Farkle Variations
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Farkle Its origins as a folk game are unknown, but it has been marketed commercially since 1982, since 1996 under the brand name Pocket Farkel by Legendary Games Inc. While the basic rules are well-established, there is a wide range of variation in both scoring and play, as described below. This is a game I carry in my purse! Print the 10,000 Dice Game Rules, grab 6 dice and make your own dice tray. You're ready to play anywhere.
., we’ve documented the core rules here, followed by the most common scoring and play variations for you to incorporate into your own Farkle parties. Scoring variations. Since farkle is a folk game, variant rules are used in different playing communities. While the standard rules described above are widely used, even they are not universal. For example, the commercially marketed game of Pocket Farkel differs in that three 1s are scored as 300 rather than 1000. Dice: Yahtzee-like game for two or more players. Offers an option to register as an online player and a list of the best scores to date.
Intro
Farkle might be the most recognizable of the few games I’ve covered since it’s been around for a little over two decades per Wikipedia, yet I was entirely unaware of the existence of this dice game involving luck and risk until this year when I began researching and collecting board and card games. Unlike a typical board game, there are many variations on the basic game of Farkle which can be stripped down to its basic no frills dice version or perhaps something like Spicy Farkel and Farkle Flip, the card game. I’m going to cover the ones that I’ve played and highlight the various sets available so hopefully you can decide which version works best or if perhaps you’d like to add a bit of every flavor.
Goal
The rules of Farkle are not necessarily set in stone but the basic goal is to be the first player to score 10,000 points. You can choose to reduce this to 5,000 for a shorter game or any points however you see fit but 10,000 is the standard.
Farkle Setup
All you need to get started with Farkle is a set of six standard numbered dice and a way to keep score. The longest part is perhaps writing down each player’s name. This is the no frills version or you can always shell out for something that offers a little more.
I purchased a set called “Farkel Party” (the reasons as to why some of these go by “Farkel” instead of “Farkle” remain a mystery to me) which comes with six dice cups in various colors, each with their own corresponding set of dice plus a scoring pad. While it may be fancier, the time it takes to get up and running is still just as minimal.
Gameplay
Players roll six dice in an effort to score combinations that grant big points. During your turn you must keep at least one or more dice each time you roll, which could potentially increase your score. In order to keep scoring you must roll a one or a five at the very minimum, assuming you haven’t rolled one of the combinations which could for example consist of three pairs, a straight set of one through six, four of a kind, two triples, etc.
Each time you roll you’ll be removing at least one of the dice in order to roll again. You may on the other hand score with all six dice on one roll which is often referred to as having “hot dice”. In this case you have the choice to roll all six dice once again and add to whatever existing score you may already have. Regardless of whether or not you have hot dice, failing to roll at least a one or a five will cause you to lose everything you may have accumulated. That’s right; that combination of two triples that earned you 2,500 points mean absolutely nothing if you decided to take your chances by rolling again and failing to score.
Before you can begin making any points that actually count however, you must get “in” to the game by making a minimum starting score. This can also vary but the general minimum seems to be 500 points.
Farkle’s Flexibility
While there are the standard rules of Farkle, the game is open enough that you can choose to modify some of these rules to fit your current gaming session or make things a little more competitive. Besides making the scores higher or lower, there are variations where if you manage to farkle for three straight turns you receive a 1,000 point penalty. Some of the other versions of Farkle that are sold already take this into account, starting with Spicy Farkel.
The Spicier Version of Farkle
Spicy Farkel keeps the same basic foundations of the original Farkle but each die has one red side which will double your score. Instead of ones and fives being worth 100 or fifty points, these will count as 200 and 100 points respectively as long as they are red.
With Spicy Farkel your goal is to reach 25,000 points but again, this number can be modified if you’d prefer a shorter game. While that may seem large you can potentially make some massive scores if you happen to roll scoring combinations with the spicy die or if you’re lucky enough to roll those aforementioned hot dice. In fact, if you somehow manage the rare feat of rolling all six spicy die on a single roll you automatically win the game.
While Spicy Farkel seems like a slight modification of the base game, there is a hugely differentiating element that can quickly sway the tides of the game. If a player chooses to bank their score and still have dice left over that they decided not to throw, the next player can choose to throw those dice. If they manage to score with those remaining die, the player not only gets whatever score they made with those dice but also receive the score that their opponent decided to bank. If the player doesn’t score with any of those dice they farkle and their next turn is over even before it officially began.
The Playing Card Version of Farkle
Farkle Flip is arguably the most different variation of Farkle. While the goal remains to score 10,000 points, how you go about it is completely different.
