Qwixx is a dice rolling game for 2 to 5 players.
Each player has their own scorecard that contains 4 colored rows of numbers. The red and yellow rows contain the numbers 2-12 listed in chronological order, and the green and blue row have the numbers 12-2 listed in reverse order.
On each turn, the active player rolls six dice. There are two white die and one each of red, yellow, blue, and green. After the roll, each player can mark off the sum of the two white dice, and the active player may choose one additional colored dice and add it to the value of a white dice to cross off an additional number in the color's corresponding row.
The catch is that for any number you mark off, all the numbers to the left of that number are now out of play and you cannot earn points for them. For example, on your red row if you marked off the number 4, you can no longer mark off the numbers 2 and 3. You may choose to not mark off any numbers for a given turn, which results in a penalty of losing a few points at the end of the game.
At the end of the game, each number marked off in each row is worth a certain amount of points. The player with the highest points wins.
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Pros
Pro An excellent game to bring out at parties
Qwixx is easy to learn, has virtually no setup, accommodates anywhere from 2 to 5 players, and can played in about 15-20 minutes. Thanks to all of this, it's a great impromptu game for any get-together.
Pro Incredibly easy to learn
Qwixx is a rather simple game that revolves around rolling colored dice, and then using the values of the dice to cross off numbers on a scorecard. It's similar to Bingo where a number is determined by random chance and then you cross it off your card. Any number crossed off on any given row takes the numbers to the left of it out of play for the duration of the game. You get points for each number you cross off. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins. These rules are very basic and can be understood by everyone easily, including non-gamers.
Pro Quick, but thrilling gaming session
Due to the dice rolling nature of the game, it moves along at a quick pace with very little downtime between turns. The thrill in every random roll and hoping for your perfect numbers to come up ensures the game stays exciting for its limited duration. Even if you get a bad roll with dice values that you can't or don't want to use, there is always the hope and anticipation that the next roll a mere few seconds later will be better.
Pro Simple, but interesting opportunities for strategy
While this is mostly a game of dice rolling and chance, there are a few small opportunities for some strategy and choices to come into play.
Every time you mark a number off your scorecard, all the numbers to the left of that number on the same row are taken out of play. This mean you won't want to mark off numbers every roll since marking a 12, for example, would take out your whole row. Therefore, on any given roll, you are allowed to "pass" and not mark off any numbers. This incurs a small point penalty and you are only allowed four passes per game, but it allows for a little strategy when you use your passes wisely as it helps keeps your options open on the scorecard.
Additionally, when it's your turn to be the active roller, you have the choice to use the sum of any white die with any colored dice. For example, if you rolled a 1 on a white dice, and a 5 on a red dice and 6 on a blue dice, you could choose whether you want to mark off a 6 red or 7 blue. This gives you a bunch of flexibilty when it's your turn to roll, as you can choose the numbers that would benefit you the best.
Pro Small and portable
Qwixx is very minimalist as it only contains six dice and some small scorecards. This makes it easy to transport without having to lug around a huge gameboard with dozens of pieces.
Pro No tedious setup or cleanup
Setup is as quick as giving each player their own scorecard and getting out the dice. When the game ends, cleanup is just as fast.
Pro Cheap cost
This is one the most affordable board games around, as it normally runs under $10 brand new.
Cons
Con Simplistic and may get boring after a while
Rolling dice and marking numbers off a scorecard only has limited appeal before it starts to feel stale. Every game is essentially the same old routine, with the only difference being the random numbers contained within each dice roll.
Con Not a lot of player interactivity
There's no way to directly outplay your opponent since most of what happens during the game is the result of a simple dice roll. While you can lock your opponents out of certain colored rows by crossing off a certain amount of numbers, it really comes down to chance and nothing you have much control over. Due to this, there's not much direct interaction or counterplay among opponents.
Con Winning is too dependent on lucky dice rolls
How many points you earn is ultimately dependent on the dice rolling in your favor.