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Yatzy vs Yahtzee: what is the difference?
Last updated 12 September 2026
Yatzy is the Scandinavian dice game; Yahtzee is its American cousin, published by Hasbro. Both are played with five dice and up to three throws per turn, and both end with the highest total winning. The score sheets differ in almost every row: Yatzy has 15 categories with pairs and fixed straights, Yahtzee has 13 with free straights, a flat full house and a bonus for repeat Yahtzees. This page lists every difference.
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Every difference in one table
| Yatzy (Scandinavia) | Yahtzee (USA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dice and throws | 5 dice, up to 3 throws | 5 dice, up to 3 throws |
| Categories | 15 | 13 |
| One pair | Sum of the highest pair | Not a category |
| Two pairs | Sum of both pairs | Not a category |
| Three of a kind | Sum of the three matching dice | Sum of all five dice |
| Four of a kind | Sum of the four matching dice | Sum of all five dice |
| Small straight | Exactly 1-2-3-4-5, 15 points | Any four in a row, 30 points |
| Large straight | Exactly 2-3-4-5-6, 20 points | Any five in a row, 40 points |
| Full house | Sum of all five dice | 25 points |
| Chance | Sum of all five dice | Sum of all five dice |
| Five of a kind | Yatzy, 50 points | Yahtzee, 50 points |
| Extra five of a kind | No bonus | 100-point bonus each, with joker rules |
| Upper bonus | 50 points at 63 | 35 points at 63 |
| Six-dice version | Maxi Yatzy, 20 categories | None official |
The same idea, different sheets
Both games descend from the same family of dice games, and the first Yatzy sets appeared in Scandinavia in the 1950s alongside Yahtzee in the United States. The German game Kniffel and the French Yams sit in the same family. If you know one of them you can play any of the others within a turn or two; what you need is the right score sheet. You can print a Yatzy sheet here.
What changes in how you play
In Yatzy the pairs rows make an early 6-6 worth keeping even when nothing else fits, and the fixed straights mean a 1-2-3-4-6 is not a straight at all. Three and four of a kind reward high faces rather than any five dice, so a 2-2-2-6-5 is a weak three of a kind at 6. The full house rewards high faces too: 6-6-6-5-5 is worth 28, more than Yahtzee's flat 25. Because there is no repeat bonus, a second Yatzy is simply a very good four of a kind or Chance.
In Yahtzee, straights are worth chasing because four in a row already pays 30 and the exact sequence does not matter. The 100-point Yahtzee bonus and joker rules reward a lucky game more heavily, which is why Yahtzee totals run higher.
Which one does EpicYatzy play?
EpicYatzy plays Scandinavian Yatzy and the six-dice Maxi Yatzy, with optional power cards that the host can switch off. It does not offer the Yahtzee sheet. The tavern seats two to eight players, runs in the browser without an account, and rolls real physics dice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Yatzy the same as Yahtzee?
No. Both use five dice and three throws per turn, but Yatzy has 15 categories including one pair and two pairs, scores three and four of a kind by the matching dice only, uses fixed straights of 1 to 5 and 2 to 6, scores a full house as the sum of the dice, and has no bonus for extra Yatzys. Yahtzee has 13 categories, counts all five dice for three and four of a kind, pays 25 for a full house and 30 or 40 for straights, and adds 100 for each extra Yahtzee.
Which scores higher, Yatzy or Yahtzee?
Yahtzee totals run higher because three and four of a kind count all five dice, straights pay 30 and 40, and extra Yahtzees add 100 each. A strong Yatzy game lands around 250 to 300 points; a strong Yahtzee game is often above 300.
Can I play Yahtzee rules on EpicYatzy?
EpicYatzy plays Scandinavian Yatzy and the six-dice Maxi Yatzy. It does not offer the Yahtzee scoring sheet.