Game Rules: Yahtzee

Game Identity

• Name: Yahtzee
• Player Count: 2–10 players. Standard: 2–4.
• Teams: No teams. All players compete individually.
• Theme: Classic dice game played on a structured scorecard grid with 13 scoring categories.

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Accumulative — each player fills in 13 scoring categories over 13 turns.
• Target Score: No fixed target. Highest total after 13 rounds wins.
• Unit of Scoring: Points per category entry.
• Lower vs. Higher: Higher total score wins.

Rules & Validation

Per-Hand Logic

• Turns per Game: Exactly 13 turns per player. Each turn, the player fills in exactly one category.

• Scoring Categories:

  Upper Section (sum of specific dice faces):

  Category	Score
  Ones	Sum of all 1s
  Twos	Sum of all 2s
  Threes	Sum of all 3s
  Fours	Sum of all 4s
  Fives	Sum of all 5s
  Sixes	Sum of all 6s
  Upper Bonus	+35 if upper total ≥ 63

  Lower Section:

  Category	Score
  3 of a Kind	Sum of all 5 dice
  4 of a Kind	Sum of all 5 dice
  Full House	25
  Small Straight (4 in a row)	30
  Large Straight (5 in a row)	40
  Yahtzee (5 of a kind)	50
  Chance	Sum of all 5 dice
  Yahtzee Bonus	+100 per additional Yahtzee (after first)

• Validation Rules:

  • A player must fill exactly one category per turn. Categories cannot be changed once entered.
  • Scratching a category (entering 0) is allowed as a strategic choice.
  • Upper bonus is calculated automatically when upper total ≥ 63.
  • Yahtzee bonus applies only if the original Yahtzee category was scored (not scratched at 0).

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Yahtzee: Five dice showing the same face = 50 points. First one only.
• Yahtzee Bonus: Each additional Yahtzee (after the first scoring Yahtzee) = +100 points, plus must be used as a joker in the lower section or fill the matching upper category.
• Upper Section Bonus: Score 63+ in upper section = +35 bonus.

Win Conditions

• Condition: After all players have filled all 13 categories, the player with the highest grand total (upper section + lower section + bonuses) wins.
• Tie-Breaker: If scores are tied, players with equal totals share the win. No mandatory tiebreaker in standard rules.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Yahtzee 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 Yahtzee.