The Numbers section consists of six categories, each of which corresponds to one of the numbers between 1 and 6. Each category scores by adding up all dice that matches it. For example, if the dice rolled were 1, 2, 2, 5, 5, 6; the score for category number one would be 1. The score for category number five would be 10 (5+5). If the combined score for all categories in the upper section is at least 80, 35 bonus points are awarded.
The Rungs section consists of four categories (Rung 1, Rung 2, Rung 3 and Rung 4), each of which score by adding up the total of all six dice. Whilst the four categories may be filled in in any order, the scores from Rung 1 to Rung 4 must be ascending in value. Therefore, if a score of 26 was entered in Rung 2, only a score of 25 or less may be entered in Rung 1 and only a score of 27 or more may be entered in Rungs 3 and 4.
The Clusters section consists of four categories (Four-of-a-kind, Five-of-a-kind, odd and even). Scoring in each of these is as follows:
The Patterns section consists of four categories (Singles, Pairs, Triplets and Sextet). Scoring in each of these is as follows:
Each of the eighteen categories in six hundred may only be used once. When a score has been recorded in a category, it may not be moved. If after a players roll, the dice to not fit into any of the categories, that player must choose a category to place a score of 0 in. A bonus of 36 points is awarded if a score of more than 0 has been recorded in all categories, or if the only category missed is the sextet.
The winner of the game is the player with the highest total score for all categories. The maximum possible score is (you guessed it!) 600.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a dice game that tempts players to improve their score when at any time they can lose everything.
Number of players: 2 – 5
Playing time: 25 minutes
You will need:
As the name implies, the aim of Ten Thousand is to accumulate that very score. The player who does so is the winner.
Play progresses clockwise. Each player’s turn begins with that player rolling all six dice. After each roll, the player must set aside at least one scoring dice. If they cannot do so, their turn ends and they score nothing for the turn. Once at least one scoring die has been set aside, two options are available. Either the player can continue the turn, rolling all dice that have not been set aside, or the player can finish their turn, recording their score for the turn by adding it to their accumulated total.
If a player manages to set aside all six dice, then can if they so wish continue their turn by rolling all six dice again, making a mental note of the score obtained so far that turn. Thereafter, if the player at any point cannot set aside any dice after a roll, the score obtained that turn is lost.
The game ends when a player succeeds in reaching an accumulated score of ten thousand points.
The scoring combinations for Ten Thousand are as follows:
- A nice variation that I have used in the past is to require players to achieve a score of at least 350 points each turn before that turn can be finished.
- Another similar variation also requires players to achieve a score of at least that achieved by the previous player in their last turn.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a bluffing dice game along the lines of Little Max. Liar Dice however, uses poker combinations to make it more complex than the aforementioned game.
Number of players: 2 – 6
Playing time: 20 minutes
You will need:
Liar Dice is played in rounds. In each round play progresses clockwise until one player is forced to take a chip. When a player is forced to take their third chip, they are out of the game. The last player left in the game is the winner.
On the first players turn, that player rolls all five dice. Ensuring that no one else can see, the player peeks at the dice (if they so wish) and declares any poker combination they like, saying the values of all five dice. The dice are placed underneath the cup and passed undisturbed to the next player.
The player who receives the dice can then either accept the poker combination that has just been declared, or challenge it. If they accept the result, they can re-roll as many of the five dice as they like, informing the other players of how many dice are being re-rolled (or keep the same dice passed to them) before declaring a poker combination themselves and passing the dice, under the cup, to the next player. The poker combination that they claim must be higher than the previous one. If instead, the player challenges the result, they must lift up the cup to reveal the dice. If the poker combination is at least as high as what was claimed, the player who made the challenge must take a chip. If however the poker combination was lower than what was claimed, the player who made that claim must take a chip instead. The next round begins with the challenger of the previous round (or in the case that they are out of the game, the person to their left).
From lowest to highest, the order of poker combinations are as follows:
In the case of two poker combinations being of the same rank (e.g. two full houses), the combination whose main feature contains the highest number is ranked highest. In the case of two full houses, the main feature would be the triplet. If the numbers of the main feature are also identical, the combination whose secondary feature contains the highest number if ranked highest. If the numbers of the secondary feature are also identical, the combination with the highest single die is ranked the highest ect…
- It should be noted that when using dice (as opposed to cards), a straight is less likely to be rolled than a full house (hence its higher score in Yahtzee). If players so wish, they may decide before the game that straights be ranked higher than full houses.
- A two player variant has each player have their own set of five dice. Therefore, they are trying to better their own poker combination, not the communal one.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features another dice game by Reiner Knizia. First published in 1990, Catego couldn’t be simpler.
Number of players: 2 – 4
Playing time: 10 minutes
You will need:
The game consists of eleven rounds. Each round, all players take turns to roll both dice, before entering the combined total into one of the eleven columns (numbered two to twelve). A dice total can only be entered into each column once.
The game ends when all players have placed a score into all eleven columns. Columns are worth between two and twelve points (corresponding to the column numbers). The player who placed the highest dice total into each column, scores the value of that column in points. If two or more dice totals in a column are the same, no player scores points for that column.
The player with the highest combined score at the end of the game is the winner.
- For a four player variant that adds a bit more decision-making into the game, play as two teams of two. For each column, total together the combined dice totals rolled by both players on each team. The team with the highest combined total scores the points for that column.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a dice game first published by Reiner Knizia in ‘Dice Games Properly Explained‘. The concept of ‘Mice and Men’ is very simple, but just like poker, it’s all about the bluffing.