Each player receives one card, displaying a number and the corresponding die which is placed face up, visible to all other players. All of the remaining cards are placed in a draw pile.
During your turn you’ll be drawing cards which you can then add to any player’s deck, these cards do not belong to you. You can take cards from any player’s deck and move them to another deck in order to make the same scoring combinations that you would If you were playing a standard game of Farkle. You can continue to draw cards from the deck until you decide to stop or you draw a Farkle card.
In Farkle Flip, the dreaded farkle doesn’t necessarily carry the same bad reputation it’s got when dice are involved. While it will still end your turn, it can actually work to your advantage when it comes to banking your cards. Should you farkle, you actually keep this card and put it aside until you decide to bank.
Banking in Farkle Flip works similarly as if you were playing with dice. You can stop drawing cards and bank the scores you may have achieved but the similarities stop there. Should you draw a Farkle card, you lose any cards you may have banked before ending your turn and therefore do not score but they remain in the game and can be used by another player if they add to it. In other words, your opponent can’t just bank whatever cards/combinations you may have put aside and “steal” your score.
Remember those Farkle cards you put aside? If you have Farkle cards each of these will add 100 points to your score so unlike the dice game, they do have some small benefits.
Big Points Mean Big Losers in Twisted Farkel
Twisted Farkel is perhaps the most refreshing interpretation of the game involving dice. In this iteration, you’re trying not to make 10,000 points and if you do well, you lose.
In order to get “in” the game in this version all you need to do is throw the highest number to determine who goes first but this will also mean that you start with the highest score which is something you don’t want. From there you’re applying the same rules and gameplay as if you were playing standard Farkle (e.g.: putting aside ones and fives, grabbing combinations). After these standard steps are taken, everything changes.
Once you decide to stop rolling, you keep the score but as to who actually “earns” the score is determined by the die with the awesome name of the “determinator die” which you must throw to end your turn unless you farkle (more on that in a bit). This die contains sides that say things like High Score, Left Two, Right One, High Score, Low Score, etc. Whichever side the die lands on will determine who actually gets the points you just earned so if for example the die landed on left two, the second player to your left would end up with the score. High score would obviously mean that the player with the highest score at that point in the game would get the points which only makes a bad situation even worse, especially if you happen to be that player. An interesting twist to this is if two players currently have the same score and the determinator die also happens to land on high or low score, it’s up to the player’s whose turn it is to determine who will end up with those points. In scenarios where someone may have managed to roll a score of 2,500, this can be absolutely devastating.
The determinator die does not rear its ugly head if a player farkles. Unlike in the other versions, not only does a farkle end the player’s turn, he or she also receives a 500 point penalty. Again, you don’t want to earn points in Twisted Farkel.
Verdicts
Farkle – If you’ve never played the game, start here. If you like the idea of gambling without actually having to spend money or chips*, you may enjoy the unpredictability of the original Farkle. It’s very easy to learn and can be easily played by people of nearly all ages.
Spicy Farkel – Spicy Farkel adds just enough variation to make it worth having alongside the original Farkle. The plastic cup that everything comes in also doubles as a padded dice cup which is nice, albeit very noisy. The portability also makes it convenient for carrying it in your pocket or purse if you’re visiting someone and or just want to have it around for an impromptu game to pass the time. However, the gameplay mechanics in this version differ the least when compared to the original so that’s also something worth considering.
Farkle Flip – If you like the idea of Farkle and want to try a version with a better degree of control, go with Farkle Flip. This one allows for greater amounts of strategy yet it retains the same risks of the original Farkle, even if the penalties may not be as severe. Plus, it might appeal to people who are into card games.
Twisted Farkel – In terms of all out fun and just laughing at the results, Twisted Farkel is a fantastic game to play with groups. It also maintains the foundations of Farkle but presents it in a…well, twisted way that makes it just as unpredictable but with greater penalties on players. That may or may not be a good thing depending on who you’re playing with. I managed to be the victim of several rolls of the determinator die which was frustrating yet absolutely hilarious. If you’re playing with children, they on the other hand might find this just plain unfair. Still, there is something devilishly fun about intentionally making a giant score and then bestowing it upon a player with the lowest score.
* Farkle Blitz and Farkle Live are a pair of smartphone games that use the original game rules but do in fact allow you to bet chips and thus gamble.
Related articles
The Rules of FarkleOk, first things first. What are the OFFICIAL rules of Farkle? There are copyrighted© rules, and rules pertaining to trademarks™ and rules that are used in day-to-day play. There are the rules from Hoyle’s Standard Games. There are the rules your grandmother played by. There are even the rules from the Reign of Good Queen Bess. So which are the REAL rules?
