Sixes: The Dice Game

History

The tabletop game was originally played during the 2020’s Pandemic. As some people were unemployed they became inventive with their time and ways to distract themselves or to entertain them further. It was originally played between friends when lockdowns eased and later as a fun game with children or a casual game while on lunch break with colleagues.

What It Looks Like When It’s Purchased

Sixes comes in a bag containing a card measuring, 15.24 cm by 10.25cm (6” by 4”). The card on one side tells the purchaser what the game is called with a short description of the game. On the other side is what is needed to play the game as well as its rules. The bag has the side showing the rules covered as to make the purchase more likely. The game pieces are not included as it is assumed that the person or the person’s parents or caregivers have the pieces already. If they don’t have the pieces the store selling the game will sell the items themselves, these pieces will be relatively cheap.

Where Is It Played?

Sixes is often played at home, however it is played in the workplace when colleagues are at lunch. The game is played more on The Great Day of Celebration, but it is also played on other days and occasions.

Rules And How Its Played

Sixes is played over five rounds in which each player rolls their 3d6s. After rolling their dice they will note down their score, if they won the round and if they got any sixes for each of the five rounds.

Divide your notebook page into three columns
Roll all 3d6s - 3d6
Total your score on each of the dice.
For the total you got, put this in the left column.
If you got any sixes, put the number of sixes in the right column.
At the end compare the scores in the rounds.

The Rule of the Sixes

On a round where a player has the lowest score but rolls the most sixes, they win.
On a round where both players roll the same number of sixes, including no sixes, the player with the highest total wins.
On a round where the number of sixes matches, the highest score for that round wins.
On a round where the total score match, then both players receive the round's points.
On a round where the lowest person doesn't roll a 6, but the player that rolled higher did get a 6, the highest roll wins.

In the middle column, for rounds which you win, mark with a one, those you don't win mark with a zero. At the end of the game the rounds, you win, you add together. The player with the highest end score wins.

What A Typical Game Looks Like

A typical game is described below. The first table is what the players rolled during the game. While the second is what the scoring for the same game session looked like.

		Player 1			Player 2
Round 1	5	4	2	5	3	2
Round 2	6	5	2	5	2	1
Round 3	5	4	2	4	4	3
Round 4	5	2	2	6	1	1
Round 5	6	5	5	6	3	2

		Player 1			Player 2
	Total	Won Round	Sixes	Total	Won Round	Sixes
Round 1	11	1	0	10	0	0
Round 2	13	1	1	8	0	0
Round 3	11	1	0	11	1	0
Round 4	9	0	0	8	1	1
Round 5	16	1	1	11	0	1

Final Score	51			19

In Round 1, Player 1 got the highest score and no one got any sixes, therefore, they won the round. On Round 2 to this is the case again even though they have rolled a six, however, on Round 3 both players drew as they've rolled the same score. The interesting part comes in Round 4, as Player 2 even though they rolled a lower score they rolled a six meaning they won the round, stealing the win from Player 1. On the last and fifth round, Player 1 has won as they have rolled higher and they rolled a 6 as well to protect them from having the score stolen from Player 2. At the end, players who have won the round, total up the points. Player 1 has won as they have the highest number of points.

Is It A Gambling Game?

While not considered a gambling game, some people have tried to make the game interesting by making it so since it is a game of luck and not of strategy. This is usually betting that they will get a higher end-score or rolling more sixes. This is, of course, an adult variant of playing the game.

Other Variants

A notable version of Sixes is the Gregorius Variant, in which the sixes column is on the left, not the right. In this version of the game, it is not the highest end score that counts for winning the game but the number of sixes a player gets at the end. It is the end score that is used in a tie-breaking situation at the end of the game. This is often played when wanting a simpler variant over the base version.

Luck or Strategy
Luck
Type
Tabletop Game
Players
2 - 4 (2 Recommended)
Cost of The Game

Game itself - 20 New Sovereigns

Cost for parts per player variants
1 Player - 145 New Sovereigns
2 Players - 290 New Sovereigns
3 Players - 435 New Sovereigns
4 Players - 580 New Sovereigns