Volle Lotte! (Full Roll!)

Invented by ?.
Published by Abacus.
Translated by Bob Rossney (rbr@well.sf.ca.us).

A dice game with cards for 2-10 players ages 8 and up.

Game Equipment

• 56 cards:
  • 10 Stop cards
  • 5 Fireworks cards
  • 25 Bonus cards (5 each scoring 200, 300, ..., 600)
  • 5 Double-Roll cards
  • 5 Plus-Minus cards
  • 5 Straight cards
  • 1 Four-Leaf Clover card
• 6 dice
• 1 game rules

Object of the Game

Players try to earn the most points through lucky rolls and a little tactics. But before the dice are rolled, cards come into play.

Often these cards promise a bonus, but other times...

Setup

The luckiest player shuffles the cards and puts them so that the deck is in reach of everyone at the table. The six dice are laid nearby. Play proceeds clockwise.

Play

The first player draws the top card from and lays it face-up next to the deck.

After that he rolls with all 6 dice and examines the throw for dice that score. If no scoring combination is found, then the unlucky player scores nothing.

The following dice or combinations of dice score points when you obtain them in your roll:

Single Die

  each 5 =     50 points
  each 1 =    100 points

Dice Combinations

  2-2-2   =     200 points
  3-3-3   =     300 points
  4-4-4   =     400 points
  5-5-5   =     500 points
  6-6-6   =     600 points
  1-1-1   =   1,000 points

Each die may be counted only once, either as a single die or as a combination.

What happens next depends on the results of the dice:

• Nothing -- when your roll scores nothing, your turn ends. Give the dice to the next player.
• Points -- whenever your roll contains dice or combinations that score, you can either be satisfied with the points you've gotten so far, or try to improve the result:
• Stop -- Add all of the points you've rolled this turn to your score. It's the next player's turn.
• Try For More -- Lay aside all of the dice that scored and roll the rest. If no dice in this roll score, your turn ends and you score nothing. Otherwise, set the scoring dice aside and decide to Stop or Try for more.
• Full Roll! -- This happens when all six dice have scored. Here you may also either Stop or Try for more. But if you choose to try for more, you must draw another card. And if, for example, you draw a Stop card, all of the points you've scored so far this turn are lost.

End of Game

The game is over when one player reaches 6,000 points. The players with fewer points have one round to catch up.

For a longer game, increase the number of points needed to win, e.g. to 10,000 points.

The Cards

• Stop (10) - Bad luck! You may not roll the dice, and it's the next player's turn.
• Fireworks (5) - Roll the dice. As long as you keep scoring, you may keep rolling without risk. If you get a "Full Roll!" you can keep rolling without having to draw another card. Your turn ends when you make a roll that scores nothing; you then add all the points that you've accumulated so far to your score.
• Bonus (5 each of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) - If you get a "Full Roll!", you score the bonus on the card. You score no bonus if you roll nothing or stop rolling before "Full Roll".
• Double-Roll (5) - If you get a "Full Roll!", you double your score for the turn. You score no bonus if you roll nothing or stop rolling before "Full Roll".
• Plus-Minus (5) - You must try to get a "Full Roll!" If you succeed, you get 1,000 points and the person with the most points loses 1,000 points. (If you are the person with the most points, you just gain 1,000.)
• Straight (5) - You must roll for a straight (1-2-3-4-5). As long as every roll contains a die that you haven't rolled so far, you may keep rolling. If you make the straight, score 2,000 points, and it's the next player's turn.
• Four-Leaf Clover (1) - You must try to roll a "Full Roll!" If you succeed, you win the game! Otherwise, it's the next player's turn.

The Game Cabinet - editor@gamecabinet.com - Ken Tidwell