Game Rules: Farkle

Game Identity

• Name: Farkle
• Player Count: 2–8 players. Typical/standard: 4 players.
• Teams: No teams. All players compete individually.
• Theme: Dice push-your-luck

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Accumulative — scores grow toward a target.
• Target Score: 10,000 points (standard). Configurable.
• Unit of Scoring: Points per banked turn.
• Lower vs. Higher: Higher score wins. First player to reach/exceed target triggers the final round.

Rules & Validation

Turn Structure

Each turn proceeds as follows:

1. Player rolls all 6 dice.
2. Player sets aside at least one scoring die (required — cannot set aside zero scoring dice if any exist).
3. Player chooses: Bank (end turn, add turn total to game score) or Roll (keep accumulated turn total at risk, roll remaining dice).
4. If all 6 dice have been set aside for scoring, player has "Hot Dice" and may roll all 6 dice again.
5. If a roll produces no scoring dice: Farkle — all turn points are lost and the turn ends.

Minimum Entry ("Getting on the Board")

• Standard variant: A player's first bank must be ≥ 500 points in a single turn. Until then, they cannot bank less than 500 pts (they must keep rolling or Farkle).
• No Minimum variant: Any positive turn score can be banked from the very first turn.
• After a player has made their first qualifying bank, any positive turn total can be banked for all remaining turns.
• The session determines whether the minimum applies by reading the active scoringVariantId from the game config.

Scoring Combinations

All combinations are determined per roll — dice from previous rolls in the same turn cannot be combined with the current roll to form new combinations.

Combination	Points
Single 1	100
Single 5	50
Three 1s	1,000
Three 2s	200
Three 3s	300
Three 4s	400
Three 5s	500
Three 6s	600
Four of a kind	1,000
Five of a kind	2,000
Six of a kind	3,000
Straight (1–2–3–4–5–6)	1,500
Three pairs	1,500

Note: Sources conflict on straight scoring (1,000–2,500 pts). 1,500 is the most widely cited standard value.

Farkle Condition

• A Farkle occurs when none of the rolled dice show a scoring combination.
• All turn points accumulated in that turn are forfeited.
• The turn ends immediately with zero points banked.

Hot Dice

• Hot Dice occurs when all 6 dice have been set aside for scoring in a single turn.
• The player may roll all 6 dice again (optional — they can also choose to bank).
• Accumulated turn points remain at risk if they choose to roll.
• There is no limit on consecutive Hot Dice rolls.

End-Game Rule (Final Round)

• When any player's banked total reaches or exceeds the target score, that triggers the final round immediately.
• Every other player gets exactly one additional turn — no exceptions. The triggering player does not get another turn.
• After all other players have taken their final turn, the player with the highest score wins.
• If a player ties the high score on their final turn, they must continue rolling until they either beat it or Farkle (a tie is not enough to win).

Validation Constraints

• Must set aside at least one scoring die per roll.
• Cannot bank 0 points (Farkle button handles this with a distinct transaction type).
• Player cannot bank below 500 on their first-ever bank (minimum entry rule).

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Hot Dice: Trigger condition: all 6 dice score on a single roll. Effect: may roll all 6 again. Does not end turn. Turn total stays at risk.
• Farkle: Trigger condition: no scoring dice on a roll. Effect: forfeit entire turn total, turn ends immediately. Committed as distinct farkle_turn transaction with value = 0.
• Three Consecutive Farkles (variant): Three farkles in a row deduct 1,000 points from the player's game total. Tracked via consecutive farkle count in payload metadata.

Win Conditions

• Condition: A player's banked total reaches or exceeds the target score (default 10,000). This triggers the final round. After all remaining players complete one final turn, the player with the highest score wins.
• Tie-Breaker: If players are tied after the final round, tied players each roll one die; highest roll wins. Re-roll on ties.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Farkle has a dedicated scorecard in Doodle Score — everything is pre-configured including score tracking, validation, and special rules.

Download the app, tap New Scorecard, and choose Farkle.