Top Roll & Write Games of 2025

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

Their appeal lies in their straightforward rules and immediate gratification. The creative freedom of personalizing your sheet combines with easy-to-learn rules, creating a winning formula that attracts a wide range of players. The low barrier to entry makes them perfect for casual gamers and seasoned strategists alike. Below, we highlight some of the best this 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

Available on Amazon. Rolling Realms features realms inspired by other board games. Each round, you roll dice and use the results to play mini-games reflecting the source material. Three realms are played simultaneously over nine rolls, then replaced with three new ones, repeated twice for a full game. The cleverly designed realms, each a microcosm of its inspiration, offer engaging, family-friendly puzzles. For a more challenging experience, consider the standalone sequel, Rolling Realms Redux, featuring even more intricate realms that can be played solo or combined with the base game.

Marabunta

Available on Amazon. Designed by Reiner Knizia, Marabunta is a two-player game depicting a territorial struggle between ant tribes. Dice rolls offer choices: expand your influence across color-coded hexes or gain bonus points. This blend of spatial and mathematical strategy showcases Knizia's masterful design.

The Fox Experiment

Available on Amazon. Inspired by a real-life fox domestication experiment, this game uses dice to represent genetic heredity. Players breed foxes, selecting traits to meet their goals across multiple rounds of selection.

Twilight Inscription

Available on Amazon. A unique roll-and-write game inspired by Twilight Imperium, this sprawling experience emulates the 4X genre (explore, exploit, expand, exterminate) in a surprisingly concise 90 minutes. Separate sheets represent different aspects of empire building, requiring strategic choices each turn to manage resources and expand your influence.

Super Skill Pinball: Ramp It Up

Available on Amazon. This game cleverly recreates the experience of pinball using dice and a pen. Players choose a table, then navigate their ball, hitting bumpers and targets based on their rolls. The challenge lies in maximizing your score while strategically managing limited target usage.

Welcome To... Your Perfect Home

Available on Amazon. A "flip-and-write" game (using cards instead of dice), Welcome To challenges players to design three suburban streets, placing houses in numerical order while maximizing bonus points for features like pools and parks.

My City: Roll & Build

Available on Amazon. Based on Reiner Knizia's My City, this game features a rewarding campaign structure. Each 30-minute session introduces new rules, gradually increasing complexity. The game also allows for individual episode play.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

Available on Amazon and Target. Players draw transport networks on a grid using custom dice. The challenge is to connect as many exits as possible while minimizing dead ends. The Deep Blue edition adds rivers and lakes, introducing ferry routes.

Next Station: London

Available on Amazon. A flip-and-write game where pencil colors are key. Players draw train networks, aiming to connect stations and districts while navigating spatial constraints.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr ‘n Write

Available on Amazon. This game adds complexity to the roll-and-write format. Players design and manage a dinosaur theme park, balancing resource management, construction, and tour operations.

Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale

Available on Amazon and Target. A flip-and-write game where players map a fantasy kingdom, fulfilling scoring challenges while dealing with monster placements from their neighbors.

Long Shot: The Dice Game

Available at Barnes & Noble. A horse racing game with player interaction. Players bet on horses, influencing the race outcome and creating strategic dependencies between players.

Three Sisters

Available on Amazon. This game emphasizes action chaining. Players grow crops and flowers, using dice rolls to trigger bonus actions that create complex strategic planning.

Fleet: The Dice Game

Available on Amazon. Players manage a fishing fleet, using dice to buy licenses and launch boats, aiming to maximize profits through interconnected benefits.

Sagrada Artisans

Available on Amazon. A campaign-based roll-and-write game where players create stained-glass windows, adding a calming and decorative element to the gameplay.

Motor City

Available on Amazon. Players manage various aspects of car production, using dice drafting and a blueprint board to coordinate actions and bring their muscle cars to market.

For more gaming options, explore our lists of the best board games of all time and the best puzzle tables, including a versatile table from Bits and Pieces ideal for card and board games.