Once a player has thrown all six dice, they check for any scoring combinations (detailed below) and can choose to set those dice aside and roll the remaining dice again in an attempt to score more points. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Classic Farkle Overview () Once that’s done, Player 1 puts all of the dice into the cup, shakes it, and rolls all six dice at once, getting the game underway. While there’s nothing in the official Farkle rules about choosing the starting player, you can simply use the “youngest player goes first” method used in board games like Candyland or you can adapt the method used in card games such as Chase the Ace, with each player rolling one dice instead of drawing one card and the player with the highest number taking the first move. Farkle Rules and Gameplay GuideĪ good game of Farkle begins with all players sitting round in a circle and deciding who goes first. Otherwise, you can keep score with good old fashioned pen and paper and use any six standard dice and any old cup to get your game underway. They also contain the dice, dice cup, and a printed set of rules which will come in handy if you don’t have this guide to hand. The biggest advantage of buying such sets is that they come with pre-printed score sheets which make it much easier to keep track of the scores.

Instead, you can be fully set up and ready to play in just a few minutes using the following components:Ī lot of die-hard Farkle fans like to buy a ready-made kit like this complete Farkle set from Brybelly. Fortunately, Farkle isn’t one of them.Īs we’ve already seen, you don’t need anything fancy to enjoy this game. There are some dice games (like Shut the Box) that require special playing pieces in order to play. Farkle Equipment: What You’ll Need to Play

Doing so can provide hours of fun for anyone who loves games in which amassing the most points is the goal. Unlike other games that require lots of components, you can play Farkle anywhere at any time using nothing more than a flat surface, a cup, and a few dice. Why We Love It: Farkle’s simple setup is its biggest charm. Main Objective: Be the first player to reach 10,000 or more. Similar To: Yahtzee, Tenzi, Pass the Pigs Throw certain point-scoring combinations in an effort to rack up more points than your opponent, though as we’ll see later in this guide, that’s sometimes easier said than done, making this a game that is suitably challenging without being overly complex.Īges: 6+ Technically it’s suitable for all ages, though younger children might struggle with keeping score. What we do know is that it’s an entertaining, point-scoring dice game that serves well as alternatives to games like Yahtzee (see our guide on Yahtzee rules) or Bunco. Some say it was invented by a 14th century Icelander named Sir Farkle while others insist that it comes to us from Texas, where early settlers carved hardened berries from the Farkleberry plant to create dice. Sometimes known as 10,000, Zilch, or Hot Dice, Farkle (or Farkel)’s origins are somewhat ambiguous. In this complete gameplay guide, we’ll talk you through everything you need to know to play this family-friendly favorite, including how to set up your game, how to keep score and most importantly of all, how to win! What is Farkle? If you’ve never played before, don’t worry: We’ve got you covered. The Farkle rules involve little more than rolling dice, totaling up your score, and racing to be the first-player to reach 10,000 points, making it an exciting, fast-paced dice game that offers lots to enjoy for players of all ages and abilities.Īnd if there’s one thing we love about classic dice games like Farkle, it’s that they’re often a breeze to play.īeginners will love just how easy it is to learn how to play Farkle using nothing more than six dice and a piece of paper, while more experienced gaming fans will love the challenges that arise in making those all-important scoring combinations.

Rules for farkle printable