Description

JATAK! - commonly translated as YESSIR! - is a highly competitive dice game for two or more players. Originally invented in the pubs, bars, and taverns of Copenhagen where dice roll free, it was designed as a contemporary alternative to the timeless - yet sometimes also timeworn - classics such as Liar's Dice, Mia, and Four Twenty-One. Whereas many traditional dice games only play well with multiple players, JATAK! is equally strong with two, three, or four players.

Each player begins the game with a dice mat, a dice cup with two dice, and a separate luck die. A common pool of three dice is kept on the table between the players. Players take turns spending points on their luck die to manipulate the private dice in their cup and the public dice in the pool. However, they can also choose to say JATAK! and pass on the turn. If all players say JATAK! one after the other, the round ends and the cups are removed. The player who has the strongest combination of dice between their cup and the pool wins the round. The first time a player wins a round they flip over their dice mat. The second time they remove it, and the third time they win the game.

The beating heart of JATAK! is the luck die which begins at 6, but quickly falls dangerously low as players spend points to manipulate the dice to their own advantage. Points on the luck die can only be regained if a player loses a round (+1 point) or pushes their luck by rerolling their cup and withdrawing from the round without looking at the result (+1 point). The latter is obviously a desperate move, but one that can pay great dividends if used with skill and care.

Print-and-play dice mat designs and a complete description of the rules in both Danish and English can be found in the files section on this page.

—description from the designer