The best roll & write games 🎲🖋 2026
Roll&Write games are (usually) small and handy dice games 🎲🖋. The player rolls the dice and marks the results on sheets of paper or erasable boards. Another common factor is that marking decisions made in previous turns constrain a player's marking decisions in future turns.
Roll & Write games in a nutshell
- The forefather of roll-and-write games is Yahtzee). In Germany named "Kniffel" appeared in 1972, but in the USA under the name "Yahtzee" already in 1956. Since then many different kinds of games with many creative ideas have appeared.
- In contrast to Kniffel (Once on your turn, you may roll the dice 3 times to make special combinations of dice. The goal is to achieve the highest possible score at the end. Risky decisions are provoked to win the game), modern incarnations of roll-&-write games may involve more direct player interaction. Sometimes in the form of dice selection, but sometimes by being the first to trigger a particular event or by locking out other players.
- Often not only one player's dice result is active, but all players can use it to take an action. The waiting time is therefore much shorter than with Kniffel – especially with several people.
- The games in the Kniffel family and their generic version "Yacht" are subgroups of the Roll-and-Write family. So these games also belong in this overview.
- Roll & Write often contain an extra solo variant.
- Sometimes cards are used instead of dice – then the games are called "Flip-and-Write". Since the principles are so similar, we have included the flip-and-write games in this list as well.
The best Flip-/Roll-&-Write games 🎲🖋
But now to our overview with the best Flip- and Roll-&-Write games 2026
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That's Pretty Clever! dice game
All details & ratingThat's Pretty Clever is a strategic dice game where players must make thoughtful choices to optimize their score. The game's title, Ganz schön clever in German, aptly describes the need for cleverness and tactical thinking.
1–4 30 min 8+ Easy to learn+ 2 € above the best price11 € at Amazon* -
Qwixx
All details & ratingQwixx is a fast-paced and engaging dice game that involves all players actively, regardless of whose turn it is. It combines simple mechanics with a need for strategic decision-making, making it a fun and interactive game for all involved.
2–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Encore! Roll & Write game
All details & ratingEncore! (originally published as Noch mal!) is a dice-based board game that challenges players with strategic choices and a touch of luck. In this game, players use dice to determine the colors and the number of spaces they can mark off on their playing sheets.
1–6 20 min 8+ Immediately playable+ 1 € above the best price11 € at Amazon*Video reviews 1 -
Long Shot: The Dice Game
All details & ratingGet ready for the racetrack! Players develop strategies and test their luck in an exciting race with eight horses. You will buy horses, place bets, influence the race, and use special abilities, while dice rolls determine horse movements and your options each round. Once three horses cross the finish line, winnings are tallied, and the player with the most money is declared the winner. Will you play it safe or take a risk for big rewards?
1–8 25 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Qwixx: Connected
All details & ratingQwixx: Connected features two new score pads that slightly alter the standard gameplay. In "The Steps," players track a meandering series of black-bordered spaces that intersect the four colored rows, adding a new layer of strategy as players can score additional Xs. "The Chain" introduces a mechanism where marking one circle in a connected pair automatically marks the other, providing extra opportunities to fill in gaps on the score sheet.
2–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable1 € below the next retailer6 € at Amazon* -
Qwinto
All details & ratingQwinto offers a refreshing twist on the roll-and-write genre, engaging players in a simultaneous play experience where quick thinking and strategic number placement are key to victory. In this game, players race to fill out their scoresheets with ascending numbers in three colorful rows, while navigating the constraints of overlapping columns and avoiding duplicates to maximize their scores.
2–6 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Lost Cities: Roll & Write
All details & ratingPlayers embark on expeditions along six colored paths, aiming to start with the smallest possible dice rolls. They must decide whether to continue an expedition or begin a new one each round, while artifacts and acceleration fields help them progress quickly. Each player has a scoring sheet with columns for colored paths, artifacts, and dice, and points are earned based on the filled fields, with bonuses for being the first to fill certain boxes. The game concludes when all players are exhausted or all bridges are crossed, and the player with the highest score wins.
2–5 30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Qwixx: 10 Jahre Limited-Edition
All details & ratingQwixx: 10 Jahre Limited-Edition is a special edition celebrating the game's ten-year anniversary. It includes the base game as well as the expansions Bonus and Gemixxt, along with components needed for the standalone game Qwixx Longo. All game boards are wipeable, and it comes with dry-erase markers.
2–4 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Qwixx Mixx
All details & ratingQwixx gemixxt includes two new score sheet blocks for use with Qwixx. The rules remain unchanged as players aim to mark off numbers from left to right. However, one block features colors distributed across the number rows, while the other presents numbers in a non-numeric order.
