Board games that use dice have been a source of fun and entertainment for centuries, and they are still a great way to pass the time with friends and family. Here are some of the top board games with dice that are sure to bring hours of enjoyment.
From classic games like Yahtzee and Liar’s Dice to more modern games like Roll for the Galaxy and King of Tokyo, there are a variety of dice-based board games that are sure to provide hours of entertainment. From traditional six-sided dice to advanced twelve-sided dice, there is sure to be a game that is perfect for your group.
In addition to the standard dice-based games, there are also unique games like Machi Koro, Dice Forge, and Stone Age, which offer a different type of gaming experience. With a combination of luck, strategy, and creative thinking, these games are sure to provide an exciting and challenging experience for everyone.
What are Dice and Where Do They Come From?
Dice have been used for centuries as a form of entertainment and chance. Originally made of stone, bone, and other materials, modern dice are most commonly made of plastic and are used in a wide variety of games. Dice come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, and they are often used as an element of chance in board games, making them an exciting and unpredictable tool for entertainment.
From classic games like Yahtzee and Liar’s Dice to more modern games like Roll for the Galaxy and King of Tokyo, there are a wide variety of dice-based board games to choose from. Whether you are looking for a game that is easy to learn or a more complex game that requires strategy and luck, there is sure to be a board game with dice that will fit your needs.
Different Types of Dice
Dice come in many shapes and sizes, each with a unique set of features. For instance, six-sided dice are the most common type of dice, and they are used in many popular board games. Eight-sided dice, on the other hand, are often used in role-playing games and other more complex board games.
Ten-sided dice, meanwhile, are often used in more advanced games and are often used to determine the outcome of a variety of scenarios. In addition to these, there are also twelve-sided dice and twenty-sided dice, which are used in even more complex board games. No matter what kind of game you are playing, there is sure to be a type of dice that will suit your needs.
Best Board Games with Dice
Now that you know a little more about dice and it’s origin, let’s get into the best board games with dice. Check out the table below for a comparison of all of the best board games with dice. We will go into detail about each one below!
Now let’s get into each one of these below!
1. Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a popular dice game that has been enjoyed by families and friends for decades. The game is played with five six-sided dice and a scorecard. The objective of the game is to roll the dice and try to achieve certain combinations, such as a full house, straight, or five of a kind. The player with the highest total score at the end of the game wins.
Each round of Yahtzee begins with the roll of all five dice. The player can then choose to keep any of the dice that they wish, and re-roll the rest. This process can be repeated up to two more times, allowing the player to try to achieve the desired combination. The player must then fill in one of the boxes on the scorecard with the score for that round.
There are several different categories on the Yahtzee scorecard, each with a different point value. For example, rolling three of a kind will earn the player three points, while a straight will earn the player 40 points. The game can also be played with different variations, such as allowing for multiple Yahtzees, or using different point values for different combinations.
Yahtzee is a game of strategy, as players must decide which combinations to try for and when to hold onto certain dice. It is also a game of luck, as the roll of the dice can greatly impact the outcome of a round. This combination of strategy and luck makes Yahtzee a fun and exciting game for people of all ages to play.
2. Roll for the Galaxy
Roll for the Galaxy is a popular board game that combines elements of dice rolling, strategy, and civilization building. The game is played with custom dice, a game board, player boards, and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to earn the most victory points by developing and expanding your civilization.
Each round of Roll for the Galaxy begins with players rolling their dice, which represent different actions and resources. Players can then use the results of their dice rolls to take various actions such as developing new technologies, settling new planets, or producing and trading goods.
Players can also spend their dice results to acquire cards, which represent different aspects of their civilization such as planets, developments, and leaders. These cards can provide various benefits such as additional victory points, bonuses to certain actions, or special abilities.
The game has a high replayability value, as players can have different strategies, cards and combinations of them. Additionally, the game has an advanced variant which add more depth and complexity to the game.
Roll for the Galaxy is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
3. King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo is a popular board game that combines elements of dice rolling, strategy, and monster battles. The game is played with custom dice, a game board, player boards, and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to be the first player to reach 20 victory points or the last one standing in Tokyo.
Each round of King of Tokyo begins with players rolling six dice, which represent different actions and resources. Players can earn victory points by rolling three hearts or by having the most victory points at the end of the game. Players can also earn victory points by being the King of Tokyo, which is the player who controls the city at the end of the game.
Players can also use the results of their dice rolls to take various actions such as attacking other monsters, healing themselves, or earning energy to buy power cards. Power cards are special abilities that can give players an edge in the game such as extra attack power, extra defense, or the ability to roll more dice.
King of Tokyo is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, King of Tokyo is a fast-paced and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of monster battles and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of being a giant monster fighting for control of the city.
