How to play Roll Five
A practical guide to the objective, legal flow, and decisions that matter in this playable version.
Objective
Roll Five scores thirteen categories over thirteen rounds. Roll five dice up to three times per round, hold any dice between rolls, then commit the final combination to one unused score box. The highest total wins.
How a turn works
Roll all available dice, select the values to hold, and reroll the rest up to two more times. Choose exactly one open category after the round, even if it scores zero. Upper boxes total matching faces; lower boxes reward patterns such as three of a kind, straights, full house, chance, and five of a kind.
Strategy that changes the outcome
Keep flexible combinations alive. A pair plus connected side dice may support a full house, kind category, or straight, while an early four of a kind strongly favours five of a kind. Track the upper-section bonus pace and save Chance for a genuinely awkward but high-total roll rather than treating it as the first escape box.
First decision:
A common mistake to avoid
Holding every scoring die can reduce expected value. For example, keeping an unrelated high die may prevent a promising straight or full house from developing.
Three useful table habits
- Choose a target after the first roll but keep a backup category.
- Protect the upper bonus by watching required face totals.
- Use a zero strategically in the least recoverable category.
A question players ask
Must I score after three rolls?
Yes. After the third roll, or earlier if you stop, you must fill one unused category. If the dice do not qualify, that box receives zero, so category management matters as much as the rolls.
About this guide
We compare the rules shown in the game with the implemented legal moves, complete representative deals, and review desktop and mobile presentation. If a house rule changes play, the in-game How to play panel takes precedence. Read How games are researched and tested.