How to play Round the Clock

Round the Clock is played with two dice and suits two to eight players. There is nothing to write down and nothing to keep track of beyond your own progress.

The goal is to go round the clock: each player must hit the numbers 1 to 12 in order, like the hands moving around a clock face.

Players take turns, one roll of both dice per turn. Everyone starts at number 1.

The numbers 1 to 6 can be made with a single die, or with the sum of both. The numbers 7 to 12 must be made with the sum of both dice.

If you hit the number you are on, you move on to the next one. If you miss, you stay put and the turn passes to the next player.

The first player to work through the whole sequence from 1 to 12 has gone round the clock and wins the game.

Two house rules come up often:

• Hitting your number earns you another roll straight away, so a lucky player can advance several steps in one turn.
• Both dice may count separately. If you are on 3 and roll 3 and 4, you tick off both and jump straight to 5.

Both variants speed the game up, which helps when there are many players around the table.

The numbers 1 to 12 are the same as on a clock face, and you visit them in order. That is why the winner is said to have gone round the clock. The game is known in many countries under similar names.

Yes, it makes a fine first dice game. The rules are easy to remember, and children get to practise recognising numbers and adding two dice up to 12 without it ever feeling like a maths lesson. Similar simple games include One-O-Five and Fifty.