Roll and Write Games: Why Families Love Dice-and-Pencil Games (and 2 to Print Tonight)

One person rolls 2 dice, reads the numbers out loud, and suddenly the whole table goes quiet: everyone is bent over their own sheet, pencil in hand, deciding where those two numbers should go. A minute later someone groans, someone grins, and the dice are rolled again. That is a roll and write game.

Roll and write games (also called roll & write or dice-and-pencil games) are one of the easiest kinds of game to bring to a family table: a sheet of paper, a pencil for each player, 2 dice and rules you can explain in a minute. Below you will find what they are, why they work so well for families, and 2 printable roll and write games for 1 to 6 players that you can try for free.

What is a roll and write game?

In a roll and write game, someone rolls the dice and every player uses the result on their own sheet: you write a number, draw a symbol or cross out a box. The sheet slowly fills up, and every choice you make changes what you can do later. When the sheet is full or the last roll is used, everyone counts their points and the highest score wins. The classic ancestor of the genre is Yahtzee; Qwixx and That’s Pretty Clever are popular boxed examples.

• One roll for everyone. In most roll and write games the same dice count for the whole table, so all players make their move at the same time.
• Your own sheet. Each player has a personal sheet, so there is no shared board to set up and nothing to tidy away.
• Luck plus choices. The dice bring the luck; where you write the numbers is your decision.
• A new sheet every game. You print one sheet per player for every game, and the next game starts fresh.

Why families love roll and write games

• Nobody waits. Because everyone plays at the same time, even a table of 6 players moves quickly and no one sits around waiting for their turn.
• Children and adults play the same game. A 7-year-old and a grandparent make the same decision side by side, and a bit of luck means the youngest can win fair and square.
• Quick to learn, quick to play. Our rulebooks start with “The game in 1 minute”, and a game takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• They work alone too. Many roll and write games can be played solo: you roll for yourself and try to beat your own best score.
• Nothing to charge or install. Paper, pencil and dice – the whole game is on the table where everyone can see it.

1. Grandma's Garden & Jars – a calm garden roll and write game

Behind Grandma's house the garden is waiting. Someone rolls 2 dice for everyone: one die is the row, the other is the vegetable. Everyone draws strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages and pumpkins on their own garden sheet, grows big beds side by side and watches out for the snails. After every season comes the harvest, and Grandma's shelf fills with jars. In winter, the player with the most points wins.

Why it makes a good first roll and write game: every roll gives you a real decision about what to plant, but the rules stay simple enough for a child of 7. It is a calm game for quiet evenings, holidays and rainy weekends.

For 1 to 6 players, ages 7 and up, about 20 minutes. The free edition has the garden sheet and the 8-page rules: Download the free edition. The full edition (€3.90) adds 6 of Grandma's helpers with special powers, the Master shelf with 3 recipes, Grandma's solo ladder and 2 fold-up dice. Want to see a whole turn first? Read how to play Grandma's Garden & Jars.

Grandma's Garden & Jars – free edition Grandma's Garden & Jars – full edition

2. Star on Top – a Christmas roll and write dice game

Everyone has their own Christmas tree on a sheet. One player rolls 2 dice for everyone, and you choose 1 of the 2 numbers and write it in a bauble on your tree. The bottom row takes any number. Higher up, a bauble can hang only when both baubles below it are hung, and your number must be the same as or bigger than the smaller one. Nowhere to write it? Cross out an empty bauble. When your top bauble hangs, the star goes on top. After 21 rolls, the player with the most points wins.

A quick example: the dice show 2 and 5. One player writes the 2 in her bottom row and keeps her tree open for bigger numbers higher up; her grandfather writes the 5 in a golden bauble, because golden baubles score their number. Same roll, two different plans – that is the fun of a roll and write game.

For 1 to 6 players, ages 6 and up, 15–20 minutes. The free edition has the Christmas tree sheet and the 8-page rules. The full edition (€3.90) adds 12 event cards with 6 little helpers, a solo ladder and 2 fold-up dice. It is a good game to print now and keep for Advent evenings and the winter holidays. You will find the rules and examples on the how to play Star on Top page.

Star on Top – free edition Star on Top – full edition

Tips for your first roll and write game

• Read “The game in 1 minute” out loud. One person reads, everyone else learns by playing the first rolls.
• Let the youngest roll. Give the dice to the youngest player and let them read the numbers out loud for the whole table.
• Print spare sheets. Each player fills one sheet per game, so a few extra sheets let you play again straight away.
• Play again and again with one sheet. Put a sheet in a clear plastic sleeve and use a whiteboard marker.

What you need to print a roll and write game

A home printer and plain A4 or US Letter paper for the sheets and rules, 2 normal dice for the table and a pencil for each player. For the free editions you enter your email on the product page and the PDF download links appear right away – no checkout and no payment. The full editions also include fold-up dice and cards to print on thick card (250–300 gsm), then cut out and glue.

Print one sheet per player tonight, roll the dice and see whose garden – or whose tree – does best.

Some photos in this article are AI-generated scenes. The games are digital products for your own household (and for your own class, club or group). Small printed parts are not suitable for children under 3.