In my last visit to the Happy Jack’s RPG podcast, we talked about the idea of making a silent dice stacking game to play during the lulls at the gaming table when playing at a game convention. Since the idea cracked us up at the time, I’ve given a shot to making the rules. They may or may not work, let us know and I’ll tweak the rules accordingly. (And if you play it at your next con, please send us photo evidence).
DICE – THE STACKING
DICE is a version of HORSE to be played at the gaming table during particularly long sessions that don’t involve the majority of the players at the table. It is meant to be a pastime that does not detract or interfere with what the GM and active player may be doing, nor should this affect the normal game play.
The Call To Play
The call to play begins with one player placing a six-sided die squarely in front of them where everyone can see, placing their index finger on the top of the die. This is to indicate they will be going first. Participating players should also place a six-sided die in front of them, indicating their turn in the first round with the fingers placed on top of the die – two fingers means the player is going second, three means third, etc. Once everyone has indicated their place in the DICE order, all participating players raise their hands above the die, indicating it’s time to play.
The First Round
The first player places any of their personal dice near or on top of the six-sided die. The new die has to be touching the original six-sided die (the anchor) which cannot be moved. The next player in the round then adds a matching die to their six-sided die anchor in front of them in the same configuration. Players continue through the round, mimicking the configuration. When everyone has placed their second die, the round is over and the first player begins again.
The Next Rounds
The subsequent round continues with the First player of the round adding an additional die in front of them. Any dice added to the sides of the anchor must be touching the full face – multiple dice cannot share the same side face. For dice placed on top of the anchor, dice can be continually added on top of one another (like a tower).
Players are considered out of the round if:
- They do not have a matching die used. (color doesn’t matter)
- Any dice fall down from being stacked on top of the anchor.
When a player is considered “out”, the next player in the round is required to to follow the First Player’s configuration. If they do, they become the next first player when the round has completed and the player order is selected again
D-I-C-E
Like the basketball shooting game, all “out” players gain a letter in the word “DICE”. Once they have the full word, they are considered out of the game. Rounds continue until there is one player left.