The Best Roll and Write Board Games in 2025

The roll-and-write genre has exploded in popularity recently. This accessible style of gameplay, reminiscent of classic Yahtzee, involves rolling dice or drawing cards, then using the results to fill in a personal score sheet. While deceptively simple, the genre offers surprisingly sophisticated gameplay and endless creative possibilities.

Roll-and-writes are highly appealing due to their immediate gratification and straightforward rules. The freedom to personalize your sheet combines with easy-to-learn mechanics, creating a low barrier to entry that appeals to a wide range of players. Below are some of the best examples the genre has to offer.

TL;DR: The Best Roll & Write Games

Rolling Realms, Marabunta, The Fox Experiment, Twilight Inscription, Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up, Welcome To... Your Perfect Home, My City: Roll & Build, Railroad Ink, Next Station: London, Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write, Cartographers, Long Shot: The Dice Game, Three Sisters, Fleet: The Dice Game, Sagrada Artisans, Motor City, Rolling Realms

Rolling Realms

See it at Amazon. Rolling Realms' unique charm lies in its realms, each inspired by another board game. A card assigns die roll results to mini-games reflecting their source material. Players simultaneously manage three realms over nine rolls, then draw new ones, repeating the process twice for a full game. The realms themselves are cleverly designed microcosms, offering delightful, family-friendly puzzles. For a greater challenge, consider the standalone sequel, *Rolling Realms Redux*, featuring even more intricate realms that can be played solo or combined with the base game.

Marabunta

See it at Amazon. Renowned game designer Reiner Knizia brings his strategic expertise to the roll-and-write format in *Marabunta*. Designed for two players, it depicts a tribal struggle over territory, incorporating cupcakes and other resources. Dice rolls offer choices between expanding influence across color-coded hexes or gaining bonus points, creating a fascinating blend of spatial and mathematical strategy—a hallmark of Knizia's design philosophy.

The Fox Experiment

See it at Amazon. Inspired by a real-life fox domestication experiment, *The Fox Experiment* (by Elizabeth Hargrave, creator of *Wingspan*) uses dice to represent genetic heredity. Players contribute trait dice from parent foxes to their offspring, strategically selecting pups to meet end-game goals across multiple rounds of breeding. A more involved experience, but richly rewarding for its unique approach to dice mechanics.

Twilight Inscription

See it at Amazon. A unique entry, *Twilight Inscription* cleverly adapts the sprawling scope of *Twilight Imperium* to the roll-and-write format. This 90-minute experience emulates the 4X genre (explore, exploit, expand, exterminate) through separate sheets representing different aspects of empire building. Each turn requires choosing a sheet for actions, leading to strategic trade-offs and diverse gameplay. Its larger scope makes it feel more like a full-fledged strategic board game than a typical roll-and-write.

Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up

See it at Amazon. *Super Skill Pinball* uniquely captures the theme of pinball using only dice and a pen. Players choose from four tables, navigating their ball down, hitting bumpers and targets based on dice rolls. The restriction of not reusing boxes adds a layer of strategic challenge, creating a thrilling and engaging puzzle. Several themed sets exist, but *Ramp It Up* stands out, even including a cooperative mode.

Welcome To... Your Perfect Home

See it at Amazon. A "flip-and-write" game, *Welcome To...* uses cards instead of dice. Players plan a suburban town, arranging house numbers and building cards to create three streets. The challenge lies in balancing house order with various bonuses (pools, parks, etc.) and fulfilling city plans, resulting in a satisfyingly strategic experience.

My City: Roll & Build

See it at Amazon. Based on Reiner Knizia's *My City*, this dice game features a rewarding campaign structure. Gameplay unfolds across multiple episodes, each introducing new rules and increasing complexity gradually. The game allows for flexible play, with episodes enjoyable as standalone sessions or part of the full campaign.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

See it at Amazon & Target. Instead of a score sheet, *Railroad Ink* requires players to draw a transport network on a grid using custom dice. Linking exits to the same network is key, balancing the need to minimize dead ends with the potential for future connections. The combination of risk/reward and spatial thinking makes this a unique roll-and-write. The *Deep Blue* edition adds rivers and lakes, introducing ferry routes.

Next Station: London

See it at Amazon. A flip-and-write game, *Next Station: London* uses colored pencils to draw a train network. Each color represents a starting station, and players extend lines, aiming to cross districts and tourist sites. The inability to cross lines except at stations adds a strategic layer, making for surprisingly nuanced gameplay.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write

See it at Amazon. *Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write* introduces more complexity and depth to the genre. Players use dice rolls to manage resources (money, DNA) for building a dinosaur theme park, sketching attractions and concessions on a mini-grid. Running a tour route at the end of each round adds a thematic element and strategic challenge.

Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale

See it at Amazon & Target. *Cartographers* introduces player interaction. Players map out a fantasy kingdom using cards, aiming to fulfill scoring challenges. The addition of monster cards, requiring players to pass their maps and add negative elements, adds a personal and engaging element to the world-building aspect.

Long Shot: The Dice Game

See it at Barnes and Noble. This roll-and-write horse racing game features a track board where horses move based on dice rolls. Players bet on horses, but can also buy horses for special abilities and bonuses. The ability to bet on any horse creates interesting player interaction and dependencies.

Three Sisters

See it at Amazon. *Three Sisters* emphasizes action chaining. Players grow crops and flowers, purchasing tools based on dice rolls. Completing actions often awards bonus actions, creating complex strategic planning to maximize these chains.

Fleet: The Dice Game

See it at Amazon. *Fleet* focuses on interconnected options. Players manage a fishing fleet, using dice to buy licenses or launch boats. The further down each tree of options, the bigger the reward. Building additional structures enhances benefits over ten rounds of play.

Sagrada Artisans

See it at Amazon. *Sagrada Artisans* expands on the original *Sagrada*, adding a campaign structure with ten sessions, each introducing new tools and challenges while maintaining the game’s relaxed feel.

Motor City

See it at Amazon. From the creators of *Three Sisters* and *Fleet*, *Motor City* offers a strategic challenge focused on car production. Players manage four aspects of vehicle design using a dice-drafting mechanic and a blueprint board offering potential bonuses. This game eschews explosive combos for a more integrated strategic experience.

For more gaming options, explore our lists of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, including a multi-purpose table from Bits and Pieces perfect for cards and board games.