Game Rules: 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.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Zanzibar doesn't have a dedicated scorecard yet — track it for free using a general scorecard:

1. Tap New Scorecard and choose Quick Score (tracks one player's turn at a time)
2. Add 4 players (adjust as needed)

Score type: Evade — lowest score wins.