When I was in elementary school, I spent far too many hours playing the
insidiously addictive Tetris. In college, my addictive computer game of
choice was Snood, to which my similarly afflicted fellow members of the
college newspaper staff introduced me. Nowadays, I’ve fallen into the
clutches of Farkle, a dice game that is all the rage on Facebook. My
cousin got me hooked on it, and for a while, I found myself rolling
those virtual dice late into the night. Nowadays, however, I don’t have
to settle for pixels on my screen. That’s because I got the real,
physical game for Christmas.
I don’t know if Farkle first
appeared online or in plastic (though the word “classic“ on the
packaging suggests the latter). I do know that I played a game quite
similar to it when I was younger; we often broke it out on camping trips
or other such occasions. So to me, Farkle was new but familiar, and
getting the actual game felt like coming full circle. It comes in a
thick plastic cup, mug-like but lacking in a handle and featuring a lid
that fits perfectly over the top, making for easy shaking during rolls.
On the inside, the material at the bottom is foam, which helps quiet the
rattling of the six dice. My cup is blue, but it is also available in
other colors. The dice are typical white, six-sided dice.
The
game is pretty basic, and the cup comes with a set of instructions
tucked inside for easy reference. (Actually, there are two sets: one in
English and one in Spanish). All you need is a pad of paper to keep
track of your score. The packaging advises that this game is intended
for two or more players, but you can play by yourself too and challenge
yourself to see, for example, how many turns it takes for you to get to
10,000. There is an element of gambling to this game, as you must at
some point decide whether you want to continue with your turn and
potentially earn more points or play it safe.
In order for
your points to be preserved, you must earn at least 500. There are
several different combinations that yield points. Ones are worth 100
points, while fives are worth 50. Three ones are 300; three twos are
200; three threes are 300; three fours are 400; three fives are 500 and
three sixes are 600. Four of a kind are 1000; five of a kind are 2000;
six of a kind are 3000. A straight of one through six is worth 1500, as
are three pairs or four of a kind plus a pair, while two sets of three
of a kind are worth 2500. Some of these point values and configurations
are different than those found in the Facebook game; you’re free, of
course, to use whatever rules you choose, as long as everyone is on the
same page.
Each person rolls the dice and continues to roll,
setting aside dice with point values, until he rolls a useless jumble or
decides to call it quits. I see nothing in the rules to indicate that
setting aside all eligible dice is required. I often throw back my fives
in hopes of a better chance at a higher-scoring combination. The safest
time to continue rolling is when all six dice are spoken for, since the
next batch of six is quite likely to contain something usable. This
isn’t always the case, however; if you get 3000 in one roll, I’d think
very hard before deciding to put those points on the line with another
roll.
It isn’t as easy to get to 500 as you might think, so if
you play to 10,000 as the game suggests, it can take a while,
particularly if you have several people squaring off against each other.
My strategy usually involves taking it turtle-slow, and this has served
me well, but being willing to push your luck can be very advantageous
too. Whatever your style, Farkle is a fun, fast-paced dice game that’s
easy to learn and play. Just watch out, because whether it’s on the
computer screen or the kitchen table, Farkle is mighty addictive!
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