Dice Only Games

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It's easy for anyone, even the youngest of kids, to carry a handful of dice. Here's a selection of dice games that are easy to play and entertaining.

These games require only dice, and maybe a score pad, or other simple item (like a cup for Pirate's Dice). More intricate dice games requiring specialized equipment can be found in our Dice Plus Games.

Who says you need elaborate boards and intricate pieces to have a good time? With just a pair of dice, perhaps a charcuterie board and some fun cocktails, and, of course, a few good friends, you can host a memorable gathering in your home — or even make it a monthly tradition.

These dice games will help you throw an inexpensive and easy get together that will give you and your pals something to laugh over besides the latest trending TikTok, while also bringing out your competitive streak. And, I promise, these fun party games are all simple to learn — so you can focus on catching up rather than keeping track of rules.

Did we miss any? Add a comment below and include your favourite dice games!

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Pirate's Dice / Liar's Dice

No sailing blog could not begin with Pirate’s Dice.

Pirate’s Dice, also sometimes called Liar's Dice, is a dice game that involves chance, deception, and statistics. You need to both deceive others and detect the deception from other players. Originally having its roots in South America, the game has gained popularity recently in part due to being in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Equipment Needed

Each player receives one dice cup and five six-sided dice.

Number Of Players

2-6.

Ages

6+.

Duration

Games typically last 5-15 minutes depending on the number of players.

Objective

To be the last person remaining with dice by outbidding, out bluffing, and outplaying your opponents.

Gameplay

In order to determine who goes first, roll one dice and whoever gets the highest number goes first. After the first game, the winner goes first.

Players put their five dice in their cup, shake the dice, and roll their dice onto a table or surface. The purpose of the cups is so that others cannot see your dice. For this reason, players should make sure to conceal their dice, so other players don’t gain information. Each player looks at their own dice to know what they have. They may look as frequently as they want during around.

Players will bid how many of a dice roll they think have been cumulatively rolled. Bidders are attempting to make an estimate of how many of a certain number the total group has. This is a game of incomplete information because you don’t know what others have. Often times, the bidders start out with a low number and attempt to gain information from the next bidders.

Ones are wild. They count towards whatever number the bidder says. For example, in a game with 5 people, there are 25 dice. If a player estimates that there are 6 total 6’s, and there are five 6’s and one 1, that would count as 6.

Let’s assume the first player to bid has 2 2’s, 2 4’s and 2 5’s. The first player may say that there are three 5’s total, which would be a conservative bid. As long as one of the four other players has one or five, which statistically there normally will be, he will win.

The second player to act has two options. They may challenge, which is saying they don’t believe that the bid is correct. If there is a challenge, then all players reveal their dice. Count up the number the bidder said, and make sure to add 1’s to this number.

The second option is to go up in a number, increasing the bid. In this specific example, it is highly likely that the second player increases the bid. For example, the second player could bid four of a number of their choosing (excluding one).

They also have the option of going up by more than one number. Instead of claiming four threes, they could bet five threes. This is a strategy if you don’t want the number to get back to you, and you are confident in going up.

If you win the challenge and there aren’t enough of what the bidder stated, the bidder loses a dice. However, if a challenger is incorrect, they lose a dice.

When a player loses a dice, they should put it in front of them so that the other players are aware of how many dice they are playing with. If you are confused at any time, you may ask other players. Knowing how many dice are in play is important.

Only the person whose turn it is may challenge or go up in a bid. This game will go in a clockwise direction, and as long as you have dice you are still in the game.

The loser of the challenge gets to bid first after the next roll.

The last person who has dice will win the game.

Strategy

While this game involves luck, there are definitely elements of strategy. Each bid gives players knowledge and insight. If a player tends to be truthful, you can take their bids at face value. However, if a player is constantly upping the bid to something that they don’t have, you should be wary of what they say. If you are immediately after them, this should increase your likelihood of either challenging them or going with the dice that you have more of.

