Yahtzee is a board game originally from the United States, that took over the world with its simplicity. Created by Milton Bradley and produced and marketed by E. S. Lowe (whose caricature is still on the boxes of the game even today), the game promised fun and entertainment by combining luck and cunningness.
The fact that it only required a score pad and dice also made it very appealing to players, especially those who lose their motivation when they have to set up a board. This online Yahtzee game takes that attractive feature to new highs. Now there is not even the need for a score pad for Yahtzee, chasing after flying dice, or, the hardest part of the game, calculating the scores - everything is done automatically so you can enjoy the game to the fullest, without any fuss.
How to play
Yahtzee has 13 rounds, one per each scoring category. For each round, the players can roll the dice up to three times. They can use up all their throws or pass their turn whenever they want.
After the first roll, the players can set aside some of the dice and only roll the remaining ones. This is a common strategy when looking to complete one of the scoring categories.
When they are satisfied with their score or after rolling the dice thrice, they must choose a category. Once a category has been scored, it cannot be repeated or changed. Even when players don't score any points, for one reason or another, they will still be forced to pick a scoring category after the round to be marked with zero points.
The scoring
Yahtzee’s score pad has two sections, the upper and the lower.
Upper scoring section
In the upper section, there are 6 categories, one per each side of the dice. The scoring on these boxes depends on the number on each side of the dice and their sum. For example, if there are 3 dice with the number 6 on the table, a player can choose to complete the upper category “Sixes”. In this case, they would receive 18 points (3 dice x 6).
If the scoring on the upper scoring section is equal or superior to 63 points, the players receive a bonus of 35 points.
Lower scoring section
The categories in the lower section are somewhat inspired by poker, but there is no relation between the two games. Some sum up the number of dots on the dice while others award an unchanged number of points:
- Three of a Kind: three dice with the same number. Score: sum of the dice.
- Four of a Kind:four dice with the same number. Score: sum of the dice.
- Full House: three plus two of a kind (e.g. 3-3-3-2-2). Score: 25 points.
- Small straight: sequence of four dice (e.g. 1-2-3-4). Score: 30 points.
- Large straight:sequence of five dice. Score: 40 points.
- Yahtzee: five dice with the same number. Score: 50 points.
- Chance: any combination of dice. Score: sum of the dice.
Playing Yahtzee online
Our online game of Yahtzee is designed to be intuitive and easy to use to ensure that players can have fun without having to worry about the math behind the game.
After each roll of the dice, the players can see on their score pad the categories in which they can score and by how many points. Our goal is for the players to have a complete overview of their performance so they can devise their strategies.
To lock a category, the players only have to click on the number of points they want to keep. When the players don’t meet the requirements to fill any category, they must choose one with an empty score box to mark it with 0 points.
You can either enjoy a game against a computer or head to the multiplayer lobby to join real players from all over the world looking for an opponent.
Game developer:
Yahtzee was developed by AppGeneration.
Last updated: Oct 11, 2023
