Baseball Highlights: The Dice Game
Baseball Highlights: The Dice Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Rule Booklet
- 1 Game Board
- 1 Baseball Play Sheet pad (50 Sheets)
- 16 Dice: 9 Baseball Play Dice, 6 Baseball Power Dice, and 1 Pitcher Die
- 16 Wooden Markers (4 in each player color)
Turn Overview
Each turn you will do the following:
- ROLL the dice.
- PLACE dice on the game board.
- CHOOSE one set of dice to check off on your sheet to advance your base runners and score!
- OTHER PLAYERS CHOOSE two of the remaining dice to check off on their sheets.
- THE PITCHER DIE will remove or advance some of your runners.
- PASS the dice you took off the board, and the Pitcher Die, to the next player.
Baseball Play Sheet Features
- Rounds (A): Use this track to note the game Round.
- Team Name Box (B): Write your team name here.
- Runs (C): Use this track to record your total runs during the game.
- Hits Fitz Runs (D): Used only in the Solo Game to record the Solo opponent Hits Fitz's runs. Check off 1 box per run scored.
- Power Dice (E): Use this track to indicate how many Power Dice you have unlocked.
- Field (F): Place your markers on this field to keep track of your base runners' positions and runs.
- Play Tracks (G): Use Play Dice to check off the boxes in these tracks to perform the indicated action. Actions can move base runners, unlock Power Dice, and chain into other actions in other Play tracks.
- Singles (H): Primarily provides Single hits.
- Doubles (I): Primarily provides Double hits.
- Triples (J): Primarily provides Triple hits.
- Home Runs (K): Primarily provides Home Run hits.
- Walks (L): Primarily provides Walks.
- Stolen Bases (M): Primarily provides Stolen Bases.
- Clutch Hits (N): This is a special track that is only checked off when a matching Clutch action is checked off in one of the Play tracks. This track lets you earn additional bonus hits.
- Chained actions (O): A symbol in a circle allows the player to check off a box in the track shown.
- Bonus Play Actions (P): Actions with stars like these score the shown hit twice if it is checked off using your last die on your turn. Otherwise, it provides no action. See Other Actions: Bonus Plays.
- Wild Chained actions (Q): These special chained actions allow the player to check off a box in any of the other Play tracks. It cannot be used on Clutch Hits.
- Clutch Actions (R): These actions let you check the next box in the Clutch Hits track.
- Power Dice Actions (S): These actions let you unlock more Power Dice.
Setup
Place the game board in the middle of the play area. Give each player a Baseball Play Sheet, a pencil, and markers in their player color to use as base runners on their own baseball diamond. Players may write in a team name on their Play sheet. Place the 9 Green Play Dice, 6 Brown Power Dice, and the Red Pitcher Die next to the game board to form a General Supply. The last person to attend a live baseball game will be the first Active player (or determine randomly). Give the first Active player the 9 Green Baseball Play Dice and the Pitcher Die for their initial dice pool before rolling.
Game Play
- Players alternate being the Active player in clockwise order.
- At the start of their turn, the Active player must check off the next box on their Rounds track. The length of game depends on the number of players.
- 1 or 2-Player: 6 Round game
- 3-Player: 4 Round game
- 4-Player: 3 Round game
- For the first turn of the game, the Active player rolls all 9 Play Dice and the Pitcher Die. For the rest of the game, the Active player rolls the Play Dice passed to them by the previous Active player, plus any Power Dice they have unlocked, and the Pitcher Die. The Active player then places the dice they rolled on the game board in the corresponding Play Dice areas. The Pitcher Die is placed on the pitcher's mound. The Pitcher Die may remove base runners or provide stolen bases for all players at the end of the turn.
- The Active player chooses one of the Play Dice areas on the board and takes all of the dice in that area (Play Dice and Power Dice) and places them in front of their Play sheet.
- The Active player must check off the corresponding boxes on their play sheet for each die taken.
- A. Each die allows a player to check off one box.
- B. Move each die to the side as you check it off to keep track that it has been used.
- C. All tracks are checked off left to right and you may not leave any boxes blank.
- D. When there is an action indicated in the box you are checking off, you must complete that action, and any chained actions, before you proceed with your next die. See Actions.
- E. An empty box cannot be skipped and provides no action.
Example: It's Raul's first turn as Active player and he just rolled the Play Dice and Pitcher Die, and placed them on the board. Raul decides to take the two Triple dice and places them in front of his score sheet. He then checks off the first two boxes in the Triple track. The action in the second box gives him a chained action to check off the first box in the Double track. See Chained Actions.
- Once the Active player has used each of their dice, they return all of the Power Dice to the General Supply. This means there will not be any Power Dice remaining in the Play Dice areas.
- Now, all Non-Active players simultaneously check off 1 box on 2 different Play tracks of their choice in any order on their Play sheet, but only if those areas still have any Play Dice on the board.
- A. These Play Dice are not removed. They remain in position for the next turn.
- B. You must complete a Play track action (including any potential chained actions), if any, before moving on to your next Play track choice.