When calculating the odds that they have a certain dice, be sure to include ones in your calculation. For example, if they have only one dice, there isn’t a 1 in 6 chance that they have a 4. There is a ⅓ chance because 1’s are wild. Playing Liar’s Dice can be intimidating at first, as you are trying to be a human lie detector, and mastering a strategy takes time. Remember, it is better to make an early bluff rather than a late one. Even if you don’t have certain numbers, by basic probability if you start with a low number, the collective should have it.

As the game goes on, your initial bet should be lower because there are less dice in play.

Variations

You can play that regardless of order, anybody can challenge a number. This can allow you to target certain people, such as the leader. If you bluff and they increase the number you said, you can instantly challenge them instead of waiting for your turn. Many prefer this version as they believe it requires more skill.

Instead of raising or challenging, a player can call "exact". If the previous number is exactly correct, then the last bidder loses a dice and you win by calling exact. However, if you are incorrect, even by one, you lose.

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Bunco 

Bunco is a fun group dice game where the objective is to be the first person or team to reach 21 points. And you don’t need to have much on hand for this quick game of accumulating wins (or buncos!). Ideally, you’ll have multiples of four playing; you’ll seat each four at a different table, with one table designated the head table. Your tables will change throughout the game but, at the moment, your teammate is the person you’re sitting across from. The other two — those are your opponents. 

What you’ll need:

• • 3 dice
  • Score card
  • At least four players

How to play:

1. 1. Roll all three dice. You’ll earn points if you roll the number that is the same as the round. For round one, that’s one. Round two, two. And so on. 
   2. Keep rolling as long as you’re moving clockwise around the table and the number of the round keeps being rolled. The round ends if it’s round one and you’ve rolled a two, three, and five, for example, or if one team reaches 21 points or rolls three ones, for example, which would be a Bunco!
   3. At the end of each round, the winners move to the next table. The game ends at round 6, with the team with the most points winning.

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Sevens Out

As the name indicates, in this game, the object is to avoid rolling a 7. Doing so will end your turn and give your opponent(s) a chance to get to the highest score first. And that’s it! This one is blissfully simple and easily played with as many people as you have around.

What you’ll need:

• • 2 dice
  • Score card
  • At least two players

How to play:

1. 1. Set a winning score you’re trying to reach (let’s say it’s 200). Roll the dice, write down your running throw score, and stop once you’ve thrown a 7.
   2. Then, it’s the next player’s turn — until they throw a 7. One note: if you throw two fives or any doubles, you’ll score double the number (or, in the case of two fives, you’ll score ten points).
   3. Continue tallying up your score with each turn and the first player to 200 (or whatever you set as your set score) wins.

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Slam

Similar to Bunco, Slam is a three-dice game that keeps moving as long as you’re rolling a specific number — but in this one you want to get out of the game. The goal is to get to 15 points and get out of the game — but not to go over. If they go over 15 on a turn, then that turn doesn’t count. 

What you’ll need:

• • 3 dice
  • Score card
  • At least four players

How to play:

1. 1. The first player rolls one die, and whatever number they roll becomes the “slam.”
   2. Player one then rolls all of the dice, hoping to get at least one slam and records their score as they go. For every slam, they score a point, and they keep rolling until they get three without a slam.
   3. Each player then takes turns rolling the dice, hoping they get at least one slam. Two slams in a turn gets 5 points, while three slams in a turn is an instant 15. The last person standing, aka the last player that hasn’t reached 15, loses.

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Going to Town

At least two players and three dice: that’s all you need for Going to Town. And luckily, the game play is equally simple. That means kids (and adults) of all ages will be able to pick up the rules — and even get competitive about them — quickly!

What you’ll need:

• • 3 dice
  • At least two players

How to play:

1. 1. Decide on how many rounds you want to play (let’s say 10 for example’s sake).
   2. Take turns rolling all three dice. For each round, each player’s turn consists of rolling all three dice, keeping the highest number.
   3. Then, the player rolls two dice, again keeping the highest number.
   4. The player finally rolls just one die, keeping that number. The final tally is their score for that turn. Then, it passes to the next player.
   5. At the end of 10 rounds, or however many you decide to play, the player with the highest score wins.