Here at Farkle Rules - we’ve researched the various versions of the game now known as Farkle (or maybe Farkel) analyzing the differences so we could arrive at a core set of rules common to most versions of the game. We’ve also kept track of the different variations in scoring, determining how they effect game play.
To make things easy, we’ve documented the core rules here, followed by the most common scoring and play variations for you to incorporate into your own Farkle parties.
But when it comes right down to it, Farkle is what you make it. Different friends and different times may call for different versions. Our best advice to you is - whatever rules you do choose to use, WRITE THEM DOWN, so there’s no argument later.
Farkle
Getting Started
Farkle is a pretty casual game and can be played impromptu with a minimum of setup. All you need is six dice, some paper and pencils for scoring, a copy of the scoring rules, and a place to play.
The number of players for Farkle is flexible. Two or more can play (although a minimum of three, and a max of 8 is suggested.)
Each player rolls one die, the highest score going first. Ties are rerolled.
Game Overview
The players take turns rolling the dice, with the objective of having the highest score above 10,000 in the final round.
During each player’s turn, they initially roll six-dice trying to score points. As long as they score at last one point, they can remove the scoring dice from play, and either bank their points or continue rolling.
If the dice you roll do not score any points, you pass the dice and you get a Farkle, losing all points accumulated for that turn.
If the player manages to score on all six dice, they have “hot dice” and may choose to roll all six-dice again, or they can bank the points and pass the dice.
At the end of the players turn, they write down any points scored and pass the dice clockwise.
Scoring Farkle
Each 1 = 100 pts
Each 5 = 50 pts
Three 1’s = 1000 pts
Three 2’s = 200 pts
Three 3’s = 300 pts
Three 4’s = 400 pts
Three 5’s = 500 pts
Three 6’s = 600 pts
Straight (1-2-3-4-5-6) = 1000 pts
It is important to note you can combine different types of scoring.
(1-3-4-4-4-5) could be scored many ways. For example:1) (1) could be kept for 100 points.
2) (1-5) could be kept for 150 points.
3) (4-4-4) Could be kept for 400 points.
4) (1-4-4-4) Could be kept for 500 points.
5) (1-4-4-4-5) Could be kept for 550 points.
In the case of scoring options 1-4 the player would typically throw the remaining dice (if they were to pass, why leave points on the table?) In the case of scoring option 5, they could either bank their point and pass the die, or throw the remaining die, with a 1 in 3 chance of scoring (getting a 1 or 5). If they were to score, they could bank their final score and pass the dice, or throw all six dice again, and further increase their score, since they have “Hot Dice”.
Each roll is scored separately. If you were to roll two 5’s for 100 points, if you rolled a 5 on the next roll, you would not get 500 points for 3 fives, you would get another 50 points for a total of 150 points.
Winning the Game
Players continue rolling until a player reaches 10,000 points. Once any player reaches 10,000 pts, the final round begins, and every other players gets one additional turn to score as many points as they can. The player with the most points at the end of the final round is the winner.
Additional Scoring Options:
Three pairs = 500 points
- optionally 600, 750, 1000, or 1500
Four of a kind = Double (2x) the 3 of a kind value
- also Four of a kind = 1000
- also Four of a kind = 4x the 3 of a kind value
Five of a kind = Triple (3x) the 3 of a kind value
- also Five of a kind = 2000
- also Five of a kind = 6x the 3 of a kind value
Six of a kind = Quadruple (4x) the 3 of a kind value
- also Six of a kind = 3000
- also Six of a kind = 8x the 3 of kind value
- also Six 1’s = 5000
- also Six 1’s = Instant Win (no playoff)
Two Triplets = 2500 points
Scoring Variations:
Three 1’s = 200 points (Pocket Farkel)
Farkle Variations Youtube
No points for a straightStraight worth 1500, 2000, or 3000
Game Play Variations:
Getting on the board (popular)
Until a player has a score written down (on the board) they are required to continue rolling until they score at least 500 points. (Alternatively 350 or 400).
Game Goal
The target game score to exceed may be something other than 10,000.
Hot-Dice Roll
Farkle Game Variations
Players who score using all six dice are required to roll at least one additional time.Farkle Variations Online
Three Farkles
A player rolling three Farkles in a roll loses 1000 points
Piggybacking
A player can choose to begin their turn by rolling the dice remaining after the previous players turn. If they score on at least 1 die, they receive 1000 points in addition to the regular points they accumulate. (Alternatively, they receive the full amount of the previous players points)