The roll-and-write genre has exploded in popularity recently. This accessible style of gameplay, reminiscent of classic Yahtzee, involves rolling dice (or flipping cards) and using the results to fill in a personal score sheet. While seemingly simple, roll-and-write games offer surprisingly sophisticated gameplay and strategic depth.
Their appeal lies in their straightforward rules and immediate gratification. The creative freedom of customizing your sheet blends seamlessly with the typically uncomplicated rules. This winning combination makes roll-and-write games accessible and enjoyable for a broad range of players.
TL;DR: The Best Roll & 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
Available on Amazon. Rolling Realms features realms inspired by other board games. Each realm presents a mini-game triggered by dice rolls. Players simultaneously manage three realms over nine rolls, then draw new realms and repeat. The cleverly designed realms, offering unique and engaging micro-puzzles, are the game's main attraction. For an even greater challenge, consider the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, featuring more complex realms playable solo or combined with the base game.
Marabunta
Available on Amazon. Renowned game designer Reiner Knizia brings his strategic prowess to the roll-and-write genre in this two-player game. Players compete as ant tribes vying for control of hexagons containing various resources. Dice rolls offer choices between expanding territory and earning bonus points, creating a fascinating blend of spatial and mathematical strategy.
The Fox Experiment
Available on Amazon. Inspired by a real-life experiment in fox domestication, this roll-and-write game from Elizabeth Hargrave (designer of Wingspan) uses dice to represent genetic traits. Players breed foxes, selecting traits to meet specific goals across multiple rounds, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
Twilight Inscription
Available on Amazon. A unique entry, Twilight Inscription adapts the sprawling 4X strategy of Twilight Imperium into a roll-and-write format. This condensed experience, playable in roughly 90 minutes, allows players to build space empires through exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination. The game utilizes separate sheets for each aspect, requiring strategic choices on which area to focus each turn, leading to diverse gameplay and significant trade-offs.
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
Available on Amazon. Unlike many roll-and-writes, Super Skill Pinball fully embraces its theme. Using dice rolls, players navigate a pinball table on their score sheet, hitting bumpers and targets to maximize their score. The inability to reuse targets adds a strategic layer, requiring careful planning and skillful use of the table's unique rules and features.
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home
Available on Amazon. A "flip-and-write" game (using cards instead of dice), Welcome To... tasks players with designing suburban streets by selecting house numbers and building effects. The challenge lies in arranging houses in numerical order while maximizing bonus points for various features, creating a surprisingly strategic and satisfying experience.
My City: Roll & Build
Available on Amazon. Based on Reiner Knizia's My City, this roll-and-write game features a rewarding campaign structure with multiple episodes. Each episode introduces new rules and mechanics, gradually increasing complexity without overwhelming the player. The game is also playable as individual episodes, offering flexibility and replayability.
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition
Available on Amazon and Target. In Railroad Ink, players draw transportation networks on a grid using custom dice. The goal is to connect as many exits as possible while minimizing dead ends, creating a unique blend of risk management and spatial reasoning. The Deep Blue Edition adds rivers and lakes, introducing ferry routes and enhancing strategic possibilities.
Next Station: London
Available on Amazon. A flip-and-write game, Next Station: London uses colored pencils as a core mechanic. Players draw train lines connecting stations, aiming to cover districts and landmarks. The restriction on crossing lines adds strategic depth, creating a surprisingly nuanced experience.
Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write
Available on Amazon. This game adds significant complexity and depth to the roll-and-write genre. Players manage a dinosaur theme park, using dice rolls to acquire resources and build attractions. The strategic challenge involves balancing various aspects of park management while designing a profitable and safe tour route.
Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale
Available on Amazon and Target. This flip-and-write game introduces player interaction by having players draw monsters on each other's maps. Players map out a fantasy kingdom, fulfilling scoring challenges while strategically placing monsters on their opponents' maps, creating a unique and engaging experience.
Long Shot: The Dice Game
Available at Barnes & Noble. This roll-and-write horse racing game features an actual race track board. Players bet on horses based on dice rolls, but can also buy horses to gain special abilities and influence the race outcome. The interactive betting element adds a layer of strategic depth and excitement.
Three Sisters
Available on Amazon. Three Sisters emphasizes action chaining. Players manage a garden, using dice rolls to perform actions that often trigger bonus actions, creating complex strategic planning and maximizing score potential.
Fleet: The Dice Game
Available on Amazon. Players manage a fishing fleet, using dice rolls to acquire licenses and launch boats. The interconnected choices and escalating rewards create a fast-paced and strategically rewarding experience.
Sagrada Artisans
Available on Amazon. This roll-and-write version of Sagrada lets players color in their stained-glass windows as they build. The campaign format adds fresh challenges across ten sessions, maintaining the game's relaxing feel while building towards an exciting conclusion.
Motor City
Available on Amazon. This roll-and-write game simulates car production. Players manage different aspects of vehicle design and production, using a dice-drafting mechanic and a blueprint board to coordinate actions and bring their cars to market. It offers a more integrated strategic challenge compared to other games from the same designers.
For more gaming options, explore our list of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, including a multi-purpose table perfect for card and board games.
