Yams
Five dice, three rolls, thirteen boxes to fill.
Yams is played with five dice and a score sheet. Each turn, you roll up to three times to build the best combination, then choose the box to score it in. The whole art is knowing when to go for it and when to sacrifice a box.
- Players
- 2–4
- Game length
- about 15 min
Rules
Objective
Score the highest total by filling the thirteen boxes of your score sheet. The game lasts thirteen turns per player.
A turn
On your turn, roll all five dice. You may then set aside the dice you want to keep and reroll the others, up to two more times.
After your last roll, you must enter a score in a box that is still empty. If no combination fits, you must cross out a box, which then scores zero.
The upper section
Six boxes, from 1 to 6: you score the sum of the dice showing that number. Three 5s, for example, score 15 in the fives box.
If the upper section totals 63 points or more, you earn a 35-point bonus.
The lower section
Three of a kind and four of a kind: the sum of all five dice. Full house (three of a kind and a pair): 25 points.
Small straight (four dice in sequence): 30 points. Large straight (five dice in sequence): 40 points. Yams (five identical dice): 50 points. Chance: the sum of all five dice, no condition.
End of the game
Once every box is filled or crossed out, each player adds up their upper section, any bonus and their lower section. The highest total wins.