4. Pandemic: The Cure
Pandemic: The Cure is a cooperative board game that challenges players to work together to stop the spread of deadly diseases and save humanity. The game is played with a game board, player pieces, disease cubes, and various cards. The objective of the game is to find a cure for all four diseases before the outbreak spreads out of control.
Each round of the game, players take turns moving their pieces around the world, taking actions such as treating diseases, sharing knowledge, and building research stations. Players must also draw and discard cards in order to find the necessary cards to cure the disease.
Players must also manage the spread of the diseases by placing disease cubes on cities around the world. If a city becomes too infected, it can become an outbreak, spreading the disease to nearby cities. Players must work together to keep the outbreaks under control while also searching for a cure.
Pandemic: The Cure is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their cards in order to succeed. The game is also highly cooperative, as players will need to work together to keep the outbreaks under control and find the cure.
Overall, Pandemic: The Cure is a challenging and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of cooperative games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy working together to overcome a common enemy and save humanity from a deadly pandemic.
5. Farkle
Farkle is a popular dice game that has been enjoyed by families and friends for decades. The game is played with six six-sided dice and the objective of the game is to score the most points by rolling certain combinations of the dice. The player with the highest total score at the end of the game wins.
Each round, a player rolls all six dice and sets aside any dice that have a scoring combination, such as three of a kind or a straight. The player can then choose to roll again with the remaining dice or bank their points and pass the turn to the next player. The game continues until a player reaches a predetermined score or until all players have had a certain number of turns.
There are several different scoring combinations in Farkle, each with a different point value. For example, rolling three of a kind will earn the player a certain number of points, while rolling a straight will earn the player a higher number of points.
Farkle is a game of luck, as the roll of the dice can greatly impact the outcome of a round, but also requires strategy as the players must decide when to bank their points and when to risk rolling again in order to achieve a higher score. This combination of luck and strategy makes Farkle a fun and exciting game for people of all ages to play.
Overall, Farkle is a simple yet entertaining board game that is easy to learn and fun to play. It is a great choice for family game night or a casual gathering with friends. With a simple set of rules, Farkle offers endless hours of entertainment and is a great way to spend time with family and friends.
6. Sagrada
Sagrada is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, pattern recognition and dice placement. The game is played with a set of custom dice, a game board and player boards. The objective of the game is to score the most points by creating a beautiful stained-glass window on your player board.
In the game, players take turns drafting and placing dice on their player board. Each round, a new set of dice is rolled and players take turns selecting a die to add to their window. Dice can only be placed in certain spaces on the player board, determined by the game’s restrictions and the player’s chosen tool cards. Each die has a number and a color, and players must use their skills of pattern recognition and planning to strategically place the dice in order to score points.
Players also have access to tool cards that can help them manipulate the dice or break the rules in order to score more points. Additionally, players can earn private objective cards that give them specific goals to work towards throughout the game.
Sagrada is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Sagrada is a beautiful and challenging board game that will appeal to fans of pattern recognition and dice placement games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of creating a unique and beautiful work of art.
7. Liar’s Dice
Liar’s Dice is a popular board game that combines elements of bluffing, strategy and probability. The game is played with a set of five six-sided dice, a cup and a game board. The objective of the game is to be the last player remaining by correctly guessing the number of a specific die face showing on all dice in play or by catching another player in a lie.
In the game, players take turns rolling their dice under a cup, hiding the results from the other players. They then make a bid on the total number of a specific die face showing on all dice in play. The next player must either make a higher bid on the same die face or bid on a different die face. If a player challenges and loses, they lose a die, if they win, the challenger loses a die.
Players must use their knowledge of probability, their ability to read their opponents, and their ability to bluff effectively in order to succeed in the game. A key aspect of the game is trying to figure out what the other players are hiding under their cups, which requires careful observation and tactical thinking.
Liar’s Dice is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Liar’s Dice is a fast-paced, exciting and challenging board game that will appeal to fans of bluffing and probability games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of trying to outsmart their opponents.
8. Machi Koro
Machi Koro is a popular board game that combines elements of city-building and dice rolling. The game is played with a game board, player boards, custom dice, and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to be the first player to build all four landmarks and win the game.
Each round of the game, players take turns rolling a set of dice and using the results to collect money and purchase new buildings. The buildings that players can purchase include a variety of shops, factories, and landmarks that can generate income, provide bonuses, or help players to win the game.
Players must also manage their money carefully and make strategic decisions about which buildings to purchase in order to generate the most income and achieve the goal of building all four landmarks. Players can also use their money to build their own city and develop it further.
Machi Koro is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Machi Koro is a fun and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of city-building and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of building and developing their own city.
