Yahtzee rules

The goal

Each player fills in their own sheet of 13 boxes, one box per turn, so a game lasts 13 turns. When every box is filled, add everything up: the highest total wins.

You need 5 dice and a score sheet. You can play alone or with others — there is no real limit, but beyond six players the wait between turns gets long.

A turn

1. Roll the 5 dice.
2. Keep the ones you like and reroll the others. You get 3 rolls per turn: the first roll, then two rerolls.
3. You can stop before the third roll, or reroll a die you had kept.
4. Pick one empty box and write down the points your dice are worth there.

The golden rules

• Each box is filled only once per game.
• You must score something every turn. If nothing fits, you have to "scratch" a box: it is worth 0 points. Sacrifice a box that would have earned you little.
• The game ends when every box is filled.

The upper section: Ones to Sixes

On each of these six rows, count only the dice of that value. The other dice are ignored.

The 63 bonus

If these six rows add up to 63 points or more, you earn a 35-point bonus. 63 is exactly three dice of each value: three 1s, three 2s… up to three 6s. A fourth die on the high values (Fives, Sixes) makes up for a missed One or Two.

The lower section: the combinations

Extra Yahtzees

Every Yahtzee rolled after the first earns a 100-point bonus.

Scoring table

Each extra Yahtzee adds 100 points to that maximum. A scratched box is worth 0.

A few tips

• Go for the 63 bonus: 35 points is more than a full house.
• Save Chance for a bad roll: it takes any dice.
• Scratch low-value boxes early: a missed One costs only a few points, a Yahtzee chased for too long can cost many more.

In the app, the game assistant can tell you, on every roll, which dice to keep and which box to aim for.

Yahtzee variants

French-style Yam's, in three columns

In France, people often play on three sheets side by side, with the same scoring: a descending column (↓, filled from top to bottom without skipping a box), an ascending column (↑, bottom to top) and a free column (↕, in any order). Each column has its own 63 bonus, and the score is the sum of all three.

Other columns

• Called (◆): after the first roll you announce the box you are going for, and you must score it after your three rolls, even if you missed.
• Single-roll (S): you score with the dice of the first roll, no rerolls.

The Plus and Minus rows

Two extra boxes that take the sum of the dice. At the end, Minus is subtracted from Plus and the difference is added to the score — so you want a very high Plus and a very low Minus.

All these variants can be set up in Yam's App with Custom rules: up to five columns, and adjustable scoring for Three of a kind, Four of a kind and Full house.

Yahtzee or Yam's?

It is the same dice game. "Yahtzee®" is the name of the commercial version, a registered trademark of Hasbro; "Yam's" (or "Yams") is the name commonly used in France.

The official Yahtzee rules add the Joker rule: an extra Yahtzee, on top of its 100 points, can fill another box with its maximum score. It is summarized at the bottom of our printable score sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How many dice do you need for Yahtzee?

Five dice, and one score sheet per game.

How many rolls do you get per turn?

Three at most: the first roll, then two rerolls. You can stop earlier.

How many turns are there in a game?

Thirteen, one for each box on the sheet.

How much is a full house worth?

25 points, whatever dice it is made of.

What is the 63 bonus?

35 extra points when the Ones-to-Sixes boxes add up to 63 or more, that is three dice of each value.

What is the maximum Yahtzee score?

375 points without extra Yahtzees. Each extra Yahtzee adds 100 points.

What if no box fits my roll?

You scratch a box of your choice: it is worth 0 points for the rest of the game.