In these Fill or Bust! Rules, you will learn how to play this classic dice game of risk and chance! To win, be the player with the highest score by completing as many Fills as you can before you Bust!
Fill or Bust! was released back in 1981 and still remains a classic family dice game. Unlike Yahtzee, Fill or Bust! includes Draw Cards that shake up the gameplay and either help you score big or make you lose your turn altogether!
If you are a fan of the fast-paced, fate of the dice games, then Fill or Bust! is an excellent game for you to try!
This Fill or Bust! rules guide will cover the following:
- What is Fill or Bust!?
- What you’ll need to play Fill or Bust!
- Fill or Bust! rules
- Fill or Bust! draw cards explained
- Fill or Bust! scoring
- FAQs
- Similar game guides to Fill or Bust!
Find out if this is the game for you by learning how to play Fill or Bust! below.
What is Fill or Bust!?
Fill or Bust! is a dice game with added Draw Cards that can alter gameplay and scoring to give the game more depth and excitement.
Number of players: 2+
Ages: 9+
Difficulty: Easy
Length of play: Approx. 30min
Category: Dice Rolling, Cards, Chance, Press Your Luck
Main Objective: Be the first player to score the set goal amount or have the most points when the timer ends!
Why We Love It: It’s exciting and has non-stop dice rolling action with twists and turns!
What You’ll Need to Play Fill or Bust!
Everything you need to play Fill or Bust! can be found in the box:
These are the components you will find in each game:
- 6 Six-Sided Dice
- 54 Draw Cards
- 12 – 300 point BONUS cards
- 10 – 400 point BONUS cards
- 8 – 500 point BONUS cards
- 8 – NO DICE cards
- 6 – FILL 1000 cards
- 4 – MUST BUST! Cards
- 4 – VENGEANCE 2500 cards
- 2 – DOUBLE TROUBLE cards
Per the game rules, you should also have a pencil and paper handy to keep score!
Fill or Bust! Rules
Game Setup
- Shuffle all Draw Cards and place them in the middle of your play area within reach of all players.
- Choose a player to start the game by having each player roll 1 die. The player who rolled the highest goes first!
How to Play Fill or Bust!
Before starting the game, discuss with your fellow playmates what number score needs to be reached to win. This number could be 5,000 – 10,000 or more or less.
You can also set a timer and the player with the most points in that time limit wins the game!
Important Rules
- At the start of your turn, you must draw the top card of the Draw Card deck and reveal it face up. You must also do this after every Fill you score.
- After revealing a Draw Card, you will roll all 6 dice at once. After you roll the dice, you set aside any dice you successfully scored according to the score chart (found below in the scoring section).
- You may press your luck and roll any remaining dice you did not set aside and score. However, if you roll again and do not score from those dice, you Bust! If you score all of the remaining dice (6 in total), you complete a Fill!
After completing a Fill, you must draw a card. You may continue doing this every time you complete a Fill but must stop your turn when you Bust!
Explanation of Draw Cards
BONUS 300/400/500
BONUS cards are only awarded if a player completes a Fill. The number listed on the card will be added to the player’s points for their Fill.
NO DICE
If this card is drawn at the start of your turn, you lose your turn. If it is drawn after you complete a Fill, you lose all of the points you scored for that Fill.
FILL 1000
If this was the card drawn at the start of a player’s turn, they must complete a Fill this turn. If they do not, they do not keep the score from any dice rolled this turn and lose their turn altogether.
If they successfully completed a Fill, they will add an additional 1000 points to the points they score on their Fill.
MUST BUST
When a player draws this card at the start of their turn, they are allowed to roll the dice until they get a Bust. After each roll of the dice, the player will set aside and keep the score of the dice.
Once a player gets a Bust, they add all of the points they scored to the scoresheet and pass the dice to the next player. There is no limit to the number of rolls or Fills you complete.
NOTE: If you Bust on your first roll, your turn is over! You do not draw a card after each successful Fill.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
If you draw this card and complete 2 consecutive Fills, you may double all of the points you made from these Fills. You may add your score to the scoresheet after the 2 Fills and continue your turn without risking the loss of the points added.
If you Bust before the 2 Fills are complete, you lose your turn, and all points scored that turn.
VENGEANCE 2500
If you draw this card, you have the option to play or discard it and draw again. If you play the card, you must complete a Fill and add your points to the scoresheet.
Then, subtract 2500 points from the player who currently has the highest score. If 2 players are tied for the highest score, then they will both subtract 2500 each!
If the highest-scoring player has less than 2500 points when this card is played, their score goes down to 0. After playing this card, you may continue your turn without losing any of the points you scored for this Fill.
NOTE: If the player with the highest score draws this card, they must discard and draw again unless there is another player who is tied with them for the highest score.
How to Keep Score in Fill or Bust!
Your goal during the game is to obtain as many points as possible during each of your turns before getting a Bust. When you decide to stop rolling, add your current points to the scoresheet where they are safe and cannot be lost (other than when a Vengeance Card is drawn).
You may follow this chart to keep score of all the dice rolled during your turn:
There are 2 special roll results that will give you the most points:
Triple: Roll 3 of the same face-valued dice in one toss. You cannot combine dice from a previous roll to create a triple.
Straight: You can only achieve a straight when you roll all 6 dice at once. You must have a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 rolled in one shot to score a straight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any alternate ways to play Fill or Bust!?
Yes. In the rule booklet, it lists the following variations: Team Play, Tournament Play, Single Elimination, and Double Elimination.
Can you play Fill or Bust! without the Draw Cards?
Technically, yes! The Draw Cards add a lot of excitement and variety to each game, but you could play with dice only and keep score using the score chart.
How many Dice do you need to play Fill or Bust!?
You only need 6 six-sided dice! If you purchase the game, it will come with all of the dice needed to play.
Similar Games to Fill or Bust! (Our Guides)
If you enjoyed reading about Fill or Bust!, check out our similar game guides below (if we have covered them):
- Farkle rules
- Tenzi Dice Game rules
- Yahtzee! Game rules
- Ninety-Nine or Bust (guide coming soon)
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