The roll and write genre has seen a significant surge in popularity in recent years, drawing inspiration from the classic board game Yahtzee. In these games, players roll dice or flip cards and use the results to mark up a personal sheet, offering a simple yet engaging gameplay experience. This genre's appeal lies in its accessibility and immediate gratification, allowing players to personalize their sheets while following straightforward rules. This combination has led to widespread success among a diverse player base, as the entry barriers are minimal. Below, we highlight 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
0See it at Amazon
Rolling Realms offers a unique twist by basing each realm on another board game. Players assign die roll results to play mini-games that reflect their inspirations. Over nine rolls, all players engage with the same three realms, then draw three new ones from a set of twelve, repeating this process twice for a complete game. The charm lies in the realms themselves, which are engaging microcosms of their source material, offering family-friendly puzzles to master. For those seeking more challenge, the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, introduces more complex realms that can be played alone or mixed with the base game.
Marabunta
0See it at Amazon
Designed by the renowned Reiner Knizia, Marabunta is a two-player game that pits two ant tribes against each other for control of hexes filled with tempting treats like cupcakes. Players use dice to expand their influence across color-coded hexes or earn bonuses to boost their final score. This game blends spatial strategy with mathematical challenges, showcasing Knizia's signature style.
The Fox Experiment
0See it at Amazon
Inspired by a real-life experiment on fox domestication, The Fox Experiment by Elizabeth Hargrave, the creator of Wingspan, uses dice to represent genetic heredity. Players select traits from parent foxes to breed offspring that align with their end-game goals, carrying these traits forward into subsequent rounds. This game offers a deeper level of engagement, rewarding players for strategic breeding to achieve the friendliest foxes.
Twilight Inscription
1See it at Amazon
Twilight Inscription brings the expansive universe of Twilight Imperium into the roll and write format, emulating the 4X genre of video games. Players manage their space empires through exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination, all within about 90 minutes. Each aspect of the game is represented on a separate sheet, allowing for focused gameplay and strategic trade-offs, making it feel more like a full-fledged strategic board game.
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
2See it at Amazon
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up captures the excitement of a pinball table using just a pen and dice. Players choose from four tables, navigating bumpers and targets based on their rolls, with the challenge of not reusing boxes. The game's puzzle-like nature is both fascinating and thrilling, with various sets available, including a Star Trek-themed one, but Ramp It Up stands out with its cooperative table.
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home
3See it at Amazon
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home is a flip and write game where players plan suburban streets using house numbers and building effect cards. The challenge is to sequence houses while balancing scores across various bonuses like pools and parks. For those seeking more complexity, the sci-fi themed Welcome To The Moon offers an advanced experience.
My City: Roll & Build
1See it at Amazon
Based on Reiner Knizia's My City, this dice game follows a campaign structure across multiple episodes, each adding new rules and complexity. This gradual approach allows players to adapt without feeling overwhelmed, and the game remains flexible for one-off sessions. My City: Roll & Build is an engaging game that stands up to repeated plays.
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition
9See it at Amazon Also at Target
Railroad Ink challenges players to draw a transport network on a grid using custom dice. The goal is to connect as many exits as possible, balancing the need to minimize dead ends with the potential for future connections. The Deep Blue edition adds rivers and lakes, enhancing the game's variety, while other editions offer different thematic elements.
Next Station: London
1See it at Amazon
Next Station: London is a flip and write game where pencil colors play a crucial role. Players start from different stations and draw networks based on drawn cards, aiming to cross districts and connect tourist sites. The game's simple yet nuanced mechanics reveal depth over multiple plays, resulting in colorful and engaging maps.
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write
4See it at Amazon
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write introduces more complexity to the roll and write genre, allowing players to build a dinosaur theme park using dice-rolled resources. Players sketch out their park, manage staff and security, and run tours to score points. This game offers a rich strategic challenge with a thematic twist.
Cartographers
6See it at Amazon Also at Target
Cartographers adds player interaction to the genre with its flip and write mechanics. Players map out a fantasy kingdom, fulfilling scoring challenges, but must contend with monster cards that allow neighbors to place negative icons on their maps. This adds a personal touch and enhances the game's thematic world-building.
Long Shot: The Dice Game
0See it at Barnes and Noble
Long Shot: The Dice Game transforms horse racing into a roll and write experience. Players bet on horses as they race around a board, using dice rolls to influence outcomes. The game's interactive nature and thematic excitement set it apart from other roll and writes.
Three Sisters
3See it at Amazon
Three Sisters takes the concept of rewarding specific combinations to new heights. Players grow crops and flowers on a garden-themed score sheet, using dice rolls to access a rondel of actions. Completing actions often leads to bonus actions, requiring strategic planning to maximize these chains.
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. The game rewards players for progressing down each decision tree, offering interconnected benefits over 10 rounds. With thematic dice and engaging gameplay, it's a fun and strategic experience.
Sagrada Artisans
0See it at Amazon
Sagrada Artisans builds on the original Sagrada by allowing players to color in their stained-glass windows and engage in decorative coloring. As a campaign game, it unfolds over ten sessions, adding new tools and challenges while maintaining a calm and Zen-like feel.
Motor City
0See it at Amazon
Motor City, from the designers of Three Sisters and Fleet, mirrors car production lines in its gameplay. Players use dice-drafting and a blueprint board to coordinate vehicle design, engineering, testing, production, and sales. This game offers a strategic challenge without the explosive combos of its predecessors, making it a standout in the genre.
For more gaming inspiration, explore our list of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, including a versatile multi-purpose table by Bits and Pieces, perfect for cards and board games.
