Five Dice

How to play Five Dice

Five Dice is the classic scorecard dice game. Over 13 turns you fill 13 boxes on your scorecard, and the player with the highest total at the end wins.

1. Roll the five dice. You get up to three rolls each turn.
2. Keep what you like. After a roll, tap any dice you want to keep, then roll the rest again. You can change your mind between rolls.
3. Score one box. After any roll, tap an empty box in your column. The number shown is what you’ll score there. Each box can be used only once.
4. No good box? Take a zero. You must score something every turn, even if it’s a zero in a box you were unlikely to fill.
5. Highest total wins once every box is full.

The scorecard

The top six boxes (Ones to Sixes) score the total of the dice showing that number: three 4s in Fours scores 12. Reach 63 or more across the top six, the same as three of each number, and you get a 35-point bonus.

The bottom seven boxes score patterns. Three of a kind and Four of a kind score the total of all five dice. A Full house (three of one number and two of another) scores 25. A Small straight (four numbers in a row, like 2-3-4-5) scores 30, and a Large straight (all five in a row) scores 40. Five of a kind scores 50. Chance takes any dice and scores their total.

Quick tips for a higher score

• Chase the bonus. Three of each number in the top section is worth an extra 35. Four 6s can make up for a weak Ones.
• Save Chance for a bad turn. It’s your safety net when nothing else fits.
• Pick a zero box wisely. Late in the game, a zero in Ones or Five of a kind usually costs the least.
• Go for straights early. They’re easier to roll when you can still choose what to keep.

Five Dice FAQ