- C. If there is only one area left with Play Dice, that must be one of your picks. Your other pick can be any of the other areas without dice. If there aren't any Play Dice on the board, you may pick any two Play tracks you like. (You may not pick the same track twice.)
- D. You may check off these picks in any order.
Example: Martha is one of the Non-Active players this turn. She sees that there are still dice on the Singles, Doubles, Home Run, and Stolen Base areas of the board. She decides to check off one box in the Home Run track, then one box in the Single track. She does NOT remove any dice.
- Pitcher Die Evaluation: After all players, Active and Non-Active, have completed marking off their dice, they must all remove or move base runners according to the Pitcher Die result.
Pitcher Die Results
- No Effect
- 1 Out: The lead base runner (on the highest number base) is removed.
- Double Play: Up to 2 lead base runners must be removed.
- Triple Play: All base runners must be removed.
- Stolen Base: All base runners steal a base. Score a run for any base runner on 3rd that advances to home. See Stolen Bases.
Example: Martha ended her turn with bases loaded. The Pitcher die shows a Double Play, so she has to remove the 2 leading runners, the ones on 2nd and 3rd.
- Then, to end their turn, the Active player returns all Power Dice to the general supply and passes the Play Dice they used, plus the Pitcher Die, to the player on their left. That player now becomes the new Active player and starts the next Round. It is possible that no Play Dice will be passed if the Active player chooses an area that only has Power Dice in it.
Actions
When resolving Hits, we recommend you always start with the lead base runner (the one on the highest numbered base), and then work back towards 1st base, and finally place a base runner for the batter.
- Single: Advance all base runners 1 base and then place a base runner on 1st base for the batter.
- Double: Advance all base runners 2 bases and then place a base runner on 2nd base for the batter.
- Triple: Advance all base runners 3 bases and then place a base runner on 3rd base. Note that all base runners that were already on base will score on a triple and then you will place 1 base runner on 3rd for the batter.
- Home Run: Score 1 run for each base runner plus 1 more run for the batter. Be sure that all base runners are removed from their bases.
Example: Raul has base runners on 2nd and 3rd and hit a Single. Beginning with the lead base runner on 3rd and working back to the batter, he advances each base runner 1 base. The base runner on 3rd will score a run, and the base runner on 2nd will advance to 3rd. Then he places a new base runner on 1st for the batter.
The amount of runs you can score is not limited to 20.
For Singles, Doubles, Triples, and Home Runs, all runners move. Walks and Stolen Bases work differently.
- Walk: This allows the batter to "take 1st base." Other runners will only advance if a lower numbered base runner pushes them to do so. This happens because there can never be two base runners on the same base.
Example: We recommend you start with the batter and work forward through the bases for Walks. Here, Martha has a runner on 1st and 3rd, and she gained a Walk. First she places a new base runner on 1st. Then, the runner that was on 1st must advance to 2nd base. However, the chain reaction stops as there wasn't a base runner on 2nd to "push" the 3rd base runner. Base runners will only advance on a walk if they are compelled to do so by another base runner.
- Stolen Base: All base runners advance 1 base. If you have a base runner on 3rd base they will "steal home" and score 1 run. If there are no base runners, nothing happens. A Stolen Base action does not add any new base runners to the field.
Example: Raul gained a Stolen Base action, and has a base runner on 1st and 3rd. His runner on 3rd steals home, scoring 1 run, and his runner on 1st advances to 2nd. No new runner is added to 1st base.
Chained Actions
- Chained action: These green circle actions allow you to check off the next available box in the track shown and complete any action there as normal. The image example here lets you check off the next box in the Singles track for example.
- Wild Chained action: This action allows you to check off the next available box in any other Play track of your choice and complete any action there as normal. You can not use this to check off Clutch Hits.
Example: Martha's the Active player and picks 2 Home Run dice. Her first die does nothing, but her second has a Walk chained action. She checks off the next box in the Walk track, which has a Home Run chained action! This allows her to check off another Home Run box, which has a wild chained action! She uses it on the Triple track, ending the chain reaction and her turn as that was her last die.
- Clutch Hits: This action allows you to check off the next box in your Clutch Hits track. Checking off boxes in this track may provide bonus Clutch Hits (S, D, T, HR), which behave like any other Hit action.
Example: Raul is the Non-Active player, and picks the Walk and Stolen Bases Play tracks. Each one gives him a check on the Clutch Hits track, ending the turn with a Single that moves his runners 1 base.
Other Actions
- Bonus Plays: Starred actions like this give you the shown action and a second bonus action of the same play, BUT ONLY IF this is the last box you check off on your turn. Otherwise, you treat this space as a blank. This means you do NOT get these actions if you have any other dice left. For non-active players the Bonus Action must be the last box checked off with their 2nd die.
Example: Martha is the Active player and selected 2 Double dice. Her first checked off box gives her a Double, and she advances her runners accordingly. Then her second and final die lets her check off a Triple chained action. That chained action then checks off a Triple with a Bonus Play, allowing her to resolve 2 Triple hits back to back!
- Power Dice: This allows you the check off the next available die on your Power Dice track. Your track indicates how many Power Dice you have unlocked to add to your dice pool with the Play Dice and the Pitcher Die when you are the Active player. These dice are placed the same as if they were Play Dice, but your opponents will not be able to use them because they are returned to the supply before they make their selections. You cannot "lose" Power Dice.
