Yacht: Rules and How to Play
Yacht is a dice game for 1–6 players, about 15 minutes. Roll five dice up to three times and fill in your scoresheet one category at a time. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Objective
Yacht is a classic dice game for one or more players, first recorded in 1938. Each turn you roll five dice up to three times, choosing which to keep between rolls, then write your score into one open category on your scoresheet. Once every scoresheet is full, the highest total wins.
Setup
- One to six players. Playing alone, you aim for a personal best; from two players you can add computer players.
- Choose the Standard scoresheet (the default: 12 categories plus an upper bonus), Classic (12 categories from 1938, no bonus), or 13 categories (adds a seventh lower category alongside the bonus).
- Standard scoresheet: the upper section is Ones through Sixes (sum of that face); the lower section is Choice (sum of all five), Four of a Kind (sum of all five if four or more match), Full House (two matching sets of three and two, sum of all five), Small Straight (four in a row, 15), Large Straight (five in a row, 30) and Yacht (all five match, 50). A +35 bonus is added if the upper section totals 63 or more.
- Classic has no bonus, Four of a Kind only sums the matching four dice, Small Straight is fixed to 1-2-3-4-5 and Large Straight to 2-3-4-5-6. 13 categories keeps the upper bonus and adds a Three of a Kind row; Full House, Small Straight and Large Straight become fixed scores (25, 30 and 40), and rolling five of a kind again after the Yacht row is already filled adds a further 100 points.
How to play
- On your turn, roll all five dice.
- Before the second or third roll, tap the dice you want to keep (a kept die stays in place and shows ✓ Kept); tap again to release it. Only the dice you did not keep are rerolled, and kept dice stay kept for the next roll until you release them.
- After at least one roll, each open category faintly shows the score it would give. Tap a category to select it and see its condition, then press Write here to confirm.
- If no category matches your roll, you can still write a zero into an open category — your way out when the rolls run out. A filled category cannot be changed.
- Play again switches who goes first by default (you can turn that off in settings).
Winning and scoring
- The game ends once every player's scoresheet has all upper and lower categories filled (13 in the 13-category table).
- Add the upper total, bonus and lower total for each player. The highest total wins; equal scores share the place, and if the leaders tie it is a draw. A player may also resign.
- Scores (Standard): Ones to Sixes = sum of that face only (+35 once the upper section reaches 63); Choice = sum of all five; Four of a Kind = 4 or more alike, sum of all five; Full House = three plus a pair, sum of all five; Small Straight = 4 in a row, 15; Large Straight = 5 in a row, 30; Yacht = all five alike, 50. During play, tap a row to see its condition.
- Playing alone means there is no opponent, so it becomes a personal-best challenge: beating your saved best is shown on screen.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 1–6 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| ScoresheetScoresheetThe upper section has one box per number (1–6), scored as the total of that number. The upper bonus adds 35 points when the upper section totals 63 or more. Classic has no bonus, and its straights must be exactly 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6. 13 categories adds a Three of a Kind box and, if your Yacht box holds 50, gives 100 extra points for each further Yacht. If unsure, pick Standard. | Standard is the default 12-category table with an upper bonus. Classic is the 1938 original (no bonus). 13 categories adds a seventh lower category alongside the upper bonus. | Standard | Can be changed |
| Swap first player on rematch | Play again switches who goes first. | On | Can be changed |
Terms
- Scoresheet
- The 12 (or 13) categories each player fills in with a score, one line at a time.
- Upper bonus
- +35 added if Ones through Sixes total 63 or more.
- Full House
- Two matching sets of three and two. Five of a kind does not count as a full house.
- Straight
- A run of consecutive faces: four in a row for Small Straight, five in a row for Large Straight.
- Scoring zero
- Writing a zero into a category your roll does not match — your escape when you cannot roll again.
FAQ
Can five of a kind count as a Full House?
No. A Full House needs two different faces, three of one and two of the other.
Nothing on my roll matches a category
You can still write a zero into any open category.
Can I roll a fourth time?
No, three rolls per turn is the limit; after that you must score.
How is the 63-point bonus worked out?
Rolling an average of three of each face from Ones to Sixes gives 1+2+3+4+5+6=21, times three, which is 63. Reach that and you get +35.
What is the Joker rule?
It only applies with 13 categories. Rolling five of a kind again after the Yacht row is filled scores in that face's upper row if it's open, or in any open lower row (Full House and the straights pay their full fixed score).
How is the first player chosen?
The first game is random. Play again switches who goes first by default, though you can turn that off in settings.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.