Dice Forge is a board game with interchangeable dice that allow players, or heroes, to earn resources and collect points to obtain the most Glory points before the end of the game.
This internationally recognized game has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Origins Awards for Best Board Game in 2018. This unique board game offers alternative card options and even customizable dice!
This Dice Forge rules guide will cover the following:
- What is Dice Forge?
- A brief history of Dice Forge
- What you’ll need to play Dice Forge
- Dice Forge Rules
- How to play Dice Forge (Video Tutorial)
- FAQs
Read on to learn how to play Dice Forge:
What is Dice Forge?
Dice Forge is a deck-building strategy game where opportunities depend on a dice roll instead of drawing cards. Players earn moon shards, sun shards, and gold during gameplay to complete actions and earn points.
Number of Players: 2-4 players
Ages: 10+
Difficulty: Medium
Length of Play: 45 minutes
Category: Strategy game, dice, fantasy
Similar to: Carcassonne, Catan, Everdell
Main Objective: Players compete to collect the most Glory Points by the end of the game.
Why We Love It: Dice Forge is a unique dice game because it allows players to determine their own destinies by changing the faces of the dice throughout the game. This is a first!
A Brief History of Dice Forge
Released in 2017 by the makers of Libellud, Dice Forge is a unique game that allows players to change the faces of the die, creating original gameplay for everyone involved.
In 2019, Libellud released an expansion, Dice Forge Rebellion. This expansion includes 120 new cards and new dice faces. New mechanics and alternate starting points allow for even more originality when playing.
What You’ll Need to Play Dice Forge
Everything you need to play is included in this boxed set.
The original box contains:
- 1 Rulesheet
- 1 Hero Aid sheet
- 1 Temple board and sleeve
- 1 Islands board
- 108 die faces
- 4 Hero inventories
- 8 tokens
- 20 markers
- 4 Hero pawns
- 4 Chest tiles
- 4 Hammer tokens
- 8 single-use tokens
- 8 Divine Die cores
- 1 First player token
- 1 Round tracker
- 96 Heroic Feat cards
Area of Play
Begin by setting up the temple foundation next to the Island board. There are different options of cards to play with, but it is recommended to play the cards with the blue gem on the first to better learn the game.
Place these cards out around the islands, and there can only be as many cards as there are players. The youngest player will go first by taking the blue starting token and three gold pieces.
Subsequent players will take one less gold on their first turn. This gives the first player a headstart because other players will still have opportunities to earn more gold.
Each player obtains a playing pawn, a Hero inventory board and tracking cubes to track points, and two dice. Cards offer one of the following benefits: sun, moon, gold, or points. The Hero inventory helps players keep track of their earnings. Players begin at zero.
You begin with a light die with five single faces and one sun shard side. Your dark die has only one moon shard, a 2-point face, and all other single-faced sides.
Two-Player Game
When playing with only two people, you must remove two die faces from the pool on the temple board. Players do get to roll both dice twice on every turn when playing a 2-player game.
2 and 4 player games will play nine rounds total, and a 3 player game has 10 total rounds.
There are many components to set up this game, and it is recommended that storing each piece appropriately in the box after each use, it will help with ease of setup for future playing.
Dice Forge Rules
Place your pawn on the starting portal in the center of the board to begin the game. There is a round marker that is placed on the outside of the starting portal to track rounds played.
A “divine blessing” is when players roll both dice, and a “minor blessing” is when players only roll one die. To begin, players take turns rolling both of their dice and completing the actions based on the die outcomes.
You will remove and change dice faces throughout the game. This is called forging. Depending upon your game setup, you may not need to use all the faces. Keep your discarded faces in a group below your Hero inventory board for future access. However, they cannot be used again.
For example, if a player rolls 1 gold and 2 points, they will immediately accept those resources and record the collection on their Hero inventory using specific markers for each item.
Next, the player can decide to complete a heroic feat on one of the islands in order to earn one of the island cards. Alternatively, he or she could offer gold to the temple and purchase better die faces to forge onto their dice.
You cannot buy multiples of the same die face in one turn, but you can buy as many faces as you can afford to.
Keep in mind, some of the die faces are associated with specific cards. Depending on the cards you selected to use at the start of the game, some of the die faces may or may not be available.
Heroic Feat Cards
If a player chooses to perform a heroic feat, they must pay for the card by spending moon shards or sun shards and move their pawn to that island on the board.
If another player is positioned on the island you move to, you oust them back to the starting portal on the board. The ousted player can roll their dice and collect the benefits from their roll at that time.
Once you obtain a card, you place it face-down beside your inventory board. If a card has a symbol on it, you must complete the action as described. Some card symbols activate a specific condition, and other symbols can provide a benefit or points.
Players can buy as many cards as they want from the island, even identical cards more than once. However, when the cards run out, they are no longer available for the remainder of the game.
Players continue to take turns in a clockwise rotation and move the round marker around the central portal on the board to indicate the current round.
The Feats
The Sun Shard cards include an Elder, Wild Spirits, Guardian’s Owl, Guardian’s shield, or a Celestial Ship. Other cards included are a Gorgon, the Tritan, the Mirror of the Abyss, the Sphinx, and the Cyclops. These cards list specific earnings and vary by card.
The Moon Shard cards, positioned on the other side of the board, include the Blacksmith’s Hammer, the Blacksmith’s Chest, the Silver Hind, the Great Bear, the Satyrs, the Tenacious Boar, the Ferryman, Cerberus, the Helmet of invisibility, Cancer, or the Sentinel.
Similar to the Sun Shard cards, these cards vary in specific point value or serve as offensive and defensive tools that can be helpful throughout the game.
The Typhon or the Hydra cards are more valuable and therefore cost a Sun shard and a Moon shard to purchase.
How to Keep Score in Dice Forge
The game ends when the last player has completed his or her turn on the final round. All players must add up points earned from their card collection, as well as the Glory points earned on their Hero inventory board. Whoever has the most points is declared the winner.
Each player keeps an inventory or scoreboard that allows you to track points throughout the game.
When you earn points from each roll, you will place the benefit marker in the correct position on your Hero inventory. Each player can earn a total of 12 gold, 6 sun, or 6 moon shards throughout the game.
The player, or tied players, with the most points at the end of the game, win!
Additional Earnings
Once you have earned the maximum number of gold, sun, or moon shards, you don’t get to keep any additional earnings unless, however, you obtain the Blacksmith’s Chest, it extends your bank, allowing you to keep additional earnings.
The Blacksmith’s Hammer also gives players an added benefit. With this card, players get bonus points for additional gold added to their reserve. You can earn up to 10 and then 15 extra points with this card, and you can buy more than one Blacksmith’s Hammer and use them all.
How to Play Dice Forge – Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Game is Dice Forge?
Dice Forge is a creative board game that requires the use of dice and cards to gather resources. Players, serving as heroes, make offerings to gods, perform heroic feats, and of course forge dice in a challenge to be the gods’ chosen one with the most Glory Points earned.
How Many People Can Play Dice Forge?
Two to four people can play, but depending upon the number of players, you will need to make some adjustments to the game setup. For example, the number of rounds, number of cards per stack, and the number of die faces available vary based on the number of players.
Other Games Similar to Dice Forge (Our Guides)
Be sure to check out our game guides to these other building-based fantasy games if you enjoy playing Dice Forge:
- Saboteur rules
- Terraforming Mars rules
- Seasons (guide coming soon)
- Space Base (guide coming soon)
- Tokaido rules
