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 range of players, thanks to the low barriers to entry. Below, we highlight the best roll and write games currently available.
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 use a card to 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 excellent 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
Marabunta, designed by the renowned Reiner Knizia, brings his strategic prowess to the roll and write genre. This two-player game simulates the competition between two ant tribes over hexes of territory, including cupcakes and other rewards. Players use dice to expand their influence across color-coded hexes or earn bonuses, blending spatial and mathematical strategy in a way that Knizia excels at.
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, offers a more complex roll and write experience. Players use dice to represent genetic heredity, selecting traits from parent foxes to breed offspring that align with their end-game goals. This game rewards strategic planning as players aim to breed the friendliest foxes for their research.
Twilight Inscription
1See it at Amazon
Twilight Inscription stands out by merging the expansive universe 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, allowing players to focus on different strategies each turn. This creates a rich, strategic experience that feels more like a full-fledged board game than a typical roll and write.
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up
2See it at Amazon
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up uniquely captures the theme of a pinball table using only a pen and dice. Players choose from four tables, navigating bumpers and targets based on their rolls. The challenge lies in maximizing scores without reusing boxes, creating a thrilling puzzle. The Ramp It Up set is particularly notable, even including a cooperative table.
The Best Board Game Deals
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. 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 popular My City, this roll and write game features a campaign structure that gradually introduces new rules over multiple episodes. This approach allows for increasing complexity without overwhelming players, making it suitable for both campaign and one-off play.
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 link 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.
Next Station: London
1See it at Amazon
Next Station: London, a flip and write game, introduces a novel use of colored pencils tied to starting stations. Players draw networks based on drawn cards, aiming to cross districts and connect tourist sites. The game's simplicity belies its strategic depth, making it a compelling puzzle.
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write
4See it at Amazon
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write pushes the genre's boundaries by adding complexity and depth. Players use dice to gather resources and build a dinosaur theme park, managing attractions, staff, and security. The game's tour mechanic adds a thematic element, making it a challenging and engaging experience.
Cartographers
6See it at Amazon
Also at Target
Cartographers introduces player interaction to the genre through a flip and write mechanic. Players map 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 depth.
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 combinations to new heights. Players grow crops and flowers on a garden-themed score sheet, using dice rolls to trigger a chain of bonus actions. This requires strategic planning, making it a tactical delight.
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. The game's interconnected options and thematic dice make it a fast-paced and engaging experience.
Sagrada Artisans
0See it at Amazon
Sagrada Artisans builds on the original Sagrada by adding a campaign structure and coloring elements. Players create stained-glass windows over ten sessions, with each session introducing new tools and challenges, maintaining the game's simplicity 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 a roll and write format. Players use dice-drafting and a blueprint board to coordinate vehicle design, engineering, testing, production, and sales, offering a strategic challenge that stands out 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.
