Fun fact: dice have been around for more than 5,000 years! They've been found at ancient sites around the world, dating back to at least 3000 B.C.E. And not just the common 6-sided dice—ancient Egyptians were playing dice games with 20-sided dice as far back as 2nd century B.C.E.
With such a long rich history, it's no surprise there are endless dice games options out there. We asked our Facebook fans to share some of their favorite dice games, and added a few of our own. Almost all of these require nothing more than some dice and a knowledge of the rules, though a few have specialized boards. Take a look, and be sure to join us on Facebook and share your own top picks!
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Yahtzee
This is easily the most well-known and beloved dice game around! Players roll the dice up to three times for each round, then choose the best option on their scorecard. Roll five of the same number, and you get Yahtzee (and 50 points)! This one is fun on your own, too. (Ages 8+, 1+ players)
Qwixx
Every player gets in on the action during every roll on this fast-paced game. Cross off numbers on your card, based on the colors and numbers on the dice. Cross out as many as you can before the game ends to win. (Ages 8+, 2-5 Players)
Sagrada
This one requires a special board and cards, but it's one of the prettiest games we've ever seen! Use colorful dice to build a stained glass window piece by piece. Each move is a little trickier than the one before in this truly unique family game. (Ages 12+, 2-4 players)
Bunco
Here's another popular game that doesn't really require any special equipment, as long as you know the rules and have enough dice. In each of six rounds, each player rolls three dice. They only get to the count the ones which match the round number—in round one, only ones count, etc. If you get three of the right number, that's a Bunco, worth 21 points! Get the complete rules and other variations here. This is a social game, so gather all as many friends as you can supply with dice! (Ages 10+, 2+ players)
Tenzi
Tenzi requires nothing more than a whole lot of dice. The goal is extremely simple: be the first in each round to roll ten of the same number. It's true chaos when multiple people play at once, but it's also truly a riot! (Ages 5+, 2+ players)
Las Vegas
Las Vegas has a loyal fan base who highly recommend this game to others. Lay out the six "casinos" and add a random stack of banknotes to each. Players roll six dice each and add any that match the numbers on a casino to that card. Payouts at the end are based on the number of matching dice at each casino. (Ages 8+, 2-5 players)
Farkle
It's a race to be the first to score a whopping 10,000 points when you play Farkle. No worries, though—different dice and combinations are worth up to 3000 points, so the game goes faster than you might think. You can buy the game, or grab a copy of the rules and scorecard here.
Liar's Dice
Liar's Dice has been around for at least 500 years; legends say conquistadors brought it back to Europe in the 16th century. Whether or not that's true, this classic bluffing game is especially popular in South America. It shares some similarities with poker: roll your dice, but keep them hidden. Then choose a number (one through six) and bid on how many of those numbers you believe are on the table in all players' cups. Get complete rules and variations here. (Ages 8+, 2+ players)
Shut the Box
Shut the Box is another one of those dice games popular with sailors throughout history. You can buy a special box to play it, but it's not really necessary. Simply write the numbers one through 10 on a piece of paper. Roll the dice, then flip (or cross out) any numbers that can add up to that number. For instance, if you roll an eleven you could flip three and eight. You could also flip one, two, three, and five. When you don't have any available numbers to flip, play passes to the next player. Be the first to "shut the box" by flipping the last number! You can play this one by yourself for a fun challenge, too. See all the rules here. (Ages 8+, 1+ players)
Ship, Captain, Crew
This is one dice game you definitely don't need any special equipment to play. Roll a set of five dice, trying to get a ship (6), captain (5), and crew (4) in that order. Once you have those, add up any remaining dice as your "cargo." You get three rolls per turn, then play passes to the next player. Here are the rules you need to know. (Ages 6+, 2+ players)
Love games you can take on the road? Check out the Best Travel Board Games You Can Take Wherever You Go!
