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Dice Games: Compare Types, Rules and Uses of Rolls
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Last updated 2026-10-19 · Run by Qdan, Inc.
Compare how dice become combinations, points, claims or movement, and what you choose after rolling.
Check players, time and learning effort, then follow Play to try each game in your browser.
Three Games to Try First
- Hearts Dice
Start by rolling once and following the result, with no dice to select.
- Shut the Box
Choose visible numbers that add up to the dice total.
- Yacht
Compare kept dice and empty scoring categories, including in solo play.
Choose What to Do After Rolling
Start with Hearts Dice to follow a roll and its result, Shut the Box to choose numbers matching a total, or Yacht to keep selected dice and reroll the rest. The other groups compare hidden claims and moving pieces.
Dice Game List: Compare Players, Rolls and Rules
Players, time and learning effort come from each game’s information; chance descriptions express its shared three-level luck rating. The thinking column gives examples of actions and decisions rather than a ranking of winning chances. Extra throws follow a specific result, while rerolls replace dice in the current result. Comparisons mainly describe BGJ defaults; general references may use different conventions, which you can check against each game’s rules and settings.
1–8 players
8–20 min
- Quick to learn7 games
- Learn step by step3 games
- More to learn0 games
- Mostly skill0 games
- Luck and skill3 games
- Mostly luck7 games
Player counts and times span the smallest to largest values in this group. Learning and luck describe each game, rather than a quality score.
| Game | Players and time | Rolls and rerolls | How results are used | Role of chance | What to think about |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinchirorin | 2–8 players, About 10 min | Up to three whole-hand throws; stop at a combination | 2–2–4 is a four-point hand against the banker | Rolls have a large effect | Game-point stakes and hand strength |
| Hearts Dice | 1–6 players, About 10 min | Six dice once; no rerolls | Read numbers as H–E–A–R–T–S and count the sequence | Rolls have a large effect | Follow the result and its letter sequence |
| Farkle | 2–4 players, About 20 min | Start with six; keep rolling while scoring dice remain | Set aside ones, fives and scoring combinations | Rolls have a large effect | Bank the turn total or risk another roll |
| Shut the Box | 2–4 players, About 10 min | Usually two dice; continue while possible; one die under conditions | A seven closes 7, or 3 and 4, for example | Rolls have a large effect | Leave numbers that future rolls can close |
| Yacht | 1–6 players, About 15 min | Five dice, up to three throws; keep selected dice | Build a combination and fill an unused category | Both rolls and choices matter | Which dice to keep and category to use |
| Liar's Dice | 2–6 players, About 12 min | Five each by default; once per round, no bidding rerolls | Bid on matching faces across all dice, or challenge | Rolls have a large effect | Estimate hidden dice from your own and the bids |
| Mäxchen (Mia) | 2–8 players, About 8 min | Roll two once after accepting; no selected keeps | Read a pair as a value such as 43 and raise the claim | Rolls have a large effect | Trust the next claim or demand a reveal |
| Backgammon | 2 players, About 15 min | Two dice once per turn; no rerolls | Use each die as a move; doubles give four moves | Both rolls and choices matter | Move order and which checkers to advance |
| Ludo | 2–4 players, About 20 min | One die; extra throws on sixes or captures; third six ends turn | Move one piece by the rolled number | Rolls have a large effect | Leave the nest, advance or use a safe space |
| Royal Game of Ur | 2 players, About 15 min | Four tetrahedral dice; extra throw on a rosette | Count white tips, zero to four, as movement | Both rolls and choices matter | Reach a rosette or send an opponent back |
Compare Combinations: Read the Result
Read the result as a ranked hand, letter sequence or scoring combination. For example, 2–2–4 in Chinchiro is a four-point hand from the unmatched die, rather than a total of eight.
Chinchirorin
Compare your three-dice combination with the banker to increase your points. When two dice match, the remaining die determines the value. Roll again only while no combination has formed, up to three throws; you cannot keep selected dice. BGJ settings cover stakes in game points, multipliers and the banker’s rolling order.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Up to three whole-hand throws; stop at a combination
- How results are used
- 2–2–4 is a four-point hand against the banker
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
BGJ rules [5]
Hearts Dice
Earn points for an unbroken sequence starting with H and compare totals. Roll all six letter dice once, with no keeping or rerolling choices. Having H, E and A scores HEA; a missing letter ends the sequence. In BGJ’s default rules, three or more H results reset your total to zero, so even a lead can disappear.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Six dice once; no rerolls
- How results are used
- Read numbers as H–E–A–R–T–S and count the sequence
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
BGJ rules [6]
Choose Results: Keep Dice or Close Numbers
Choose scoring dice, kept dice or numbered tiles to change your score and future options. In Shut the Box, a total of seven could close 7 or tiles 3 and 4, leaving different choices for the next roll.
Farkle
Set aside scoring dice, then choose whether to bank the points or roll the remainder. A single one is worth 100 points in BGJ, leaving other dice to build on it. A roll with no scoring dice loses the unbanked turn total. If every die scores, all six become available again, so deciding when to stop matters throughout a turn.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Start with six; keep rolling while scoring dice remain
- How results are used
- Set aside ones, fives and scoring combinations
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
BGJ rules [7]
Shut the Box
Close numbered tiles matching the dice total and leave as small a sum as possible. A seven could close tile 7 or tiles 3 and 4, giving different options for later rolls. Continue until no matching set remains. In BGJ, closing 7, 8 and 9 allows a single die; closing every tile wins immediately. [1]
- Rolls and rerolls
- Usually two dice; continue while possible; one die under conditions
- How results are used
- A seven closes 7, or 3 and 4, for example
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
Yacht
Choose dice to keep and a scoring category to fill, aiming for the highest total. With three sixes, you might keep those and reroll the other two dice. Each turn allows up to three throws, then uses one empty category. A category cannot be reused, so compare the points available now with combinations you could aim for later.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Five dice, up to three throws; keep selected dice
- How results are used
- Build a combination and fill an unused category
- Role of chance
- Both rolls and choices matter
BGJ rules [9]
Challenge Claims: Judge Hidden Results
Raise claims about hidden results, then decide whether to continue or demand a reveal. In Liar’s Dice, “five threes” describes everyone’s dice, so your own roll gives only part of the evidence.
