Filling the score card well in Five Dice

Five dice, thirteen boxes and up to three rolls a turn make up the classic dice game on the Board games shelf. Each turn you roll five dice up to three times, keep the ones you like, and then fill one empty box on your score card. After thirteen rounds, the higher total wins. In Games by Zaweba you play against the computer, or chase a big score on your own in Solo. It sits on the Board games shelf.

Luck matters, but less than you might think. The best players are the ones who choose their boxes well.

A turn in Five Dice

You get up to three rolls of five dice. After the first roll, click any dice you want to keep, then roll the rest. Do the same again after the second roll. You can stop early if you already have what you want.

Then fill one empty box on the card. Every box can be used only once, so each turn uses up one of your thirteen choices. Before you commit, hover a box to see what it would score. That makes it easy to compare options.

Bonuses and the final total

The card has upper boxes and lower boxes. If your upper boxes add up to 63 or more, you earn a 35 bonus. Five alike scores 50.

After thirteen rounds, add everything up. Against the computer, the higher total wins. In Solo, the aim is simply the biggest score you can manage.

Rolling and keeping

Use the Roll button to roll, click dice to keep them and click a box on the card to fill it. On the keyboard, Space rolls and keys 1 to 5 keep a die.

Choosing boxes wisely

The upper bonus is worth planning for. Thirty-five points is a large reward, and reaching 63 needs fairly good scores in the upper boxes. Keep an eye on how you are doing as the game goes on. If you get a strong roll for a high upper box early, taking it gives you room to spare later.

Every game has turns that go badly. When a roll fits nothing well, look for the box where a low score costs you least. Sacrificing a box you were unlikely to fill well anyway is far better than spoiling one that could have scored big later.

Think about what you keep between rolls. Holding dice that point towards more than one box keeps your options open, so a third roll that misses one target may still hit another.

Do not chase five alike too hard. It scores 50, which is tempting, but throwing away a solid score for a long shot often costs more than it gains.

Hovering is your friend. Before every choice, hover over the boxes that are still empty and compare. It takes a second and saves plenty of regret.

Solo and against the computer

Playing the computer gives each game a clear winner and a reason to watch the other card. Solo is calmer, and good for learning which choices lead to a high total. Both are a satisfying way to spend a quarter of an hour.

Five Dice in Games by Zaweba pauses with Esc and explains itself again with F1. Your best score is kept on the game's tile in the library, which makes Solo especially moreish: there is always a number to beat.