Dice Pool Party
Dice Pool Party Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 pool (box lid)
- 1 pool cover (box bottom)
- 12 dice (6 small ones and 6 slightly larger ones)
- 1 scoring pad with 30 sheets (double-sided)
Tip: To prevent the dice from getting lost when opening the box, store them in the included bag.
Object of the Game
Throw the dice into the pool, give them a good shake, then the party can begin!
Look closely at the colors and results on the dice in the pool. You have only a brief moment! Got them all? Whether you're ready or not, you must now choose a dice category to score. Will your choice be a graceful swan dive, or a painful belly flop?
In each of the 12 rounds, the pool is reshaken, and you choose another category to score. There are 12 in total and you can only choose each category once per game.
Sharp observation over the 12 rounds (and a bit of luck) is needed to win!
The 12 Dice
There are 6 pairs of dice. Each pair has a specific color and belongs to one of two slightly different sizes.
Small dice: 2x pink, 2x purple, 2x yellow.
Slightly larger dice: 2x white, 2x blue, 2x green.
Note: The frame around each dice color indicates the color of its pips.
Setup
- Place the lid of the box upside down on the table and throw all the dice into it. This is the pool.
- Place the bottom of the box beside it. This is the pool cover.
- Give each player a scoring sheet and a pen.
- The last player to swim starts the first round: take the pool (including the dice) and the pool cover.
Now you can begin!
Your Scoring Sheet
The 12 scoring categories form a column on the left of your sheet (see the back of this rule sheet for details). In the spaces to the right of each category, you record the points you score. Since each category can be scored just once, you'll complete one column per game. Each side of each sheet can therefore be used for four games.
Note: Alternatively, you can use a virtual scoring sheet on your smart phone by going to our Deep Print Games App (see end of this rule sheet).
Playing a Round
1) Shake, Look, Memorize
Put the pool cover, interior side up, onto the pool so that it's completely covered.
Then, pick them up together, hold them tight, and give them a really good shake!
When you've shaken them enough, place them back on the table, without removing the cover. Jiggle the pool gently to make sure that all the dice are lying flat and are not stacked or tilted.
Now, everyone looks at the pool at the same time - the player who shook the pool removes the cover by lifting it up in the air, says slowly (over about 3 seconds): "3... 2... 1... SPLASH!", and then cautiously covers the pool again.
During this brief look, try your best to discern which dice will give you the most points.
Note: If any dice are stacked or tilted, reshake the pool.
Important: Everyone should be able to see the dice easily. Make sure no one's view is restricted.
2) Choose a Category
Once the pool is covered again, each player does the following:
Look at your scoring sheet and choose one of its categories (see "The Categories" below). Mark it by writing an X in the small circle of the corresponding space.
You can only select a category that you haven't scored yet this game. Make sure that no one else sees your choice. Use your hand as a screen if necessary to keep your choice secret for now.
3) Score
Once everyone has marked a category, remove the pool cover again. Then, each player works out how many points they earn in their chosen category and records these points next to the X on their scoring sheet.
The Categories
The six colors: The top six categories on the scoring sheet are for the 6 dice colors (pink, purple, yellow, white, blue, green). Add up the results of the two dice in your selected color and write the total as your score.
Example: a yellow die showing 4 and a yellow die showing 4 → score 4 (the total of the pair). (See the worked example below for the full scoring of a sample pool.)
Doubles: Find all pairs of dice that match in both color and result. Each such pair is worth 10 points, regardless of the results on the dice.
Example: two matching dice of one color plus two matching dice of another color → 10 points for each matching pair, added together.
Low (1, 2, 3): Add up the results of all dice showing 1 AND 2 AND 3, regardless of their colors, and record the total as your score.
Example: dice showing 1, 2, 3, and 3 → total 9.
High (4, 5, or 6 - choose one): Choose 4 OR 5 OR 6 and add up the results of all dice showing that number, regardless of their colors. Record the total as your score.
Example: four dice all showing 5 → total 20.
Pool Party: Add up the results of all 12 dice and record the total as your score.
Example
After everyone has marked a category, the pool cover is removed, revealing the dice:
- Hanni chose the yellow dice and scores 4 points.
- Jori selected fives and writes down 20 points.
- Lene marked doubles of the same color and scores 20 points (10 points for one matching pair and 10 points for another matching pair).
- Manoa selected the Pool Party category and records 51 points.
4) Next Round
The player to the left of the player who shook the pool this round takes the pool (including the dice) and the pool cover and then begins a new round with Step 1: "Shake, look, memorize".
End of the Game
In the 12th round, right after shaking the pool, go directly to Step 3 "Score" and have everyone record the score of their last remaining category. Then the game ends. Afterwards, each player adds up all the points in their column and writes their total in the space at the bottom.
The player with the highest total wins. If tied, the tied player with the highest score in the Pool Party category wins.
If still tied, the victory is shared.
To tally your scores, we recommend the Deep Print Games App. Here, you can find virtual scoring pads for this and many more of our games. Get it for free on the App Store and on Google Play.
Credits
Game design: Christoph Cantzler, Torsten Marold Illustrations: Annika Heller Development/Editing: Kaddy Arendt, Viktor Kobilke Translation: Neil Crowley
© 2025 Deep Print Games GmbH, Sieglindestr. 7, 12159 Berlin, Germany. All rights reserved. www.deep-print-games.com
Distribution: Pegasus Spiele GmbH, Am Straßbach 3, 61169 Friedberg, Germany.