Tabletop guide / Published September 18, 2026

8 Dice Games to Play With a Set of D6

Why D6 games are great

The humble six-sided die is the most versatile game piece there is. A small pile of D6 gives you push-your-luck, bluffing, and score-chasing games that anyone can learn in a minute — no board, no setup, easy to travel with. Here are eight worth knowing.

8 games and the dice they need

How a few of them play

• Yahtzee — roll five dice up to three times per turn to make scoring combos (three of a kind, full house, and the 5-of-a-kind "Yahtzee").
• Farkle — push your luck: keep rolling to bank points, but roll no scoring dice and you "farkle" and lose the turn's points.
• Liar's Dice — a bluffing game: each player hides five dice and players bid on how many of a face are on the table; call a bluff to win or lose dice.
• Pig — the simplest press-your-luck game: roll one die, bank or risk, first to 100 wins. Great for kids.

What dice to use

Any standard 16mm D6 works (see the dice size guide). For a nicer table feel, opaque dice with high-contrast pips or numbers read best; translucent and glitter sets look great for gifts and cafés (glitter & translucent dice effects). For classrooms and clubs that need many dice cheaply, buy in bulk — see bulk dice for schools and the wholesale dice guide.

D6 games as a product

Cafés, gift shops, and brands can package a set of D6 plus a rules card as a cheap, high-margin product, or commission custom-faced D6 for a branded game — see custom dice for board games and custom promotional dice.

Frequently asked questions

What games can you play with six-sided dice?

Dozens — including Yahtzee, Farkle, Bunco, Liar's Dice, Pig, Ship-Captain-Crew, Threes, and Beat That. They range from score-chasing (Yahtzee) to push-your-luck (Farkle, Pig) to bluffing (Liar's Dice), and all use only ordinary six-sided dice.

How many dice do you need for Yahtzee?

Yahtzee uses five six-sided dice. On each turn you roll all five, then may re-roll any of them up to two more times to make scoring combinations like three of a kind, a full house, or five of a kind (a "Yahtzee").

How do you play Farkle?

Farkle is a push-your-luck game with six dice. You roll, set aside any scoring dice (1s, 5s, and combinations), and choose to bank those points or roll the remaining dice for more. If a roll produces no scoring dice you "farkle" and lose all points from that turn. First to a target score (often 10,000) wins.

What is the easiest dice game to learn?

Pig is the simplest: with a single die, you roll to accumulate points and choose when to bank them, but rolling a 1 wipes out your unbanked points for the turn. First to 100 wins. It takes seconds to teach and is great for children.

What kind of dice are best for dice games?

Standard 16mm six-sided dice work for all of these games. Opaque dice with high-contrast pips or numbers are easiest to read across a table, while translucent or glitter dice make attractive gift and café sets. For clubs or classrooms needing many dice, buying in bulk is most economical.