Top Roll and Write Board Games of 2025

The roll and write genre has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, offering an accessible yet sophisticated gaming experience derived from the classic board game Yahtzee. In these games, players roll dice or flip cards and use the resulting numbers or symbols to fill out a personal sheet, blending simplicity with depth that appeals to a broad audience. The ease of entry and the creative freedom to personalize one's sheet, combined with straightforward rules, have propelled roll and write games to widespread acclaim. Below is a curated list of the best roll and write games that showcase the genre's potential.

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 creatively adapts other board games into mini-games within its realms, each represented by a card. Players navigate through three realms simultaneously over nine rolls, then switch to three new ones from a set of twelve, repeating this cycle twice for a complete game. The charm lies in the realms, which are engaging microcosms of their source games, offering family-friendly puzzles. For those seeking more challenges, the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, introduces even more intricate realms that can be played alone or mixed with the original game.

Marabunta

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Marabunta, crafted by acclaimed designer Reiner Knizia, is a strategic roll and write game for two players. It captures the competition between ant tribes over hexes of territory, including cupcakes and other resources. Players must strategically spread their influence across color-coded hexes or gain bonuses, combining spatial strategy with mathematical elements, a hallmark of Knizia's design prowess.

The Fox Experiment

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Inspired by a real-life Russian fox domestication experiment from the 1950s, The Fox Experiment by Elizabeth Hargrave of Wingspan fame introduces a unique genetic twist to roll and write games. Players use dice to represent genetic traits, selectively breeding foxes to meet end-game goals in a process that mirrors genetic heredity. This game offers a deeper level of engagement, rewarding strategic planning and foresight.

Twilight Inscription

1See it at Amazon
Twilight Inscription uniquely adapts the vast universe of Twilight Imperium into a roll and write format. This game encapsulates the 4X (exploration, exploitation, expansion, and extermination) genre in about 90 minutes, offering a strategic depth usually reserved for longer board games. Players manage separate sheets, each representing a different aspect of their space empire, requiring focused decision-making and offering multiple strategic paths.

Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up

2See it at Amazon
Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up stands out by simulating a pinball experience with dice and a pen. Players choose from four tables, navigating bumpers and targets based on dice rolls. The challenge is to maximize scores within the rules of each table, offering a thrilling puzzle. The Ramp It Up edition, including a cooperative table, is particularly notable, though other themed sets like Star Trek are available.

The Best Board Game Deals

Welcome To... Your Perfect Home

3See it at Amazon
Welcome To... Your Perfect Home, though technically a flip and write game, offers a rich town planning experience. Players use cards to develop suburban streets, balancing house numbers and building effects to maximize bonuses. Its engaging strategy and satisfying gameplay can be further explored in its more complex variant, Welcome To The Moon.

My City: Roll & Build

1See it at Amazon
My City: Roll & Build, based on Reiner Knizia's popular board game, introduces a campaign-style roll and write experience. Each 30-minute session adds new rules and challenges, gradually increasing complexity. The game is versatile, allowing for standalone play of each episode, making it a delightful and replayable gem.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

9See it at Amazon
Also at Target
Railroad Ink challenges players to design a transport network on a grid using custom dice. The objective is to connect as many exits as possible, balancing immediate connections with future possibilities. The Deep Blue edition adds rivers and lakes, enhancing strategic depth. Other editions offer varied thematic elements like volcanoes, forests, and deserts.

Next Station: London

1See it at Amazon
Next Station: London, a flip and write game, integrates pencil colors into its gameplay. Players draw transport lines from different starting stations based on drawn cards, aiming to cross districts, visit tourist sites, and link lines while avoiding overlaps. The game's simple yet nuanced mechanics encourage repeated play and strategic exploration.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write

4See it at Amazon
Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'N Write introduces complexity to the roll and write genre, simulating the construction of a dinosaur theme park. Players manage resources like money and DNA to build attractions, manage staff, and ensure security, culminating in a tour route that scores points. The game's depth and thematic engagement make it a standout in the genre.

Cartographers

6See it at Amazon
Also at Target
Cartographers adds player interaction to the flip and write format, where players map a fantasy kingdom based on drawn cards. Occasionally, monster cards prompt players to pass their map to a neighbor, who then places negative icons. This twist adds a personal challenge and enhances the game's thematic immersion. The sequel, Cartographers: Heroes, further enriches the gameplay with dynamic monsters and hero cards.

Long Shot: The Dice Game

0See it at Barnes and Noble
Long Shot: The Dice Game transforms horse racing into a roll and write experience. Players bet on horses as they race around a track, using dice to determine movement. The game allows players to buy horses for special powers and manipulate odds, creating interdependent strategies. This interactive and thematic approach sets it apart from typical roll and write games.

Three Sisters

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Three Sisters amplifies the concept of action chaining in roll and write games. Players cultivate a garden, using dice rolls to plant crops and flowers and acquire tools, which trigger bonus actions. The game's strategic depth lies in maximizing these chains, making it a tactical challenge within the genre.

Fleet: The Dice Game

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Fleet: The Dice Game immerses players in the world of fishing fleets. Players decide whether to buy licenses or launch boats to catch seafood, navigating interconnected options to maximize rewards. The game's thematic dice and strategic depth offer a compelling experience, simulating the challenges of high-seas fishing without the mess.

Sagrada Artisans

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Sagrada Artisans expands on the original Sagrada's concept of arranging gem dice to create stained-glass windows. This version adds coloring to the gameplay, maintaining a calming atmosphere. As a campaign game, it evolves over ten sessions, introducing new tools and challenges while preserving simplicity and zen-like appeal.

Motor City

0See it at Amazon
Motor City, from the creators of Three Sisters and Fleet, reimagines roll and write as a car production line. Players manage aspects of car design, engineering, testing, production, and sales using a dice-drafting mechanic. This game offers a strategic challenge that emphasizes coordinated actions over explosive combos, showcasing innovative design within the genre.

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