Farkle
Roll six dice, keep the scoring ones and know when to bank.
How to play Farkle
Farkle is a classic push-your-luck game with six dice. It is also called Zilch, Greed or 10,000. You play against one, two or three computer players. On each turn you build up points, but one bad roll can wipe them out.
Goal
Be the first to reach 10,000 points (or 5,000 for a shorter game) and finish with the highest score.
Turn by turn
- Press Roll to throw all six dice.
- Set aside at least one scoring die. Tap the dice you want to keep. Dice that can score have a golden ring.
- Now choose. Roll the dice that are left to win more points, or Bank to add your turn total to your score and end your turn.
- If a roll has no scoring dice at all, that is a Farkle. You lose every point from this turn and the next player goes.
- If all six dice have been set aside, you have hot dice. Roll all six again and keep building the same turn total.
Scoring
Points only count inside one roll. You cannot add a die from this roll to a set from an earlier roll.
- Single 1: 100. Single 5: 50.
- Three of a kind: the number × 100, so three 4s are 400. Three 1s are 1,000.
- Four, five or six of a kind: each extra die doubles the three-of-a-kind score. Four 4s are 800, five 4s are 1,600 and six 4s are 3,200.
- Straight 1‑2‑3‑4‑5‑6: 1,500.
- Three pairs (such as 2‑2, 4‑4, 6‑6): 1,500.
Other dice, like single 2s, 3s, 4s and 6s, score nothing. You may keep fewer scoring dice than you could, for example only one 1 from a roll of 1 and 5, so you have more dice to throw again.
End of the game
When a player banks enough to reach the goal, the final round starts. Every other player gets one last turn to beat the leader. Then the highest score wins. Equal top scores are a draw.
Strategy tips
- Keep just one die when you can. With a 1 and a 5, keeping only the 1 lets you roll five dice instead of four. More dice means fewer Farkles and better combos.
- Bank small totals with few dice. With one or two dice left, a Farkle is likely. Banking 300 or more is usually right.
- Always roll hot dice. Six fresh dice almost never Farkle (about 1 time in 40), so keep going.
- Watch the final round. If someone has reached the goal, banking less than their score is useless. Keep rolling until you pass them.
- Take more risk when far behind. Safe 300-point turns will not catch a player who is about to win.
Farkle FAQ
What is a Farkle?
A roll with no scoring dice: no 1, no 5, no three of a kind, no straight and no three pairs. You lose all points from that turn.
Which Farkle rules does this game use?
It uses the classic doubling rule: four of a kind is twice three of a kind, five is four times and six is eight times. A straight and three pairs are worth 1,500, and there is no minimum score to get on the board.
Is Farkle the same as Zilch or 10,000?
Yes, they are names for the same family of dice games. Scores for big combos can differ a little from table to table.
How strong are the computer players?
Easy banks at random small totals. Medium keeps every scoring die and banks by a simple table. Hard uses an expected-value table for every turn total and number of dice left, and it plays the final round to win.
