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The Spruce / Amelia Manley
Dice games are fun, portable, and often move quickly, making them a great option for parties or game night.
We researched and considered dozens of dice games from top brands, considering the duration, number of player, and age range of each.
Here are the best dice games on the market.
Best Overall
George & Company LLC Left Center Right
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Amazon
Quick-moving
Suitable for ages 3 and up
Based on luck rather than strategy
Good for three or more players
Must create extra chips for additional players
This quick-moving game, also known as LCR, can be quite addictive. It's suitable for children ages 5 and older, making it a great option for family game nights. The game requires three or more players.
To play, you roll the dice (there are three total) and pass chips, and the game is entirely based on luck rather than strategy. If you roll an "L," you pass a chip to the person on your left; if you roll an "R," you pass a chip to the person on your right; and "C" means you put a chip in the center. Some sides have dots, and if you roll one of those, you do nothing.
As you run out of chips, you roll fewer dice, and the game ends when only one player has chips left. They get to keep those—as well as the center pot. There's really no limit to how many people can play, but since the game only comes with 24 chips, you may need to create new ones for additional players.
Price at time of publish: $12
Players: Three or more players | Age Range: 3 years and up | Length of Play: Not listed
Best Two-Player
Mukikim The Genius Square
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Courtesy of Amazon
Quick rounds
60,000+ grid possibilities
Encourages spatial reasoning and problem solving
No options for more than two players
In this game, the seven dice determine where each person puts blocker pieces on their grid. When the game begins, the two opponents must race to fill their board with the nine pieces, each of which has its own shape. Most rounds are finished in less than one minute.
The game doesn't get old—thanks to the randomness of the dice outcome, there are more than 60,000 grid possibilities. It's also a great way for kids to practice skills such as logic, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving. Think of it as a screen-free and more interactive version of popular video games like Tetris.
Price at time of publish: $35
Players: One or two players | Age Range: 6 years and up | Length of Play: Less than one minute per round
Best for Families
PlayMonster Farkle
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Courtesy of Amazon
Encourages risk-taking
Mix of chance and strategy
Available in three sizes
Slower rounds
Farkle is a fun way for kids to start to learn about taking risks. The game mixes both chance and strategy, and it's fun for families because adults can also be involved in the teaching process. It's also not so fast-paced that younger children will feel lost, and there are no timers or buzzers to worry about.
The goal is to earn the highest score in the game above 10,000 points. You earn points based on the combination you roll, and when nothing is earned, that's called a "farkle." When this happens, you lose your running total and start over, so you'll need to balance wanting to keep rolling for more possible points or stopping and staying safe. Farkle is sold in three different sizes: This traditional version, which comes with a score pad; the Dice Cup version (just dice and a cup); and the Nano Keychain, which is a small cup with tiny dice inside.
Price at time of publish: $18
Players: Two or more players | Age Range: 8 years and up | Length of Play: About 30 minutes
Best for Kids
Zygomatic Rory’s Story Cubes
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Courtesy of Amazon
Sparks imagination
Many ways to play
Can add other sets
Small parts pose choking hazard
This fun activity encourages even the youngest kids to use their imaginations and express creativity. There are nine dice, and each one has six sides for a total of 54 icons that are open to different interpretations. You can play in different ways, but the point is to use the dice to tell a story, and you're encouraged to begin with "Once upon a time…"
Some players might roll and split dice into groups of three for beginning, middle, and end. Others might choose the first image that jumps out at them. The creators of the game say there's no wrong way to play and that often your first instincts are the best. In addition to the the original classic storytelling set, there are additional sets available with different themes, such as "mystery" and "voyages." For an added challenge, ask your older kids to write up the story they've created and read it aloud.
Price at time of publish: $10
Players: One or more players | Age Range: 6 years and up | Length of Play: Not listed
Best for Adults
daVinci's Room Doodle Master Adult Party Game
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Courtesy of Amazon
Similar to Pictionary
Encourages creativity and humor
Might not be suitable for everyone
This game is a bit like Pictionary with an NSFW (or kids!) twist. Players roll the dice, choose both a character and scenario card, and based on the corresponding numbers, will be required to draw a funny or outrageous scenario. The clues are estimated to be about 70 percent "clean" and 30 percent inappropriate.
