Pig dice game rules and free printable score sheets
What is Pig?
I guess Pig isn’t really a dice game… it’s a die game, since you only need one dotted cube to play. Because it only needs one die, Pig is a great game to pass some time wherever you happen to be, as long as you keep a die in your pocket, car, desk drawer, etc.
Since you can risk everything on every roll, in an attempt to gain more points, Pig is identified as a “jeopardy game”. The goal in Pig is to reach 100 points as quickly as possible with the winner being the first one to do so.
Pig is ideally played with two players but works with however many you choose to have. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the more players there are, the longer you have to wait between turns. If you’re just trying to kill ten minutes before a meeting starts, or playing with children, more than a couple Pig players probably isn’t a good idea.
Pig Rules
Roll the dice to see who goes first. Highest role of the die is the first player.
When a Pig player takes their turn, they can roll the die as many times as they want. Scoring is simple – whatever the number of dots show up on the die, that’s your points for the roll. You keep rolling and accumulating the points. If you roll a 3, then a 5, then a 2, and then a 6 your points so far would be 3 + 5 + 2 + 6 = 16.
The only exception to the above scoring – in Pig – is rolling a 1 on the die. If you roll a 1, your turn ends immediately, and you lose all the points for just that turn. You don’t lose points from previous turns, only the current turn.
The dice is then passed along to the next Pig player.
Here’s where the jeopardy or chance common with many dice games comes into play. At any point during their turn, a Pig player can choose to stop rolling the die (called “holding”) and add their current points to their overall score.
As mentioned already, the first player to reach 100 or more points is the winner.
When a player reaches a total of 100 or more points, the game ends and that player is the winner.
The Pig Dice Game is Great for Kids
This is a very simple game to learn, yet teaches a lot of things. Primarily, basic addition is practiced as they add up the numbers on the die. As well, children are taught “risk versus reward” at the most basic level. Finally, like most games, children will learn to take turns while playing Pig. If you choose, you can even work in a moral lesson about the dangers of being too greedy.
Pig Dice Game Variations
Two Dice Pig
This variation is pretty much played the same as standard Pig. Roll two dice at a time and, if one of the dice is a 1, the turns as usual and no points are added to the overall score. But, if BOTH the dice show up as 1’s it counts as 25 points. If the two dice show different numbers when rolled, simply add up the numbers. For example in Two Dice Pig, if you roll a 2 and a 5, it equals 7 points.
Just like double 1’s, in Two Dice Pig other doubles score higher as well. Just add up the dice value and double it. Rolling two 2’s = (2 + 2) x 2 = 8. Rolling two 5’s = (5 + 5) x 2 = 20. The same for 3’s, 4’s, and 6’s.
Change the Number Pig
Played exactly like the regular Pig Dice Game, but choose a different number other than one to cancel out scores and end turns. The simple number replacement can freshen up the game for kids, and alter strategies for more experienced players. Can also work as a variation for Two Dice Pig.
Multiple Dice Pig (sometimes called Hog)
Use all the same rules as the regular Pig Dice Game, but use any number of dice you choose. Scores can increase much faster, but each additional dice increase the odds of a 1 (or any “bad” number you choose) appearing.
Non-Stop Pig or Marathon Pig
For people who really enjoy the game, or an interesting way to pass time on a weekend, road trip, etc. Whenever you finish a game of Pig, record the final scores. The next time you play, start with the previous scores and continue adding to them. The winner is whoever has the most points when the game is finally declared “done”
Free Printable Pig Dice Game Score Sheets
They’re on their way!