Cross Off

Setup

• Players: two to five, taking turns as the roller.
• Dice: six: two plain, and one each in red, yellow, green and blue.
• Sheets: four tracks of eleven numbers each, one sheet per player.
• Tracks: red and yellow run 2 up to 12. Green and blue run 12 down to 2.

How to play

1. 1The roller rolls all six dice. Every turn, one player rolls. The roll belongs to everyone.
2. 2Everyone marks the plain sum. At the same time, every player may add the two plain dice and mark that number on one track, or pass. You may only mark to the right of your last mark on that track.
3. 3The roller marks a pair. Then the roller alone may add one plain die to one coloured die and mark that sum on that colour’s track, or pass.
4. 4Skipped numbers are gone. Marks go left to right only. A number you jump past can never be marked later.
5. 5Close a track. The last number of a track needs five marks first. Marking it adds a bonus mark and closes the track for everyone.
6. 6The roller’s penalty. A roller who marked nothing in either step takes a penalty of 5 points. Other players never do.

Winning

Have the highest score when the game ends. It ends when two tracks are closed or a player takes a fourth penalty.

Scoring

Closing a track marks its last number and adds a bonus mark, two marks in all. A track with five marks that then closes has seven, and scores 28.

Key terms

Roller:

The player whose turn it is to roll. Only the roller marks a pair, and only the roller takes a penalty.

Plain sum:

The two plain dice added together. Every player may mark it.

Pair:

One plain die plus one coloured die, marked on that colour’s track. The roller’s second step.

Skip:

Marking past numbers on a track. The numbers you pass can never be marked later.

Lock:

Marking a track’s last number, after five marks. It adds a bonus mark and closes the track.

Penalty:

Five points off the roller who marked nothing in a turn.

Closed track:

A track whose last number has been marked. Nobody marks there again, and its die leaves the game.