Game Rules
Yahtzee
Farkle
Dominos
Game Name
Game Name
Game Name
We have a dry erase score board for Yahtzee & Frakle, up in one of the cubbies at the end of the primay hallway, by the back door. We do ask that adults supervisor young children with the score board and marker. To prevent children from marking on something else by mistake.
YAHTZEE — Full Directions
Players
1 or more (best with 2–6)
Objective
Score the most total points by rolling dice and filling in categories on your scorecard. Each category can be used once — choose wisely, because regrets are forever.
How a Turn Works
On your turn, you may roll the dice up to 3 times.
First Roll: Roll all 5 dice.
Second Roll: Keep any dice you want, re-roll the rest.
Third Roll (optional): Repeat — keep or re-roll.
After the final roll (or earlier if you’re happy), you MUST choose one scoring category and write the score. Even if it’s zero. No take-backs.
Then play moves to the next person.
The Scorecard (THIS IS THE HEART OF THE GAME)
UPPER SECTION
Add only matching dice)
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Ones | Add all 1s |
| Twos | Add all 2s |
| Threes | Add all 3s |
| Fours | Add all 4s |
| Fives | Add all 5s |
| Sixes | Add all 6s |
BONUS: If your Upper Section total = 63 or more, you get a 35-point bonu🔥
LOWER SECTION
| Category | Requirement | Points |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 same dice | Total of all dice |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 same dice | Total of all dice |
| Full House | 3 of one + 2 of another | 25 |
| Small Straight | 4 in a row | 30 |
| Large Straight | 5 in a row | 40 |
| Yahtzee | All 5 dice same | 50 |
| Chance | Any dice | Total of all dice |
⭐ YAHTZEE BONUS RULE (Optional but Common)
If you roll another Yahtzee AFTER already scoring one, you get:
+100 bonus points
Then score the roll in another valid category if allowed
(House rules vary — confirm before family drama begins.)
🏁 Game End
The game ends when all players have filled every category.
Add:
Upper Section total
Upper Bonus (if earned)
Lower Section total
Highest score wins. Victory bragging is permitted.
Quick Pro Tips (Because Winning Is Fun)
Go for the Upper Section bonus early
Use Chance to dump bad rolls
Save Yahtzee space if you’re close
Don’t waste Small or Large Straights early — those are gold
🎲 FARKLE — GAME RULES
Players
2 or more players (best with 3–6)
🎯 Objective
Be the first player to reach 10,000 points (or whatever score you agree on).
How a Turn Works
How a Turn WorksOn your turn:
Roll all 6 dice
Set aside at least one scoring die
You may:
Stop and bank your points
OR keep rolling the remaining dice to score more
If you roll and score NOTHING, that’s a FARKLE — you lose all points for that turn, and your turn ends immediately.
Scoring Dice (THE IMPORTANT PART)
Scoring Dice (THE IMPORTANT PART)Single Dice
1 = 100 points
5 = 50 points
(Every other single number = zero)
Three of a Kind
Three 1s = 300
Three 2s = 200
Three 3s = 300
Three 4s = 400
Three 5s = 500
Three 6s = 600
For four, five, or six of a kind, many people double the score each time (house rule—see below).
Special Combos (Common Rules)
Straight (1–6) = 1,500
Three Pairs = 1,500
Two Triples = 2,500
Four of a kind + a pair = 1,500
(House rules vary — agree before starting to avoid arguments.)
Hot Dice Rule
Hot Dice RuleIf you score using all 6 dice, you get “Hot Dice”:
Pick up all 6 dice
Keep rolling and adding points to that same turn
Or stop and bank your points
This is how games get dramatic.
Banking Points
Banking PointsYou may stop and bank your turn points anytime after scoring
Once banked, those points are safe
If you Farkle before banking — poof, gone
Getting On the Board
Getting On the BoardMost games require:
At least 500 points in one turn to start scoring
(Some play with 1,000 — agree first.)
Until you hit it, you keep rolling but can’t bank.
Winning the Game
Winning the GameFirst player to reach 10,000 points triggers one final round
Everyone else gets one last turn
Highest total score wins
Quick Strategy Tips
Quick Strategy TipsDon’t chase points forever — Farkle waits patiently
Bank early when close to the minimum entry score
Hot Dice are tempting… and dangerous
Greed is fun. Greed also loses games.
🎯 DOMINOES
💡 Objective
Be the first player to play all your tiles, OR end the game with the fewest dots left in your hand.
🎲 Players
2 to 4 players
(You can play with more people using bigger sets.)
We have a double-6 domino set (28 tiles)
🙋♂️ How to Start
Shuffle all dominoes face-down.
Each player draws:
2 players: 7 tiles each
3–4 players: 5 tiles each
The player with the highest double (like 6|6, 5|5, etc.) goes first.
If no one has a double, everyone draws again OR pick randomly (house choice).
The starting tile is placed in the middle.
➡️ How to Play a Turn
Each turn, a player must:
1. Match one end of the layout
You can play a tile if one side matches a number on either end of the chain.
Example:
If the table shows 6 — 3, the open ends are 6 and 3.
You may play any tile with a 6 or a 3.
2. Place the tile correctly
Matching ends must touch.
Dominoes form a “snake-like” line on the table.
3. If you cannot play
In Block Dominoes: you pass your turn.
No drawing tiles, no second chances.