Zanzibar Score Sheet

How to score

• Three dice, up to three rolls, like Yahtzee. Best combo is 4-2-1 (Zanzibar).
• Zanzibar (4-2-1) wins the round outright.

How to play

• Each round, everyone rolls. Worst combo loses a life.
• Last player with lives left wins. Standard is 5 lives.

Questions

How do combos rank? 4-2-1 is best. Then triples, then pairs with a kicker, then high junk. If it is unclear, reroll that comparison.

Do I have to take three rolls? No. Stand after one or two if the dice are good. Later rolls can ruin a 4-2-1.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar.

Game Identity

• Name: Zanzibar
• Player Count: 2–8 players. Standard: 3–5.
• Teams: No teams. All players compete individually.
• Theme: French pub dice game (also called Zanzi) where players score points for specific combinations over a fixed number of rounds. The player with the lowest score after all rounds wins — or pays a forfeit.

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Evasion — lowest score is best (players accumulate penalty points).
• Target Score: Fixed rounds (typically until a player reaches a set penalty limit, e.g., 11 lives).
• Unit of Scoring: Lives (penalty points) per round.
• Lower vs. Higher: Lower is better. Players are eliminated when they reach the life limit.

Rules & Validation

Turn Structure

• Each player rolls 3 dice per turn, up to 3 times total (keeping dice between rolls, like Yahtzee).

• Scoring Combinations (ranked from best to worst):

  Combination	Name	Lives Lost by Loser
  4-2-1	Zanzibar	0 (instant win of round)
  Three of a kind (any)	Three [n]s	Varies by rank
  6-6 + any	Pair of 6s	—
  Highest total	—	Compared at end

  • 6-6 beats all pairs except Zanzibar.
  • Pair with highest kicker beats lower pairs.
  • Highest sum breaks ties.

• Round Resolution: The player with the worst (lowest ranked) combination at the end of a round loses 1 life. Zanzibar (4-2-1) wins the round instantly — no other players need roll.

• Validation Rules:

  • Lives lost per round is typically 1 (the round's loser).
  • A player eliminated (hits life limit) is out of the game.

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Zanzibar (4-2-1): Instant round win. The player announces it immediately and no further rolls are needed.
• Three of a Kind: Ranks above all single pairs. Three 6s is the best three-of-a-kind; three 1s is the worst.

Win Conditions

• Condition: Players are eliminated when their lives reach 0. Last player remaining wins.
• Tie-Breaker: If multiple players are eliminated in the same round, the player with the most remaining lives at the start of that round survives as the winner.