Yatzy

Yatzy is a Scandinavian dice game that dates back to at least the early 20th century, with commercial versions appearing in Sweden and Denmark during the 1940s. Players roll five dice up to three times per turn, then assign the result to one of 15 scoring categories. The game shares DNA with Yahtzee, but the scoring differs in ways that change strategy: three and four of a kind count only the matching dice, full house scores the sum of all dice rather than a flat 25, and the upper section bonus is 50 points instead of 35. A 2017 study in the journal Simulation and Gaming found that dice-based decision games improve probabilistic reasoning in students aged 10 to 14. Roll the dice above and fill all 15 boxes to see how high you can score.

1. Click the Roll button to throw all five dice at once.
2. After the first roll, click any die to hold it. Held dice stay on the table for the next roll.
3. Click Roll again to re-roll the dice you did not hold. You get up to two re-rolls per turn (three rolls total).
4. After your final roll (or whenever you choose to stop), click a category in the scorecard to score your dice.
5. Each category can only be scored once. Once filled, it locks for the rest of the game.
6. The game runs for 15 rounds. After all 15 categories are filled, the player with the highest total wins.

• Five standard six-sided dice are used.
• Upper section: Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes. Each scores the sum of dice matching that number (e.g. three 4s scores 12).
• Upper bonus: If the upper section total reaches 63 or more, add 50 bonus points. The threshold of 63 comes from scoring three of each number (3x1 + 3x2 + 3x3 + 3x4 + 3x5 + 3x6 = 63).
• One Pair: Sum of the highest matching pair. Two 5s scores 10.
• Two Pairs: Sum of both pairs. The pairs must be different ranks. Two 3s and two 6s scores 18.
• 3 of a Kind: Sum of the three matching dice only. Three 4s scores 12 (not the sum of all five dice).
• 4 of a Kind: Sum of the four matching dice only. Four 5s scores 20.
• Small Straight: 1-2-3-4-5 in any order. Fixed score of 15.
• Large Straight: 2-3-4-5-6 in any order. Fixed score of 20.
• Full House: Three of one rank plus two of another. Scores the sum of all five dice (not a fixed 25).
• Chance: Sum of all five dice. No combination required.
• Yatzy: All five dice show the same number. Fixed score of 50.

• Prioritize the upper section early. Scoring three of each number across the six upper categories gives exactly 63, which unlocks the 50-point bonus. Aim for fours, fives, and sixes first since they contribute the most toward the threshold.
• Save Chance for a bad roll. Chance always scores the sum of all dice, so it absorbs a turn where nothing useful appears. Do not waste it on a high roll that could fill a harder category.
• Go for straights when you have four consecutive dice. The probability of completing a small straight (1-2-3-4-5) with one re-roll and four correct dice is about 1 in 3. That is a strong bet for 15 points.
• Hold pairs of high values for One Pair or Two Pairs. A pair of 6s gives 12 in One Pair, which is the maximum for that category. If you already have two pairs on the first roll, hold both and try for Two Pairs.
• Do not chase Yatzy with fewer than four matching dice. The probability of rolling a fifth matching die with two re-rolls and four already held is roughly 1 in 3.7. With only three matching, it drops below 1 in 10. Bank those dice in a different category instead.

• Maxi Yatzy: Uses six dice instead of five, with additional categories like Three Pairs and Tower (four of a kind plus a pair). Games run longer and scores run higher.
• Yatzy for Kids: Removes the lower section categories, keeping only Ones through Sixes and Chance. Simplifies decisions for younger players while preserving the roll-and-hold mechanic.
• Team Yatzy: Two players share a single scorecard, alternating turns. One rolls while the other decides which dice to hold, adding a cooperative strategy layer.
• Yahtzee: The American variant with 13 categories, fixed 25 for full house, sum of all dice for kinds, and a 35-point upper bonus. Balut is another dice variant on this site with its own scoring system.

• Every roll forces a decision. Hold or re-roll. Score now or save the category for later. The choices compound across 15 rounds.
• The upper bonus creates a secondary objective. Players chase 63 points in the upper section alongside their lower-section strategy, adding depth without complexity.
• Scoring is transparent. You can see exactly what each category will give before you commit, which makes the game feel fair even when the dice are unkind.
• Games fit in 15 to 30 minutes. The fixed round count means every session has a clear beginning, middle, and end. You can also try Farkle or Pig Dice for faster dice sessions.

Play Yatzy right here in your browser. No downloads, no accounts, no physical dice to lose under the table. Roll against the CPU at three difficulty levels, or play solo and chase your best score. The game tracks your scorecard automatically so you can focus on which dice to hold and which category to fill.

Yatzy rewards players who think ahead. Each roll presents a choice, and each category can only be filled once, so the order matters. Fill all 15 boxes, chase the upper bonus, and see if you can break your personal best. Start a game above and roll your way to a high score.

• Yatzy - Wikipedia
• Yatzy vs Yahtzee comparison - Rare Pike