Liar's Dice
Keep your dice by raising claims about everyone’s hidden results or challenging the last claim. “Five threes” refers to all players’ dice, not just yours. Each round starts with a roll; bidding does not allow rerolls. BGJ normally counts ones as wild, with an exception in a special one-die round, and a failed claim or challenge costs a die.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Five each by default; once per round, no bidding rerolls
- How results are used
- Bid on matching faces across all dice, or challenge
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
BGJ rules [10]
Mäxchen (Mia)
Protect your lives by announcing a stronger hidden two-dice result and deciding whether to trust the previous call. A four and a three read as 43, with doubles and the strongest result, 21, ranked separately. Unlike Liar’s Dice, you judge one pair rather than everyone’s dice. In BGJ, believing a call means rolling your own pair for the next announcement.
- Rolls and rerolls
- Roll two once after accepting; no selected keeps
- How results are used
- Read a pair as a value such as 43 and raise the claim
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
BGJ rules [11]
Move Pieces: Turn Rolls into Movement
Use dice for movement and choose which pieces advance or in what order. A three and a five in Backgammon provide separate moves; follow Types of Sugoroku and How to Play at the end for comparisons with board and picture sugoroku.
Backgammon
Use both dice to move your fifteen checkers toward bearing off. With a three and a five, move separate checkers or use one checker in two legal steps. Doubles provide four moves of the same value. There is no selective reroll: decisions concern move order, safe landing points and whether leaving a single checker exposes it to a hit. [2]
- Rolls and rerolls
- Two dice once per turn; no rerolls
- How results are used
- Use each die as a move; doubles give four moves
- Role of chance
- Both rolls and choices matter
Ludo
Choose a piece for the rolled number and race all four into the centre. One die determines movement; BGJ normally requires a six to leave the nest. Sixes and captures grant another throw, but you do not keep selected dice or replace a poor roll. Choose between advancing a piece, bringing another out and making use of safe spaces. [3]
- Rolls and rerolls
- One die; extra throws on sixes or captures; third six ends turn
- How results are used
- Move one piece by the rolled number
- Role of chance
- Rolls have a large effect
Royal Game of Ur
Choose a piece to move by the number of white tips and bring all seven off the board. Four tetrahedral dice produce a total from zero to four; two white tips mean moving one piece two spaces. BGJ gives another throw on a rosette and allows captures in the shared lane. This comparison describes the playable reconstruction, without claiming every detail was used in antiquity. [4]
- Rolls and rerolls
- Four tetrahedral dice; extra throw on a rosette
- How results are used
- Count white tips, zero to four, as movement
- Role of chance
- Both rolls and choices matter
Frequently Asked Questions
Which dice games should I try first to learn the rules?
Choose Hearts Dice to follow a single roll and its result, Shut the Box to select numbers matching the total, or Yacht to choose kept dice and scoring categories. Each game card includes players, time, learning effort and links to its rules.
Are dice games decided only by chance?
Rolls matter, but the choices differ. Hearts Dice does not let you select results; Farkle asks when to stop, Yacht asks which dice and categories to use, and Backgammon asks which checkers to move and in what order. Compare these in the thinking column.
Can I reroll in every game?
Reroll rules differ. Chinchiro allows up to three whole-hand throws while no combination has formed; Yacht allows up to three throws with selected keeps; Farkle can continue while scoring dice can be set aside. A six in Ludo or a rosette in Ur grants an extra throw rather than replacing a bad roll.
How do these movement games compare with sugoroku?
This guide uses Backgammon, Ludo and the Royal Game of Ur to compare how rolls move chosen pieces. Follow Types of Sugoroku and How to Play at the end to compare board and picture sugoroku, their destinations and finishing rules.
Can I play alone or with a larger group?
Hearts Dice and Yacht support solo play. Chinchiro and Mäxchen support up to eight players. Check each game card and its rules for the available group sizes and settings.
Sources and How BGJ Plays
- James Masters (rules author) — The Rules of Shut the BoxPlay: dice totals, combinations of tiles and single-die conditions / Checked: ↩
- U.S. Backgammon Federation — Backgammon Basics: How To PlayChecker movement, separate dice, doubles and bearing off / Checked: ↩
- James Masters (rules author) — Rules and instructions for the games of LudoMovement, extra throws on sixes and finishing; BGJ captures and other conventions are documented separately / Checked: ↩
- J. Paul Getty Museum — Ancient Games: Information and RulesRoyal Game of Ur: movement, rosettes and extra throws in a playable modern ruleset, not proof of every ancient detail / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — ChinchirorinPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Hearts DicePublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — FarklePublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Shut the BoxPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — YachtPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Liar's DicePublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Mäxchen (Mia)Published status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — BackgammonPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — LudoPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Royal Game of UrPublished status, supported languages, players, time, learning effort, dice use, actions and settings in the game’s meta.json rules / Checked: ↩