Vegas Dice Game Overview

Disclosure

When we lived in California one of our favorite things to do on a weekend was make the 3-hour drive to Las Vegas. We also got to visit during the week at least four times a year thanks to various business conventions held in the area.  All in all I would guess that we would go around a dozen times per year.

On almost all visits we would proudly come out ahead. We weren’t huge gamblers, sticking to the lowest minimum tables at all times. Nicole preferred the excitement of blackjack while I loved rolling dice at craps. We both played conservatively, cashing out when we were happy with our gains. Of course we left a lot of money behind once you consider the price of the hotel, meals and entertainment. But those were costs we’d probably have anywhere we visit.

We ran across Ravensburger‘s new Vegas-themed game, Vegas Dice, at their display during the 2017 Gen Con convention in Indianapolis. We’ve enjoyed a number of Ravensburger’s other titles like La Isla and Casa Grande, and have even picked some up at thrift when we see them. So a game with dice about Las Vegas was a no-brainer for us!

We’re always on the lookout for games that bridge the gap between known titles like Yahtzee or Monopoly and introduce players to the wonderful world of current games. Vegas Dice does exactly this by introducing the mechanic of area control in a simple, quick Vegas-themed contest. And it supports up to five players!

Each gambler receives a set of eight colored dice and six “tables” are set in the middle of the play area. Vegas Dice is played over four complete rounds, and at the beginning of each the tables are populated with cards representing money to be won. The first player deals cards to each table until the sum total meets or exceeds $50,000. And that’s all there is to the setup!

Beginning with the starting player, each person rolls all of the dice in their pool and selects just one resulting value (one through six) and puts all of the matching dice onto the table with the same number. Play then passes to the next player who does the same thing. Each turn you will be playing a minimum of one die and you must play to one table (you may not pass). As you might have guessed, your goal is to have the most dice on a table at the end of the round.

Turns continue until all players have placed all of their dice on the tables. Each table is checked for equal quantities of dice and those are removed from play. For instance, if red and blue each have four dice on the same table and black has three, both red and blue are removed and black is the new leader! Once all tied dice are removed, each table is resolved with the player with the most dice receiving the highest-valued card, second place receiving the next and so on. If there is not enough money as players, those with the fewest will receive nothing. If there are any leftover cards after all dice have been rewarded, those funds are returned to the bottom of the draw deck.

A total of four rounds are played in the exact same fashion, with the first player passing to the left each time. After the conclusion of the final round, everyone tallies up their winnings and the player with the most money wins Vegas Dice!

A nice combination of luck and strategy, this Target-exclusive game is smartly priced at under $20. While the age recommendation is 8+, we feel it could easily be enjoyed by those a couple years younger as long as you don’t mind the gambling theme. There are also special rules for when you have less than the full compliment of five players, giving everyone extra dice to roll for a “ghost player”. While we haven’t been excited to see this kind of rule variation in other games, it actually works quite well in Vegas Dice and introduces a bit of extra strategy you don’t have when playing with five!

I don’t have to remind you that Ravensburger is well-known for their ever-growing line of games and puzzles, but when’s the last time you visited their website to see what is new? While you’re at it, give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter so you quit missing out!

What’s your favorite game to play in Las Vegas?