Examples might include "real estate agent + twerking" or "penguins + enjoying a fart." You earn points either by drawing pictures that others can identify or by guessing what others have depicted. The game is definitely aimed at the 18 and older crowd, thanks to a handful of sexual references—both obvious ones and innuendos.
Price at time of publish: $15
Players: Four or more players | Age Range: 18 years and up | Length of Play: Not listed
Best for Game Night
TENZI Dice Party Game
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Courtesy of Amazon
Fast-paced
Teaches kids to recognize numbers
Only enough dice for four players
There's a reason why teachers love to play TENZI during math class: It teaches kids to recognize numbers, and it also helps them learn to react quickly. Each person gets 10 dice, and the object is to roll them quickly and repeatedly until they all land on the same number (this is called a "TENZI," and you get to yell it out).
TENZI is fun for game night because it's easy to learn and each round goes quickly, making it easy for players to jump in and out. You'll also get instructions for playing eight other variations, but in this version, you'll get four sets of differently colored dice, but you can also buy others separately if you'd like to add more players.
Price at time of publish: $25
Players: Two to four players | Age Range: 7 years and up | Length of Play: Not listed
Best Fast Paced Dice Game
Gamewright Qwixx
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Courtesy of Amazon
Fast-paced
No waiting for a turn
Encourages risk-taking
Might be confusing for younger kids
This game is a little bit like Bingo but with dice. All players are involved in all rounds, so there's no waiting around for your turn. As people take turns rolling, everyone gets the chance to cross off numbers from their individual score sheet by quickly adding the numbers on the dice (don't tell your kids, but this also gives them a chance to practice their math).
As the name suggests, the game moves quickly, and there are specific rules to follow. One is that you can only cross out numbers moving from left to right. Others involve what the active player is allowed to do, such as adding other numbers to the white dice totals. The object is to be the first person to cross off two rows on the score sheet. The rules might be simple, but the game keeps players engaged—and wanting to play more—because they're forced to take risks and make fast decisions.
Price at time of publish: $13
Players: Two to five players | Age Range: 8 years and up | Length of Play: 15 minutes
Our overall pick for dice games is George & Company LLC's Left Center Right (view at Amazon) because it's great for family game nights and suitable for three or more players. If you are looking for a one- or two-player game, we recommend Mukikim's The Genius Square (view at Amazon) because it provides endless entertainment with over 60,000 grid opportunities.
What To Look for in Dice Games
Number of Players
Different dice games are best for different numbers of people. A game like The Genius Square is best for two, making it the perfect choice for a post-dinner dice game, while a party-style dice game like Doodle Master is a great pick for a crowd. For a more flexible game, look for a dice game that can suit small groups and larger ones and adjusts game rules to match.
Game Time
No one wants to pull out a three-hour-long game 90 minutes before bed. Thankfully, many dice games are relatively short and are a fun and quick way to round out the night. If you want to have dice games that will fit a variety of time slots—whether it's a 15-minute speed round or an hours-long game session—purchase a few with varying run times.
Age Range
Not all games are great for all ages. Some, like Story Cubes, are best suited for a younger audience (and are great learning games), while some are better for a more mature set. When considering age ranges for dice games, pick games that best fit the age range of the social group you're around most.
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Where are dice games from?
Dice games have been around for millennia, with roots in the ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations. Dice were often made of bone, stone or ivory, and were typically used in fortune-telling games, with players believing that the dice fell the way they did because of the gods or supernatural forces.
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Are dice games legal?
The dice games listed here do not involve gambling and are fully legal. Dice games only enter a legally dicey area once money, bets, and gambling are involved. For more information, look at your state's gambling laws.
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What games use 14-sided dice?
Most dice games do not use 14-sided dice, instead preferring the classic 6-sided dice. However, some role-playing games will use 14-sided dice.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Lexi Dwyer researches and writes about board games, card games, and trivia games for The Spruce. She's a huge fan of the adrenaline rush one gets after playing TENZI and also loves the creative spirit of Rory's Story Cubes. Additional reporting was done by Rabekah Henderson, a freelance design and décor writer whose work has appeared on MyDomaine, Atomic Ranch, Cary Magazine and American Farmhouse Style.