Description

In Dead Slug, players roll five six-sided dice and, if they can build certain shapes, continue to roll and accumulate points. It plays very much like many bar room dice games.

You need two+ players, five six-sided dice, and a way to keep score.

On your turn, roll all five dice. Pull aside only the highest dice rolled (including doubles), AND any ‘attached’ dice. An attached die is one that is sequenced one number lower than the high die (or dice). Ex: rolling two 6’s, a 5, and three 2’s, only the 6’s and the 5 are pulled aside. Rolling a 4 and four 1’s, only the 4 is pulled. Note that 1 has no lower attached dice (just as you can’t roll higher than a 6).

These ‘pulled’ dice occupy imaginary tiers in a ‘shape matrix’ (see completed shapes in the image section). Whatever your highest die is (or dice are), place it (or them) into the topmost tier of what will become your shape (if completed), and place any attached dice in the next tiers down. Ex: rolling a 6, two 5’s, a 2, and a 1, the 6 and the 5’s are pulled into the top two tiers (the roller is on her way to several possible shapes—Praying Mantis, Snowman, etc.).

Pick up any dice that aren’t pulled into the shape matrix and roll them again. The tier system continues, as long as the roller has thrown any ‘attached’ dice that would occupy the next lowest tier. Only the lowest filled tier is considered ‘open’ for attached dice, in that you can match the number occupying that lowest tier (in addition to rolling the next lowest number). Ex: the first roll ‘pulled’ three 5’s, which all occupy the top tier (possible shapes include Little T, Beret, Dead Slug, etc.) – the other dice (we’ll say a 2 and a 1) are picked back up and re-rolled. Second roll: another 5 and a 6 (the 6 cannot be placed above the 5 and will be re-rolled); the 5 is pulled alongside the existing 5’s (roller is on his way to a Dead Slug or a Beret). Third roll gets a 1. The roller’s turn ends and the dice are passed to the next player. Had the roller gotten another 5 or a 4, a shape would have been created and the roller would receive the appropriate points and would be ‘still rolling’.

Keep rolling, as long as at least one die can be pulled (from each subsequent roll) and played legally. Only if a shape is completed: players may decide to stop and score the points for the shape, OR roll all five dice again, continuing to accumulate points. If a player ever decides to keep rolling and is unable to complete a shape in subsequent rolls, that player ‘bombs out’ and scores zero points. A player must accumulate at least 2,000 consecutive points before ‘being on the board’ for the first time only. Once players are on the board, they may choose to score anytime they complete a shape.

To win: score 10,000 points. Longer game? Score to 20,000, etc.

Variation: For a slightly longer (but more exciting) game, have the Black Widow and the Skull take away 800 points apiece, BUT only if they are rolled completely on the first roll (they can still be ‘built’ for positive points). Have fun!