Fritz is a two-player dice game, played with 5 dice, inspired by Yatzy (or Yahtzee) mixed up with the idea behind the darts game Cricket.
The goal is to have the most points when the game ends.
The game ends when the player who is behind no longer has any ways to score points.
There are 8 normal targets:
To be able to score points on a normal target you first need to open it. You open a target by hitting it 3 times (and marking all 3 squares on your side of the target). When you've opened a target you can score points on it until your opponent closes it by also marking all 3 squares on their side.
This means that for any given target only one player (the one who opened it) will ever be able to score on it. The other player can only close it.
There's also a 9th target:
But it's special. We'll get back to that.
Whoever lost the last game starts. The other keeps score.
If the two of you have never played together before, whoever is closest to the scorepad when you read this keeps score. The other starts.
A turn goes like this:For these targets the squares are marked with 1, 2, and 3 dots, indicating how many dice are required to mark the square. You're are free to mark the squares in any order.
Example: If you roll 3 fours and you want to use them on the 4s Target, you can mark the 3-dotted square or mark both the 1-dotted and the 2-dotted squares.
When you roll a combination that allows you to collect points on a target you've opened, and you decide to do so, you'll collect points equal to the total pips in that combination.
Example: You've opened the 5s and roll 2 fives, you can collect 10 points.
Example: You've opened the Trios and roll 3 twos, you can collect 6 points.
Example: You've opened the Houses and roll 3 fours + 2 sixes, you can collect 24 points.
Example: You've opened both the 4s and the Pairs and roll 1 four, 2 threes (a Pair), and 2 fives (another Pair), you can collect 20 points.
The Sole Unicorn doesn’t need to be opened – it’s available from the start. However, there’s only one of them. The first player to roll 5 of a kind (and chooses to use it for The Sole Unicorn) scores points immediately, and The Sole Unicorn is closed.
The Sole Unicorn is worth 50 points + the total pips. Like so:
Each player has 3 extra rolls they can use through the game. You may use multiple extra rolls in the same turn.
Remember to mark extra rolls when they are used.
If you end your turn with no usable combination, i.e. you can't mark a square or collect any points, you'll get the penalty of having to set half a cross in any of your opponent's open squares. If there are already a half-cross you have to finish that one.
In case there are no empty squares left, your opponent instead receives points for your total pips. Auch.
To play Fritz, you'll need a scoresheet. And you're in luck! You can download a print-it-yourself-sheet right here:
Do you have questions, comments or feedback? Send me an email