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Run For It

In Run For It, players use six dice to try to get straights (or runs, as they’re called here). The goal is to get the biggest straight from each roll — and you’re literally rolling the dice each time to see if you can top your last one! Each run must begin with a 1, so look out for rolls with no ones, which means your turn is immediately over.

What you’ll need

• • 6 dice
  • At least two players

How to play:

The first player rolls all 6 dice and looks for runs that begin with the number 1. Each number that is part of a run scores 5 points. So if you roll a 1, 2, 3, 5, 5, and 6, you’d have a run of 1, 2, 3, and score 15 points. But you can only have one run per turn, so 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, and 3 can only count for 15. Meanwhile, if you roll 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, and 6, you don’t get any points, but you can keep the 1 and roll again to try for another run.

1. 1. If you get a small run (say, 1, 2, 3) and want to re-roll to get a bigger run, go for it — but you may end up with no run at all, at which point you get zero points.
   2. If you don’t roll a 1 but you do roll three of a kind of any number, you can try again for a run.
   3. Once you have a run you want to stick with, record your points and allow the next player to go. The first to 100 wins.

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Left Center Right

Played with at least three or more people with three dice per player, Left Center Right is, as of 2020, seeing a boom in interest. The game can be played with token just "for fun" or can be played for money.

Left Center Right (LCR) is a fast-moving custom dice game that is easy to learn. LCR is a game of luck, there is no skill involved, simply the rolling of dice. LCR is commonly known as a party game played for money.

You only need a small number of 6-sided dice to play Left Center Right. If you are without a set, use the link below to find a perfect one for you.

Equipment

The board game version comes with three specialized dice. Three of the sides are dots, one of the sides is an L, one is an R, and one is a C. The L represents left, the R right, and the C center. However, the game can easily be played with regular playing dice as well.

You need to give out three items to each player before the start of the game. While this game is often played with dollar bills, you can use virtually anything. For example, poker chips, marbles, or quarters would work as well.

This game is played in a circular formation, whether it be around a table or any open area. There needs to be space left in the middle in order to put the money, chips, or whatever object is used in.

Number Of Players

A minimum of three players, up to as many people as materials you have.
Ages 5+. This game can be helpful in teaching children the difference between their left and their right. However, for children younger than five it may be dangerous because dice can be a choking hazard.

Gameplay

Each player starts with three chips, and what is rolled on the dice determines where your chips go. If you roll a 4 you pass a chip to your left. If you roll a 5, to the right. When a 6 is rolled, the chip goes towards the middle and it is no longer in play. In the event you roll a 1, 2, or 3, you keep your chip. Each dice rolled correlates to one of your chips. For example, if a player rolls two 6’s and a 5, he would keep two of his chips while passing one chip to the player to his right.

Each player will take a turn rolling the dice one at a time. To begin the game, choose a player to roll the three dice first. Oftentimes, the oldest player has the honor of going first. Alternatively, each player could roll a dice and whoever rolls the highest goes first. In the event of a tie, keep rolling until someone rolls higher.

Roll as many dice as you have chips (up to three). In case you have more than 3 chips, only 3 of your chips are at risk.

Once you have passed your chips accordingly, pass the dice to the nearest person to your right who still has chips. If you run out of chips, this does not mean you are out of the game. Players may end up passing their chips to you. This keeps the game exciting because everyone has a chance to win even when they run out of chips.

From the roller’s perspective, they are rooting for the dots so that they maintain the number of chips that they have. A perfect roll would be all 1s, 2s, or 3s, as this would result in keeping all three chips. The worst possible roll would be three 6’s, because not only do you lose your chips, but the people close to you have a lower chance of giving them back to you. Even when you are not the roller, you have a stake in what they roll because you want to accumulate chips.

How To Win

Once there is only one player remaining with chips, they are crowned the winner. If you are playing with money, you win the whole pot!

Tip: If you want to play multiple rounds for lower stakes, use quarters instead of dollars! It will make the fun last longer. If quarters are still too high roller for you, try dimes, nickels, or pennies.