2–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Calavera
All details & ratingCalavera is a dice game where players aim to score as many crosses on their block as possible, as more crosses mean more points. However, if players become too greedy, their precious points may melt away. The player with the best dice result who places the crosses correctly will emerge victorious.
2–4 20 min 8+ Immediately playableVideo reviews 1 -
Encore! Deluxe
All details & ratingEncore! Deluxe follows the same gameplay as its predecessor, engaging players with three color dice and three number dice to mark areas on their personal player boards. Players aim to fill columns or colors for bonus points. The game features wipeable boards, a 3D dice tower, a cooperative mode with shared objectives, and both an original solo variant and a new solo challenge with missions.
1–4 20 min 8+ Immediately playable+ 3 € above the best price20 € at Amazon* -
My City: Roll & Build
All details & ratingPlayers create a unique city over four chapters, each containing three episodes. A die roll indicates which building to draw on the player board, with new challenges arising in each episode. Players can choose to play through the entire campaign or select individual episodes or chapters to replay.
1–6 30 min 10+ Immediately playable -
Qwixx On Board
All details & ratingPlayers use rules identical to Qwixx but with the addition of a game board. They move their pawns forward, occupy spaces, tactically cross out numbers, avoid mistakes, and strive to complete the game point by point.
2–4 20 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Clever Junior
All details & ratingCollect balloons, gifts, candles, and mountains of sweets at the birthday party. Players roll dice and select their desired items while others take what's left over. Each color coded area on their scoring sheets has different rules for checking off items, and completing sections will earn them rainbow stars. The game ends once a player marks all items in an area, and the player with the most stars wins.
2–4 15 min 5+ Immediately playable+ 6 € above the best price12 € at Amazon* -
Qwixx: Bonus
All details & ratingThe bonus features two new scorepads that change how Qwixx is played. One scorepad includes twelve boxes with three boxes in each colored row and a row of twelve colored boxes below, allowing players to trigger chain reactions. The other scorepad has ten bonus boxes that provide special rewards upon marking specific bonuses.
2–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable+ 2 € above the best price7 € at Amazon* -
Dizzle: Levels 5-8
All details & ratingDizzle: Level 5-8 includes exactly what it promises: 4 new levels for the base game. Players can expand their gameplay with these additional challenges.
1–4 30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Railroad Ink Challenge: Lush Green Edition
All details & ratingRailroad Ink Challenge: Lush Green Edition enhances the well-loved roll-and-write gameplay of the original Railroad Ink series, introducing lush new strategies and player interactions. This version of the game is designed for 1 to 4 players and emphasizes not only route-building but also competitive objectives that encourage keeping an eye on opponents' progress.
1–4 15–30 min 8+ Easy to learn+ 4 € above the best price19 € at Amazon* - + 3 € above the best price22 € at Amazon*
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Sausage Sizzle!
All details & ratingThe game combines two unique elements: dice and sausages, using animals as the connecting theme. Players roll four white dice featuring animals and four black dice showing numbers and sausages. The goal is to collect as many animals of one type as possible while ensuring high numbers on the black dice, as points are calculated based on the lowest number rolled.
2–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Dizzle
All details & ratingPlayers fill their scorecards with dice collected each round. They take turns choosing dice from the center of the table, ensuring that the next die matches the previous ones. At the end of a round, they mark all boxes on their filled scorecard, but competition for the needed dice adds a challenging twist.
1–4 30 min 8+ Immediately playable -
Twice as Clever! dice game
All details & ratingTwice as Clever! (original title: Doppelt so clever) is a dice-based strategy game that builds on the mechanics introduced in its predecessor, Ganz schön clever. This game offers new challenges and additional strategic layers, providing an engaging experience for both fans of the original game and newcomers.
1–4 30 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 3 € above the best price13 € at Amazon* -
Trek 12: Himalaya
All details & ratingPlayers engage in a dice and writing game with progressive difficulty levels. They aim to create chains of consecutive numbers from 0 to 12 and areas with the same number to score points.
1–50 15–30 min 8+ Immediately playable+ 4 € above the best price12 € at Amazon* -
Knapp Daneben!
All details & ratingPlayers collect numbers that are close to their existing totals without being identical. Each player has a scoring sheet and rolls five colored dice in a round. They combine numbers from their dice, recording the sums on their scoring sheets while following specific rules to earn points, with the game concluding after 25 rounds. The player with the most points at the end wins.
1–5 20 min 8+ Immediately playable+ 1 € above the best price8 € at Amazon*Video reviews 1
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
That's Pretty Clever! dice game currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.
How many players do the games on this list support?
Most games on this list support 1 to 5 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.
What age are these games suitable for?
Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 5 years. Each game carries its own age rating.
How long does a game take?
A typical game takes about 20 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
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