How to play Maxi Yatzy

Maxi Yatzy is played with six dice and a dedicated maxi score sheet, which has more rows than a regular Yatzy sheet. If you do not have one, drawing your own on paper works fine. The game suits two to six players, and turns pass clockwise.

On your turn you roll all six dice. Set aside any dice you want to keep and reroll the rest, up to two more times. When you stop rolling, enter the result in an open row on the sheet. If nothing fits, you must cross out a row and score zero there.

Each row can only be used once, and the game continues until every row is filled.

The rule that really sets Maxi Yatzy apart is that unused rolls carry over. If you write down a score after your first or second roll, you bank the rolls you did not use and may spend them on a later turn. That means you can sometimes take four or five rolls in a turn where it really matters.

Keep track of saved rolls in the margin of the sheet, and use them whenever you like.

The upper section works like in Yatzy: you enter the sum of your ones, twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes. With six dice the bonus threshold is higher. You need at least 84 points, which equals four of each number, and the bonus is 100 points.

The lower section has more rows than regular Yatzy:

• One pair, two pairs and three pairs: the sum of the paired dice
• Three, four and five of a kind: the sum of the matching dice
• Small straight: 1-2-3-4-5, worth 15 points
• Large straight: 2-3-4-5-6, worth 20 points
• Full straight: 1-2-3-4-5-6, worth 21 points
• Full house: three of a kind plus a pair, the sum of those five dice
• Villa: two sets of three of a kind, the sum of all six dice
• Tower: four of a kind plus a pair, the sum of all six dice
• Chance: the sum of all six dice
• Maxi Yatzy: six of a kind, worth 100 points

Once every row is filled, each player adds up their score, including any bonus. The highest total wins. With six dice and the extra rows, final scores usually end up well above double what you would see in regular Yatzy.

Some groups skip the saved rolls rule, which makes the game tighter and closer to regular Yatzy, just with six dice. Others play a forced variant where rows must be filled in order from the top.

If you prefer five dice and fixed category values, have a look at the American relative Yahtzee.

Maxi Yatzy uses six dice instead of five and adds several rows to the sheet, including three pairs, five of a kind, full straight, villa and tower. The upper bonus requires 84 points instead of 63 and pays 100 points instead of 50. On top of that, unused rolls can be saved for later turns. Together this makes the game a bit longer and more tactical than regular Yatzy.