Variation

There is a variation of the game, called LCR wild. In this version, instead of three safe numbers, there are two. The third safe number is replaced by a W, which allows the roller to take one chip from any player. If you are interested in this version, change the number 3 to a W. If you manage to roll two W’s on the same role, you have the option of taking two chips from one player, or one chip from two different players. If you happen to roll 3 W’s on the same turn, you instantly win the game.

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Beer Die

Not all dice games are determined by skill or much less have a point. If you love dice and you love beer, then Beer Die is for you!

Beer die is a drinking game that is commonly played among college students. The game is also known as snappa.

Equipment

All you need for the game is a table, dice, four cups, and beer. The game is often played on a pong table.

Number Of Players

2 or 4.

Game Length

10-15 minutes is the average length of a game.

Gameplay

Players will separate typically into teams of two, standing on the same side of the table as their partner. This game can also be played one-on-one. The goal of the game is to land the die into the opponent's cup or to have the die bounce off the table and the opponents fail to catch it. Cups are placed at the corners of each table, but not close enough to where it is in jeopardy of falling off.

To start, fill each cup with beer with 12 ounces of beer. You can also play with just water, or drink beer out of the can separately. Roll a die, and whichever team rolls higher gets to either go first or choose which side they prefer. If you are playing winner stays, have the previously winning team shoot first. Decide whether you want to play seated, or standing.

The shooting team will throw their die in the area, above an agreed-upon height, and attempt to sink the die in the cup or hit the table. An agreed-upon height is within a foot of the ceiling if played indoors, or about 8 feet. Die are intended to be thrown one at a time, this is not a speed game. The defending team must wait for the opponents to both shoot before shooting back.

The die must land on the opponent’s side of the table, it cannot hit your side of the table and then bounce off. The defending team will try and catch the die prior to it hitting the ground. The defending team is only allowed to use one hand, and may not use their body parts to assist in catching the die. However, it still counts if you bobble the die and still catch it. You may not reach over the table to grab a die, it must be off the plain off the table when you make the catch.

During the game, you are not allowed to use the words five or seven. You may refer to five as buzz, and seven as bizz. If you break this rule, you must drink. When drinking in this game, both teammates drink. Opponents may attempt to trick you, such as asking what time it is, or what the score is.

The game can be scored either by drinking, points or both.

Example of a scoring system:

• • 1 point if the die hits the table, and the defending team fails to catch it.
  • 2 points if the die bounces off a cup, then goes off the table without being caught.
  • 3 points if the die is sunk in the cup.

In classic beer die, you do not get extra points. You only get points in one-point increments.

Games are often played to 5, 7 or 11, win by 2. Make sure to establish what you are playing before the game starts.

In the drinking version of this game, drinks are finished when the dice are made in the cup. This is known as a “sink”. However, the game is not over. Grab another beer, and fill your cup up. To raise the stakes, after sinking a die, roll it. If you roll a five, both opponents have to chug a beer.

If at any point you knock your own drink over, you automatically lose the game. Don’t be clumsy!

When to drink

• • If you do not throw the die on the opponent’s side
  • If you miss the table
  • If the die hits the ceiling
  • If you lose a die
  • If you don’t throw the die far enough
  • If the die lands with a 5 showing
  • If your opponents hit your cup
  • If you throw out of turn
  • If you say five or seven

Tips

Have a referee. There are often judgment calls needed, such as if a dice was thrown high enough.

Partners should be selected based on a variety of factors: the ability to handle their beer, reflex skills, and ability to throw the dice well.

This is a good way to start the night. Drinking this much beer can be very filling.

If you have multiple teams, consider playing winner stays. If you have a lot of people, consider playing tournament style.

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Pig

Pig is one of those games whose sole purpose seemingly is to roll dice.

Pig is a simple dice game first described in print by John Scarne in 1945. Players take turns to roll a single dice as many times as they wish, adding all roll results to a running total, but losing their gained score for the turn if they roll a 1.

As with many games of folk origin, Pig is played with many rule variations, including the use of two dice instead of one. Commercial variants of two-dice Pig include Pass the Pigs, Pig Dice, and Skunk. Pig is commonly used by mathematics teachers to teach probability concepts.

