FAMILY GAMES Using the SQUARE SHOOTERS® Dice

5. WAR:

Object of the game – two players try to keep their dice on the table by defeating their opponent in roll-to-roll combat! Give each player 4 dice and set the extra die aside. The players decide which die color represents them in battle – either red or black. Players may randomly assign the dice to each other, or they may “draft” dice by alternatively selecting an available die which they like the best. Each player then tosses one die, with the outcome of the toss determining who will keep or lose a die. Outcomes are determined as follows:

• a) If the player who chose the red color rolls a red die and the player who chose the black color rolls a black die, then the winner is determined by whichever face card is higher. For instance, a red king defeats a black queen. An Ace is always counted as the highest card. The winning player keeps the loser’s die and collects any dice which have been placed in the “pot.”
• b) If the player who chose the red color rolls a black die and the player who chose the black color rolls a red die, then the winner is determined by whichever face card is higher, regardless of color. The winner keeps his die, but the loser’s die is set aside in the pot. Nobody wins the pot in this case.
• c) If both players roll a black die, then the player who chose the black color wins, regardless of the face cards rolled. The winner keeps his die and the other player’s die goes in the pot. Nobody wins the pot in this case.
• d) If both players roll a red die, then the player who chose the red color wins, regardless of the face cards rolled. The winner keeps his die and the other player’s die goes in the pot. Nobody wins the pot in this case.

The game ends when one player has no more dice. The player still having at least one die when the other player is out of dice is the winner.

This game plays fast—the players may want to play multiple games in a “best of” set to determine the winner. For instance, the players might agree to play a “best of five” set, whereby the winner is declared only after winning three games out of a possible total of five games played.