The roll and write genre has seen a significant surge in popularity in recent years, offering a fresh take on gameplay inspired by the classic board game Yahtzee. In these games, players roll dice or flip cards and use the outcomes to fill in sections of a personal score sheet or board. This simple yet engaging concept has evolved into a genre that supports both creativity and sophisticated gameplay, attracting a broad audience due to its low entry barriers.
These games are highly appealing because they are easy to understand yet offer immediate rewards. Players can personalize their sheets, adding a creative touch, while the rules remain straightforward and accessible. This blend of creativity and simplicity has propelled roll and write games to success among a wide range of players. Below, we showcase some of the best roll and write games available today.
TL;DR: The Best Roll and Write Games
Rolling Realms
Marabunta
The Fox Experiment
Twilight Inscription
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home
My City: Roll & Build
Railroad Ink
Next Station: London
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write
Cartographers
Long Shot: The Dice Game
Three Sisters
Fleet: The Dice Game
Sagrada Artisans
Motor City
Rolling Realms
### Rolling Realms
0See it at Amazon
Rolling Realms is a unique game where each realm is inspired by another board game. Players use a card to assign die roll results to mini-games that reflect their inspirations. The game involves playing with the same three realms over nine rolls, then switching to new realms twice more for a complete game. The charm lies in the realms themselves, which are microcosms of their source material, offering engaging and family-friendly puzzles. For those seeking more challenge, the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, introduces more complex realms that can be played alone or mixed with the original set.
Marabunta
### Marabunta
0See it at Amazon
Marabunta, designed by the acclaimed Reiner Knizia, is a strategic roll and write game for two players. The game simulates the competition between two ant tribes over territory, which includes delicious cupcakes and other rewards. Players use dice rolls to spread their influence across color-coded hexes or to gain bonuses for their final score. This blend of spatial and mathematical strategy showcases Knizia's expertise in creating compelling gameplay.
The Fox Experiment
### The Fox Experiment
0See it at Amazon
Inspired by a real-life experiment on fox domestication, The Fox Experiment is a roll and write game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, the creator of Wingspan. This game uses dice to represent genetic heredity, where parent foxes contribute trait dice to their offspring. Players select pups that align with their end-game goals, carrying them forward into new rounds of selection. This game offers a delightful and educational experience as players breed the friendliest foxes for their research.
Twilight Inscription
### Twilight Inscription
1See it at Amazon
Twilight Inscription uniquely combines the vastness of Twilight Imperium with the roll and write format. This game emulates the 4X genre of video games, where players build space empires through exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination. Each aspect is represented on a separate sheet, creating a comprehensive yet manageable experience in about 90 minutes. Players must focus on one sheet per turn, leading to strategic trade-offs and varied approaches, making it feel more like a full-fledged strategic board game.
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
### Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
2See it at Amazon
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up stands out by replicating a pinball table using only a pen and dice. Players choose from four tables and navigate their ball through bumpers and targets based on their rolls. The challenge lies in not reusing boxes, which eventually leads to the ball dropping. Using specific combinations and special play rules, players aim to maximize their score, creating a thrilling puzzle. Ramp It Up is the best of the series, even including a cooperative table.
Welcome To...
### Welcome To... Your Perfect Home
3See it at Amazon
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home is a flip and write game that involves town planning. Players choose pairs of house numbers and building effect cards to create three suburban streets. The challenge is to arrange houses in numerical order while balancing scores across various bonuses like pools and parks. This game offers a satisfying strategic experience, and for those seeking more complexity, there's its sci-fi counterpart, Welcome To The Moon.
My City: Roll & Build
### My City: Roll & Build
1See it at Amazon
Based on the popular board game My City by Reiner Knizia, My City: Roll & Build follows a campaign structure that unfolds over multiple episodes. Each 30-minute session introduces new rules, gradually increasing complexity without overwhelming players. The game is flexible, allowing episodes to be played as standalone sessions. This approach makes it an engaging and replayable experience.
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition
### Railroad Ink
9See it at Amazon
Also at Target
Railroad Ink challenges players to draw a transport network on a grid using custom dice that provide tracks and junctions. The goal is to connect as many exits as possible to the same network, balancing the need to avoid dead ends with the potential to link more routes later. The Deep Blue Edition adds rivers and lakes, along with ferry routes, making it the most versatile among its variants.
Next Station: London
### Next Station: London
1See it at Amazon
Next Station: London is a flip and write game that uses pencil colors as a key element. Each color corresponds to a starting station on the player's map, where players draw their network based on the drawn cards. Players aim to cross districts, visit tourist sites, and join other lines while avoiding line crossings except at stations. This simple yet nuanced game results in fun, colorful maps.
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write
### Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write
4See it at Amazon
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write introduces complexity to the roll and write genre. Players use dice rolls to gather resources like money and DNA to build a dinosaur theme park. They sketch out their park on a mini-grid, manage staff and security, and run tour routes to score points. This game offers a rich, strategic challenge with a thematic twist.
Cartographers
### Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale
6See it at Amazon
Also at Target
Cartographers is a flip and write game where players map out a fantasy kingdom based on cards, aiming to fulfill variable scoring challenges. The game introduces player interaction through monster cards, where players pass their maps to neighbors to place negative icons. This adds a personal touch and enhances the sense of world-building. The sequel, Cartographers: Heroes, adds more dynamic elements and hero cards.
Long Shot: The Dice Game
### Long Shot: The Dice Game
0See it at Barnes and Noble
Long Shot: The Dice Game transforms the horse racing theme into an engaging roll and write experience. Players bet on horses as they race around a track, influenced by dice rolls. They can also buy horses to gain special powers and bonuses. The game's interactive nature, where players' bets can affect each other's outcomes, adds excitement and strategic depth.
Three Sisters
### Three Sisters
3See it at Amazon
Three Sisters emphasizes action chaining, where completing actions often leads to bonus actions. Players grow crops and flowers and purchase tools based on dice rolls, using a rondel of actions. The game requires strategic planning to maximize these chains, offering a tactical experience that stands out in the genre.
Fleet: The Dice Game
### Fleet: The Dice Game
0See it at Amazon
Fleet: The Dice Game challenges players to manage a fishing fleet, using dice to buy licenses or launch boats to catch seafood. As players progress down each tree of options, the rewards grow. Boats return to the harbor to sell catches and construct buildings, offering additional benefits over ten rounds. This game offers a fast, fun, and thematic experience.
Sagrada Artisans
### Sagrada Artisans
0See it at Amazon
Sagrada Artisans builds on the original Sagrada by allowing players to color their stained-glass windows and engage in additional decorative coloring. It's a campaign game played over ten sessions, each adding new tools and challenges while maintaining a simple and Zen-like feel. This approach creates a smooth yet exciting journey.
Motor City
### Motor City
0See it at Amazon
Motor City, from the designers of Three Sisters and Fleet, transforms the roll and write genre into a simulation of car production lines. Players control four aspects of vehicle design, engineering, testing, production, and sales using a dice-drafting mechanic and a blueprint board. This game focuses on strategic coordination rather than explosive combos, offering an innovative challenge.
For more gaming options, explore our list of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, featuring a versatile table from Bits and Pieces perfect for playing cards and board games.