9. Dice Throne: Season 1
Dice Throne: Season 1 is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, dice rolling, and card play. The game is played with a set of custom dice, player boards, and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to be the last player standing by defeating the other players through strategic roll of the dice and use of special abilities.
Each round of the game, players take turns rolling their dice, each representing different actions and resources. Players can use the results of their dice rolls to take various actions such as attacking their opponents, healing themselves, or earning gold to buy upgrades. Players also have access to unique character abilities and special moves that can give them an edge in the game.
The game also features a variety of characters with different abilities, strengths and weaknesses, which makes the game highly replayable and with a lot of variety in gameplay.
Dice Throne: Season 1 is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Dice Throne: Season 1 is a fast-paced and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of strategy and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of battling against other players using unique character abilities.
10. Dice Forge
Dice Forge is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, dice customization and resource management. The game is played with a set of custom dice, a game board, player boards, and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to be the player with the most victory points at the end of the game by upgrading your dice and using them to gain resources and purchase powerful cards.
Each round of the game, players take turns rolling their dice and using the results to gain resources such as gold and crystals. These resources can then be used to purchase and upgrade the faces on their dice, making them more powerful and giving them access to new abilities. Players also have access to powerful cards that can give them an edge in the game, but these must be purchased with resources.
The game also features a variety of gods and heroes, each with their own unique abilities and characteristics, which makes the game highly replayable and with a lot of variety in gameplay.
Dice Forge is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Dice Forge is a fast-paced and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of strategy and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of customizing and upgrading their own dice.
11. Stone Age
Stone Age is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, resource management and civilization building. The game is played with a game board, player boards, various cards and tokens and a set of custom dice. The objective of the game is to score the most victory points by developing and expanding your civilization through various means such as hunting, gathering, farming, and constructing buildings.
Each round of the game, players take turns rolling their dice, which represent different actions and resources. Players can then use the results of their dice rolls to take various actions such as gathering resources, hunting for food, or constructing buildings. Players can also use their resources to purchase development cards which will give them additional benefits and victory points.
Players must also manage their resources carefully and make strategic decisions about which actions to take in order to achieve the most victory points. The game also features different eras, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
Stone Age is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Stone Age is a challenging and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of civilization-building and resource management games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of building and expanding their own civilization.
12. Bang: The Dice Game
Bang! The Dice Game is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, bluffing and luck. The game is played with a set of custom dice, player boards and various cards and tokens. The objective of the game is to be the last player standing by eliminating the other players through strategic roll of the dice and use of special abilities.
Each round of the game, players take turns rolling their dice, each representing different actions and resources. Players can use the results of their dice rolls to take various actions such as attacking their opponents, defending themselves, or using special abilities. Players also have access to unique character abilities and special moves that can give them an edge in the game.
The game also features different characters with different abilities, strengths and weaknesses, which makes the game highly replayable and with a lot of variety in gameplay.
Bang! The Dice Game is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best cards.
Overall, Bang! The Dice Game is a fast-paced and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of strategy and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of using unique character abilities to eliminate their opponents.
13. Qwixx
Qwixx is a popular board game that combines elements of strategy, luck, and probability. The game is played with a set of custom dice and a game sheet. The objective of the game is to score the most points by crossing off numbers on the game sheet, while trying to avoid penalty points.
Each round, players take turns rolling two sets of dice, one set of white and one set of colored dice. The numbers rolled determine which numbers can be crossed off on the game sheet. Players can only cross off numbers in a specific row that correspond with the color of the die.
Players must carefully balance the risk and reward of crossing off numbers as they can earn extra points for crossing off multiple numbers in one turn, but also risk penalty points for crossing off numbers that are not rolled. The game ends when a player has crossed off all the numbers in two rows on their sheet or when no player can legally cross off any more numbers.
Qwixx is a game that requires careful planning and strategic thinking. Players must manage their resources, prioritize their actions, and make the most of their dice rolls in order to succeed. The game is also highly interactive, as players will need to compete for resources, outmaneuver their opponents, and make deals to secure the best numbers.
Overall, Qwixx is a fast-paced and exciting board game that will appeal to fans of strategy and dice-rolling games. It offers a high replayability and a great deal of variety in gameplay. It is a perfect game for players who enjoy a deep strategic experience and enjoy the feeling of balancing risk and reward.
Conclusion
Board games with dice are a great way to bring family and friends together for a fun and exciting gaming experience. From classic games like Ten Thousand and Liar’s Dice to modern games like Machi Koro and Dice Forge, there are plenty of dice-based board games to choose from.
Each game offers a unique combination of luck and strategy, making them a hit with everyone. So if you’re looking for a board game with dice that is sure to keep everyone entertained, there are plenty of options to choose from!