How to play Fifty

Fifty is played with two dice and suits two to eight players. You need paper and a pencil to keep score. A game is over quickly, which makes it a good filler between longer games or a quick one before bedtime.

Players take turns rolling both dice. The only rolls that score are doubles, when both dice show the same number. Every other roll scores nothing and the turn passes on.

Write the scores down as you go, so everyone can see how close each player is.

Not all doubles are equal:

• Double 6: 25 points
• Double 3: wipes out everything you have, back to zero
• Any other double: 5 points

Double 3 is the villain of the game. It is what keeps any lead from feeling safe, and what gets kids shrieking at the table.

The first player to reach 50 points wins. Since double 6 is worth 25, a couple of lucky rolls can settle the whole game, so fortunes change fast.

The version described here, with double 3 wiping your score, is the most common one. A couple of house rules to try:

• For the youngest players, skip the wipe-out and let double 3 simply score nothing. Kinder, but also a little tamer.
• Play to 100 points if you want a longer game.

Yes. The rules take half a minute to learn, and children get to practise counting in fives and adding small numbers. Double 3 is also a gentle introduction to the idea that things can go wrong in games. Other quick games for kids include Round the Clock and Pig.