Rules
Yatzy rules: how to play Scandinavian Yatzy
Last updated 12 September 2026 · Yatzy regler på svenska · Yatzy regler på norsk · Yatzy regler på dansk
Yatzy is the Scandinavian dice game played with five dice and a 15-row score sheet. Each turn you throw the dice up to three times, keep the ones you like, and write one score. When every row is filled, the highest total wins. These are the rules EpicYatzy plays online, following the standard Swedish rulebook.
Play Yatzy online free for 2–8 players, no account needed.
What you need
Two or more players, five six-sided dice, a pen and a score sheet with one column per player. You can print a free score sheet, or skip the paper: EpicYatzy runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers and keeps score for you.
How a turn works
- Throw all five dice.
- Keep and rethrow. Set aside any dice you want to keep and throw the rest again. You may also stop early and score at once.
- Third throw. Throw a third time if you wish, again choosing which dice to keep. Dice kept earlier may be released and thrown again.
- Write one score. Choose one empty category and write the score for your final dice. Any empty row may be chosen, including a zero.
- Pass the dice. Play continues clockwise until everyone has filled all 15 rows.
Yatzy scoring table
| Category | What counts | Score | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ones | Dice showing 1 | Sum of those dice | 1-1-1-3-5 → 3 |
| Twos | Dice showing 2 | Sum of those dice | 2-2-2-2-6 → 8 |
| Threes | Dice showing 3 | Sum of those dice | 3-3-4-5-6 → 6 |
| Fours | Dice showing 4 | Sum of those dice | 4-4-4-1-2 → 12 |
| Fives | Dice showing 5 | Sum of those dice | 5-5-5-5-1 → 20 |
| Sixes | Dice showing 6 | Sum of those dice | 6-6-2-3-4 → 12 |
| Bonus | Upper subtotal of 63 or more | 50 | Three of each face = 63 |
| One pair | Two equal dice, highest pair counts | Sum of the pair | 6-6-4-4-1 → 12 |
| Two pairs | Two pairs of different values | Sum of the four dice | 6-6-4-4-1 → 20 |
| Three of a kind | Three equal dice | Sum of the three | 5-5-5-2-1 → 15 |
| Four of a kind | Four equal dice | Sum of the four | 4-4-4-4-2 → 16 |
| Small straight | 1-2-3-4-5 | 15 | Fixed score |
| Large straight | 2-3-4-5-6 | 20 | Fixed score |
| Full house | Three of one face and two of another | Sum of all five | 6-6-6-5-5 → 28 |
| Chance | Any dice | Sum of all five | 6-5-4-3-2 → 20 |
| Yatzy | Five equal dice | 50 | Fixed score |
Each die can be used once within a combination. Four equal dice can therefore fill four of a kind, three of a kind or one pair, but never two pairs. When more than one group fits a row, the highest-scoring one counts automatically.
The 63-point bonus
Add up Ones through Sixes. If that upper subtotal reaches 63, you earn a 50-point bonus. Sixty-three is exactly three of each face: 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18. Four sixes make up for two twos, so keep an eye on the running subtotal rather than each row on its own. The bonus is often the difference between winning and losing.
Straights, full house and Yatzy explained
A small straight is exactly 1-2-3-4-5 and scores 15. A large straight is exactly 2-3-4-5-6 and scores 20. There is no four-dice straight in Yatzy. A full house is a triple and a pair of different values, scored as the sum of all five dice, so 6-6-6-5-5 is the best possible full house at 28. Yatzy, five equal dice, scores 50 no matter which face.
Ending the game and ties
The game ends when every player has written a score in all 15 rows. Add the upper section, the bonus and the lower section. The highest total wins; equal totals share the win. There is no tie-break round.
How EpicYatzy plays it
EpicYatzy follows these rules exactly, with real physics dice tumbling into a tray and a shared scorecard that shows every preliminary score before you choose. Each turn has 90 seconds of decision time; if it runs out, the game records the category with the largest immediate gain. Tables seat two to eight players, and the host can switch to Maxi Yatzy or add power cards for a twist.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fill the Yatzy categories in any order?
Yes. Standard Yatzy lets you choose any empty row each turn. Some families play a forced order from top to bottom; that is a house rule, and EpicYatzy does not use it.
What if my dice fit nothing?
Write a zero in any empty row. Chance is often the best home for a poor final throw, and Ones is the usual sacrifice row because it costs the fewest points.
Do three of a kind and four of a kind count all five dice?
No. In Yatzy only the matching dice count: 5-5-5-2-1 scores 15 in three of a kind. Yahtzee counts all five dice for these rows; Yatzy does not.
Is there a bonus for a second Yatzy?
No. Yatzy scores 50 once. A second five of a kind can go in four of a kind, the matching upper row or Chance.
Can two pairs be made from four equal dice?
No. Two pairs needs two different values. 4-4-4-4-2 is four of a kind for 16 or one pair for 8, never two pairs.