End of Game and Winner
The game is over at the end of the last player's turn at the end of the final Round (based on the number of players). Make sure all Non-Active players take their last 2 actions as well. The player with the most runs wins. If 2 or more teams are tied after everyone has completed their final turn, the tied teams will go to Extra Innings! If you are playing a series of games, continue playing until you have completed the series. Then the player with the best win/loss record wins.
Extra Innings
- Keep all base runners in their positions on base.
- All tied players roll a number of Play Dice equal to the number of Power Dice they have unlocked (they may also roll Power Dice if there aren't enough Play Dice).
- After the roll, in any order they choose, the tied players simultaneously check off boxes corresponding to each die rolled.
Example: If you roll T, T, & HR with your 3 unlocked dice, you would check off the next 2 boxes on the Triple track and the next box on the Home Run track in any order you choose.
- As usual, you must complete the action plus any chained actions for a die before moving on to the next one.
- Then, if 1 team is ahead, play is over, and that team has won the game. If there is still a tie, the remaining tied players must continue to another Round of Extra Innings until they determine the winner.
Note that your number of Power Dice could increase during Extra Innings.
Solo Play
Solo Play provides an interesting challenge for a single player. You will have both an Active and Non-Active play followed by scoring for Hits Fitz each Round.
For normal difficulty, begin the game with your first Power Die unlocked. This means you will have this Power Die for your first roll. For a harder game, only use the Power Dice you unlock during the game.
Solo Game Play
- Your Play sheet will serve to keep track of everything for both you and Hits Fitz. To start, check off the first box on the Round track. You will play a total of 6 Rounds.
- At the start of each Round, roll the Pitcher Die and 1 Power Die. Place the Pitcher Die on the Pitcher mound on the board, and then place a defense marker (a spare marker of a different player color) on the Play area matching the Power Die. This Play area will be off limits to Hits Fitz during his scoring phase, but does not affect your options. Return the Power Die to the General Supply.
- For the first Round, you will roll all 9 Play Dice and your unlocked Power Die to place in the corresponding areas on the board. For the rest of the game, you will only roll all of the Play Dice that were removed from the board in the previous turn plus your unlocked Power Dice to place in the corresponding areas.
- Now you will take your turn as Active player and then as the Non-Active player as per the normal rules. (This means you can activate a bonus play for each of these turns.)
- A. Choose one of the Play areas on the board, take all of the dice there, and place them in front of your Play sheet.
- B. Now, 1 die at a time, check off boxes on the corresponding Play track, completing actions as required.
- C. Next, without removing any additional dice from the play areas, choose 2 areas that still contain dice (including Power Dice) and check off the next open box on your play sheet for each one. Complete the action and any chained actions associated with the first area before checking off the second one.
Example: Raul is starting his first turn of a solo game. First he rolls the Pitcher Die and a Power Die. Raul then places the Pitcher Die on the pitcher mound, and places a marker cube on the play area matching the Power Die, Stolen Bases. Now, he rolls all the 9 Play Dice, and his 1 unlocked Power Die, placing them in their Play areas on the board. Raul decides to take 3 Single dice for his Active turn. He moves the dice next to his play sheet and starts checking off boxes in the Singles track: a blank, a chained action for Stolen Bases, and then a chained action for a Clutch Hit. For his Non-Active turn, he selects the Triple and Stolen Base Play areas. He chooses to use the Triple first, and then checks the next Stolen Base box, chaining to check the next Single box, which triggers the Bonus Single Hit since this is his last die. This gains him 2 Single hits, which puts runners on 1st and 2nd base.
- Now remove base runners or Steal Bases as indicated on the Pitcher Die. See Pitcher Die Results.
Example: Raul checks the Pitcher Die which has 1 Out showing, so he removes the lead base runner on 2nd.
Determine Hits Fitz's runs.
- A. Remove any remaining Power Dice from the board. Then roll your unlocked number of Power Dice. For each symbol you roll, remove all Play Dice from the matching areas on the board and place them in front of you along with the Play Dice you removed in Step 4a.
- B. Now, determine the Play Dice area with the most dice, not including the area with the defense marker. Give Hits Fitz 1 Run for each Play Die in that area.
Example: Raul now takes Hits Fitz's turn, removing all of Raul's Power Dice from the board, then rolling the 1 Power Die he has unlocked so far. The Power Die shows a Home Run, so he removes the dice on that play area on the board. Looking at the remaining Play Dice, the areas with the most dice are Double and Walk with 1 die (Stolen Bases has 2 but the defense marker means Hits Fitz cannot use it). Raul checks off 1 run for Hits Fitz.
- Before the next Round, remove the Pitcher Die and defense marker from the board. Your dice pool for the next turn will include ALL Play Dice removed from the board during the previous Round as well as your unlocked Power Dice.
End of Solo Game and Winner
The game is over at the end of the 6th Round once Hits Fitz has scored. Hits Fitz wins if he has more Runs or ties. You win if you have more runs than Hits Fitz.