Number of players: 4 – 8
Playing time: 20 minutes
You will need:
At the beginning of the each round, all players roll the three dice underneath their cups. Each player looks at their own dice, ensuring that no one else can see. The result of each set of dice is translated into a three digit number, with the highest number being the hundreds and the lowest being the units. For example, a roll of 1, 4, 6 would become 641. The higher this three digit number, the better.
One player is chosen to go first. They must announce a penalty number of greater than 0. Going clockwise, all players must then choose one of the following options:
The round continues until all players are either out (having run with the mice) or have agreed to the same penalty points value (having joined the men). At this stage, all remaining players reveal their dice. The player (or players) with the lowest three digit number must take penalty points equal to the value agreed upon. If at any stage in the round there is just one player remaining, the round immediately finishes. That player does not take any penalty points and may choose not to reveal their dice.
The game ends after a predetermined number of rounds. The player who has the least amount of penalty points is the winner.
- As an optional rule, allow players to re-roll all their dice for one penalty point.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a classic dice game… and dice games don’t get any more classic than Yahtzee. I have spent countless hours playing this game at Christmas with family and I don’t intend to stop that tradition any time soon.
Number of players: 2 – 10
Playing time: 30 minutes
You will need:
The game consists of thirteen rounds. In each round, play progresses clockwise. On each player’s turn, that player rolls five dice. They may re-roll as many dice as they like up to two times. After the third roll, the numbers displayed on the five dice must be kept.
The aim of the game is to score highly in each of the thirteen categories. these categories are divided into two sections: the upper section and the lower section. The upper section consists of six categories, each of which corresponds to one of the numbers between 1 and 6. Each category scores by adding up all dice that matches it. For example, if the dice rolled were 1, 2, 5, 5, 6; the score for category number one would be 1. The score for category number five would be 10 (5+5). If the combined score for all categories in the upper section is at least 65, 35 bonus points are awarded.
The bottom section consists of seven categories. Scoring in each of these is as follows:
Each of the thirteen categories in Yahtzee may only be used once. When a score has been recorded in a category it may not be moved. If after a players roll, the dice to not fit into any of the categories, that player must choose a category to place a score of 0 in.
If a second Yahtzee (all five dice showing the same number) is rolled by a player, then that player receives a 100 point bonus. If possible, the five numbers rolled must be used in the corresponding upper section category. If that category has already been filled, the five numbers may be used in any other upper section category (scoring 0); in three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind or chance (scoring the total of the five dice); or in full house, low straight or high straight (scoring the normal score allocated for those categories). Note, that if a second Yahtzee is rolled after a 0 had been scored in the Yahtzee category, no 100 bonus is awarded; however, in this instance, the five dice may still be used as described above.
The winner of the game is the player with the highest total score for all categories (plus any bonuses).
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a quick and simple bluffing dice game.
Number of players: 2 – 10
Playing time: 20 minutes
You will need:
Little Max is played in rounds. In each round play progresses clockwise until one player is forced to take a chip. When one player has taken their third chip, the game ends and that player is the looser.
On each players turn, that player places the dice inside the cup and the mat and shakes. Ensuring that no one else can see, the player peeks at the dice (if they so wish) and declares any result they like. That player then passes the dice (still inside of the cup and the mat) to the next player.
The player who receives the dice can then either accept the result that has just been declared, or challenge it. If they accept the result, they can shake the dice themselves (or keep the same result passed to them) before declaring a result themselves and passing the dice to the next player. The result that they claim must be higher than the previous one. If instead, the player challenges the result, they must lift up the cup to reveal the dice. If the result is at least as high as what was claimed, the player who made the challenge must take a chip. If however the result was lower than what was claimed, the player who made that claim must take a chip instead. The next round begins with the successful challenger/challenged of the previous round.
From lowest to highest, the order of results are as follows:
- Instead of the game ending when one player has taken three chips, the game can continue until all but one player has taken three chips. This player is then the winner.
- A really interesting variation on the rules is to allow players to pass the dice to anyone they wish (except the previous player), instead of simply clockwise.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a dice game by Reiner Knizia. First published in 1990, the rules for Octo are described in the fabulous ‘Dice Games Properly Explained‘. What I loved about Octo when I first read the rules was the fact that at any point in the game, there will always be a player who is winning. Since it is in all the other players interest that this person is not winning for too long, they invariably group together and cheer each other along… until one of them is winning of course!
Number of players: 3 – 6
Playing time: 10 minutes
You will need:
For each player’s turn, that player begins by rolling all eight dice. The player must then set aside at least one dice showing a particular number. For example, if the roll produced the numbers 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5; the two fives could be set aside. Following this, the player then must then decide whether to roll the remaining dice again or to finish the turn. If the player decides to roll the remaining dice again, then following the roll, they must again set aside at least one dice showing a particular number. If they fail to do this (e.g. if all dice show numbers that they have already set aside), their turn ends and they score no points. If the player decides to finish their turn, they score points equal to the total of all numbers set aside. Play progresses clockwise.
The aim of each player on each of their turns, is to score more points than the previous highest score. If no one can better the score set by one of the players over the course of a whole round (i.e. all players have a turn without the highest score changing), the player who set that score is the winner. When someone does better the highest score, that player has then produced the new highest score which subsequently becomes the new target for the other players.