Pig is one of a family of dice games described by Reiner Knizia as "jeopardy dice games", where the dominant type of decision is whether or not to jeopardize previous gains by rolling for potential greater gains.

Gameplay

Each turn, a player repeatedly rolls a die until either a 1 is rolled or the player decides to "hold":

• • If the player rolls a 1, they score nothing and it becomes the next player's turn.
  • If the player rolls any other number, it is added to their turn total and the player's turn continues.
  • If a player chooses to "hold", their turn total is added to their score, and it becomes the next player's turn.

The first player to score 100 or more points wins.

For example, the first player, Donald, begins a turn with a roll of 5. Donald could hold and score 5 points, but chooses to roll again. Donald rolls a 2, and could hold with a turn total of 7 points, but chooses to roll again. Donald rolls a 1, and must end his turn without scoring. The next player, Alexis, rolls the sequence 4-5-3-5-6, after which she chooses to hold, and adds her turn total of 23 points to her score.

Optimal play

Optimal play for 2-player Pig was computed by Todd W. Neller and visualized by Clifton G. M. Presser in 2001. At any time, the relevant decision information includes the player's score, the opponent's score, and the turn total. Such information corresponds to a 3D point in the graph's space. If this point is inside the gray solid, the player should roll. Otherwise, the player should hold.

Many 2-dice variants have been analysed, and human-playable Pig strategies have been compared to optimal play. For example:

• • 'Hold at 20' is a popular strategy. Each turn, the player rolls until they score 20 or more, then holds. This strategy has a 8% disadvantage against optimal play.
  • 'Hold at 25' was found to be more effective. This has a 4.2% disadvantage against optimal play.
  • '4 scoring turns' holds at 25 on the first turn, then on subsequent turns divides the amount needed to reach 100 by the number of turns remaining. This has a 3.3% disadvantage against optimal play.
  • 'End race or keep pace'. If either player has a score of 71 or higher, roll to win. Otherwise, hold on 21 plus the difference between scores divided by 8. This has a 0.9% disadvantage against optimal play.

Variations

Two-Dice Pig

This variation is the same as Pig, except:

• • Two standard dice are rolled. If neither shows a 1, their sum is added to the turn total.
  • If a single 1 is rolled, the player scores nothing and the turn ends.
  • If two 1s are rolled, the player’s entire score is lost, and the turn ends.
  • If a double is rolled, the point total is added to the turn total as with any roll but the player is obligated to roll again (possible sub-variation of the two-dice game)

Some versions of this game instead use 6 as the "bad" die face.

Big Pig

This variation is the same as Two-Dice Pig, except:

• • If two 1s are rolled, the player adds 25 to the turn total.
  • If other doubles are rolled, the player adds twice the value of the dice to the turn total.

Skunk

Skunk (or Think) is a variation of Two-Dice Pig that is played with large groups. Rather than rolling in turn, all players begin the round standing. At any point in the round, a player may hold by sitting down. The round continues until a 1 is rolled, or all players have sat down. Skunk is played in five rounds, and scoring is recorded in a 5-column table with columns labeled with the letters of the word "SKUNK". The first round score is entered in the "S"-column, the next in the first "K"-column, and so on. After five rounds, the highest-scoring player is the winner.

Hog

Hog is played with a larger number of dice. On a player's turn, they choose any amount of dice to roll, and throw those dice. If they roll any 1s, they score zero for their turn; otherwise they score the sum of the dice. Play then passes to the next player. The game continues to a target score.

Pass the Pigs

The commercial game Pass the Pigs is similar to two-dice Pig, and is played with two small model pigs being thrown, similar to shagai bones.

In this game, a roll of left side and right side has the same consequences as rolling a 1 (i.e., the turn ends with the loss of the turn total), and a roll with pigs touching has the same consequences as rolling two 1's (i.e., the turn ends with the loss of the turn total and score). Pass the Pigs is similar to Frey's variant in that two pigs in the same non-side configuration score double what they would individually.

Teaching

Pig often serves as a simple example for teaching probability concepts from the middle school level upwards. The game also provides exercises for teaching computer science in areas ranging from introductory courses to advanced machine learning material.

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