The roll-and-write genre has exploded in popularity recently. This accessible style of gameplay, inspired by the classic board game Yahtzee, involves rolling dice (or flipping cards) and using the results to fill in a personal score sheet. While deceptively simple, the genre offers surprisingly sophisticated gameplay and endless possibilities for creative expression.

Roll-and-write games are highly appealing due to their straightforward rules and immediate gratification. The ability to personalize your score sheet adds a layer of creativity, while the core mechanics remain easy to grasp. This winning combination makes them accessible and enjoyable for a broad range of players, regardless of experience level. Below are some of the best examples this genre has to offer.

TL;DR: The Best Roll & Write Games

Rolling Realms, Marabunta, The Fox Experiment, Twilight Inscription, Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up, Welcome To... Your Perfect Home, My City: Roll & Build, Railroad Ink, Next Station: London, Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write, Cartographers, Long Shot: The Dice Game, Three Sisters, Fleet: The Dice Game, Sagrada Artisans, Motor City, Rolling Realms

Rolling Realms

Available on Amazon. Rolling Realms offers a unique twist: each realm is based on another board game, presenting a mini-game reflecting its inspiration. Players manage three realms simultaneously over nine rolls, then draw new ones, repeating the process. The charm lies in the cleverly designed realms, each offering a fun, family-friendly puzzle. For a more challenging experience, consider the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, featuring even more intricate realms.

Marabunta

Available on Amazon. Renowned game designer Reiner Knizia brings his strategic expertise to this two-player roll-and-write. Players control ant tribes competing for territory, incorporating cupcakes and other resources. Dice rolls offer choices between expanding influence and gaining bonus points, creating a blend of spatial and mathematical strategy.

The Fox Experiment

Available on Amazon. Inspired by a real-life fox domestication experiment, this roll-and-write uses dice to represent genetic heredity. Players breed foxes, selecting traits to meet their goals across multiple rounds of selection, resulting in a delightfully thematic and engaging experience.

Twilight Inscription

Available on Amazon. A unique entry, Twilight Inscription adapts the sprawling gameplay of Twilight Imperium into a roll-and-write format. Players manage their space empires through exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination across separate sheets representing different game aspects. The strategic challenge lies in choosing which aspect to focus on each turn, leading to diverse gameplay approaches.

Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up

Available on Amazon. This roll-and-write cleverly simulates pinball. Players choose a table, then use dice rolls to navigate their ball, hitting bumpers and targets. The challenge lies in maximizing your score while strategically using targets, as you can’t reuse the same box twice.

Welcome To... Your Perfect Home

Available on Amazon. A "flip-and-write" game (using cards instead of dice), Welcome To... tasks players with town planning. Players select house numbers and building cards to create suburban streets, balancing house order with bonus scoring for features like pools and parks.

My City: Roll & Build

Available on Amazon. Based on Reiner Knizia's My City, this dice game features a rewarding campaign structure. Gameplay unfolds across multiple episodes, each introducing new rules and mechanics, allowing for gradual complexity without being overwhelming. Episodes can also be played individually.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

Available on Amazon and Target. Instead of filling a score sheet, players draw a transport network on a grid using dice rolls to determine tracks and junctions. The goal is to connect as many exits as possible, balancing risk and reward in a unique spatial puzzle.

Next Station: London

Available on Amazon. A flip-and-write game where colored pencils are key. Players draw train networks based on card symbols, aiming to connect districts and landmarks, but careful planning is needed as lines can't cross except at stations.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write

Available on Amazon. This roll-and-write introduces more complexity and depth. Players build a dinosaur theme park, managing resources, attractions, and staff, then running a tour to score points. The strategic challenge of balancing park elements and tour planning is quite engaging.

Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale

Available on Amazon and Target. This flip-and-write introduces player interaction. Players map a fantasy kingdom, fulfilling scoring challenges, with a twist: monster cards force players to add negative elements to their neighbors' maps.

Long Shot: The Dice Game

Available at Barnes & Noble. This horse racing roll-and-write features a track board. Players bet on horses based on dice rolls, adding interaction and excitement as players compete for winnings.

Three Sisters

Available on Amazon. This game emphasizes action chaining. Players grow crops and flowers, purchasing tools based on dice rolls, with completed actions often triggering bonus actions, creating complex strategic planning.

Fleet: The Dice Game

Available on Amazon. Players manage a fishing fleet, using dice to buy licenses and launch boats, aiming to maximize profits through interconnected benefits. The strategic challenge lies in creating the best combination of options.

Sagrada Artisans

Available on Amazon. This roll-and-write version of Sagrada lets players color in their stained-glass windows as they build. It's a campaign game with ten sessions, each adding new challenges while maintaining the original's relaxing feel.

Motor City

Available on Amazon. This game simulates car production. Players manage different aspects of vehicle design and production using a dice-drafting mechanic and a blueprint board, creating a strategic challenge.

For more gaming options, explore our list of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables.