There’s just something addictive about throwing dice.  It’s the mixture of calculated odds and luck that makes you want to pick up a handful and get playing.  The best thing is there are lots of games beyond Yahtzee that are based around a handful – or cupful – of dice.  A good one is Easy Come, Easy Go.  It combines throwing four dice with collecting and stealing fantastic prize cards.  The game includes nine cards that can be earned (or stolen) by rolling a particular combination like “exactly 13” or “3 or less.”  And although rolling a “3 or less” sounds impossible when you’re playing with four dice, it’s not since the dice are numbered from 0-5 instead of the traditional 1-6.   What makes this game so great is that unlike Yahtzee where everyone is competing for a top score, you’re interacting with other players by stealing their cards so there’s quite a bit of competition and revenge.  It’s really a fun game to play with 3-4 other players.

Easy Come, Easy Go is the brainchild of the famous Reiner Knizia.  Haven’t heard of him?  Not many Americans outside of the game industry have.  He’s a very prolific game inventor who has licensed over 500 games so far.  So why then haven’t you heard of him?  Well, most of his titles are games that can only be found in Europe, but a couple have made their way to the United States via the Out of the Box game company which manufacturers Easy Come, Easy Go and also Reiner’s Fish Eat Fish and Tutankhamen.  Impressive, right?  I really want to know where he finds the time to invent so many games! (He probably doesn’t spend a chunk of time reviewing them – ha!)

Easy Come, Easy Go stats:

• ~$15, Amazon.com and online retailers
• 2-4 players (I think it’s best with 3-4)
• ~25-30 minutes (This maybe the biggest downfall of this game – it sometimes takes a little while for someone to win.)
• Ages 8 and up