The roll and write genre has seen a remarkable surge in popularity in recent years, evolving from the simple mechanics of classic games like Yahtzee into a rich field of innovative and engaging gameplay. In these games, players roll dice or flip cards to reveal numbers or symbols, which they then use to fill out their personal score sheets. This straightforward yet versatile format invites creativity while maintaining an accessible structure, making roll and write games a hit with a broad audience due to their low barrier to entry. Here, we highlight some of the best roll and write games that exemplify the genre's potential for sophisticated and enjoyable play.

TL;DR: The Best Roll and 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

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Rolling Realms stands out with its innovative approach, where each realm is inspired by another board game. Players use a card to allocate dice rolls to play mini-games that echo their source material. Over nine rolls, all players engage with the same three realms, then switch to three new ones out of twelve for two more rounds. The charm lies in these realms, which offer delightful, family-friendly mini-puzzles. For even more challenge, consider the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, featuring more complex realms that can be played independently or mixed with the base game.

Marabunta

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Marabunta, designed by the renowned Reiner Knizia, brings his strategic prowess to the roll and write genre. This two-player game immerses players in the competition between two ant tribes vying for territory, including tasty cupcakes and other resources. Dice rolls offer choices between expanding influence over color-coded hexes or gaining bonuses to boost your final score. This blend of spatial and mathematical strategy showcases Knizia's expertise.

The Fox Experiment

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Inspired by a real-life Russian experiment on fox domestication, The Fox Experiment by Elizabeth Hargrave (creator of Wingspan) adds depth to the roll and write format. Players use dice to represent genetic traits, selecting parent foxes to breed offspring with desirable characteristics. This intricate gameplay, as players work towards their end-game goals by breeding the friendliest foxes, makes it a standout in the genre.

Twilight Inscription

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Twilight Inscription brings the expansive universe of Twilight Imperium to the roll and write format, emulating the 4X genre of video games. In about 90 minutes, players build their space empires through exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination, using separate sheets for each aspect. The game's focus on choosing actions on one sheet per turn creates strategic trade-offs, offering a deep and engaging experience that feels more like a full-fledged strategy game than a typical roll and write.

Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up

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Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up creatively simulates a pinball machine using only a pen and dice. Players choose from four tables, navigating bumpers and targets based on their rolls, aiming to maximize their score without reusing boxes. This game's thematic depth and puzzle-like challenge make it uniquely engaging, with additional sets available, including a Star Trek-themed version, though Ramp It Up is the top pick, featuring a cooperative table.

The Best Board Game Deals

Welcome To... Your Perfect Home

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While technically a flip and write game, Welcome To... Your Perfect Home offers a similar experience with cards instead of dice. Players plan suburban streets, choosing house numbers and building effects to balance their scores across various bonuses. The game's strategic depth and satisfaction in achieving optimal layouts make it a standout, with a more complex sci-fi variant, Welcome To The Moon, for those seeking additional challenge.

My City: Roll & Build

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Based on Reiner Knizia's popular My City, this dice game features a campaign structure that gradually introduces new rules over multiple episodes. Each 30-minute session adds complexity without overwhelming players, making it accessible yet rewarding. The flexibility to play episodes as one-off sessions adds to its appeal, ensuring long-term enjoyment.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

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Railroad Ink challenges players to design a transport network on a grid using custom dice. The goal is to connect as many exits as possible, balancing the need to avoid dead ends with the potential for future connections. The Deep Blue edition, featuring rivers and lakes, adds a unique twist, though other editions like Blazing Red, Lush Green, and Shining Yellow offer varied themes.

Next Station: London

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In Next Station: London, players use colored pencils to build a train network based on station cards. Starting from different colored stations, players extend their lines across districts, aiming to cross as many areas and tourist sites as possible. The game's simple yet nuanced gameplay encourages strategic planning and results in colorful, engaging maps.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write

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Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write pushes the roll and write genre towards greater complexity. Players manage resources like money and DNA to build a dinosaur theme park, planning attractions and concessions while ensuring security. The game's challenge lies in balancing various aspects to create an efficient park, with a thematic tour at the end of each round adding excitement.

Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale

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Cartographers introduces player interaction to the genre with its unique twist. Players map out a fantasy kingdom based on card draws, but occasional monster cards force players to pass their maps to neighbors, who then place negative icons. This adds a personal element and enhances the game's thematic depth, with the sequel, Cartographers: Heroes, offering even more dynamic challenges.

Long Shot: The Dice Game

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Long Shot: The Dice Game transforms the horse racing theme into a thrilling roll and write experience. Players bet on horses as they race around a board, with the ability to purchase horses for special powers and bonuses. The game's interactive nature and thematic excitement set it apart from typical roll and write games.

Three Sisters

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Three Sisters elevates the concept of action chaining in roll and write games. Players manage a garden, growing crops and flowers based on dice rolls, with completed actions triggering bonus actions. This intense strategic planning and tactical gameplay make it a unique offering in the genre.

Fleet: The Dice Game

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Fleet: The Dice Game immerses players in the world of fishing, where dice rolls determine whether to buy licenses or launch boats to catch seafood. The game's interconnected options and thematic dice add to its appeal, offering a fast-paced and fun experience.

Sagrada Artisans

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Sagrada Artisans builds on the original Sagrada by adding a campaign structure and the ability to color in your stained-glass window designs. Over ten sessions, players face new challenges and tools, maintaining the game's simplicity and Zen-like feel while culminating in an exciting finish.

Motor City

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Motor City, from the designers of Three Sisters and Fleet, mirrors car production lines in its gameplay. Players use a dice-drafting mechanic and a blueprint board to coordinate vehicle design, engineering, testing, production, and sales. This innovative approach shifts from explosive combos to a more strategic challenge, making it a standout in the genre.

For more gaming inspiration, explore our list of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, including a versatile multi-purpose table from Bits and Pieces perfect for cards and board games.