Last Updated on November 13, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team
Richard Garfield, the creative mind behind Magic: The Gathering and other iconic titles like King of Tokyo and Robo Rally, surprises again with Dungeons, Dice & Danger, a roll-and-write adventure game where players act as brave adventurers delving into monster-filled dungeons in search of treasure, gold, and glory.
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How to Play Dungeons, Dice & Danger
Objective of the Game
The object of the game is to explore dangerous Dungeons, defeat Monsters, and collect treasure to earn the most Victory Points. When the adventure ends, the winner is the player with the highest Victory Point total.
Game Components
- 200 Adventure Sheets (50 per Dungeon type)
- 5 Dice (4 White Dice, 1 Black Die)
- 4 Pencils
Setup
- Choose one of the four Dungeon adventures:
- Annoyed Animals (Novice)
- Clumsy Cultists (Easy)
- Puzzled Pyramid (Standard)
- Defiant Dinosaurs (Expert)
- Each player takes an Adventure Sheet and a pencil.
- Decide who will be the Active Player first — the last person to defeat a Monster starts.
- Play proceeds clockwise.
Gameplay Overview
Each round begins with the Active Player rolling all 5 dice — 4 White Dice and 1 Black Die. Every player then forms two pairs of dice from the White Dice results to determine which numbered spaces they can cross off on their Dungeon map.
The Active Player may also use the Black Die in one of their pairs, giving them extra flexibility. Other players (called Passive Players) can use the Black Die only by activating a special ability, which they mark off on their Adventure Sheet.
Each turn, players:
- Create two pairs of dice and calculate their totals.
- Cross off two matching numbered spaces on their Dungeon map.
- If unable to use a pair, lose one Life Point for each unused pair.
Exploring further allows players to unlock special abilities, fight Monsters, and collect treasure worth valuable Victory Points.
Movement and Exploration
Players may only visit available points (numbered spaces) adjacent to a previously visited one or a Start space. Once a space is crossed out, it becomes inaccessible for the rest of the game.
When you reach a Monster room, you can begin attacking it using dice rolls that match the numbers in its chamber.
Fighting Monsters
Each Monster has several Life Points represented by boxes. To deal damage, a player must roll one of the Monster’s available numbers.
- Black numbers can be attacked immediately.
- Gray numbers must first be unlocked by visiting an adjacent space.
When all Life Points of a Monster are crossed out, it’s defeated. The first player to slay a Monster earns a higher Gem reward and corresponding Victory Points. Other players who defeat it later receive a smaller reward.
If multiple players defeat a Monster during the same round, all share the higher Gem reward.
Defeating Monsters may sometimes cause you to lose Life Points, so tracking your health carefully is key.
Treasure and Rewards
When you visit a space with a Gold or Gem icon, mark it off on your sheet.
- Each Gold is worth 2 Victory Points.
- Each Gem is worth 3 Victory Points.
Some spaces contain Treasure Chests, which allow you to choose one of three special abilities:
- Extra Life – Gain 3 extra Life Points and 1 Gem.
- Torch – Cross out any adjacent space immediately (can be used to damage a Monster).
- Extra Black Dice Ability – Gain 3 additional uses of the Black Die as a Passive Player.
Strategically using these special abilities can give your adventurer the edge needed to outlast opponents.
Losing Life Points
If you cannot use both dice pairs in a round, you must cross off one Life Point for each unused pair. When a player loses their final Life Point, they are eliminated from the adventure.
At the end of the game, players subtract the remaining unmarked Life Points from their total Victory Points.
End of the Game and Scoring
The game ends when the first player defeats their final boss Monster. Everyone finishes the current round, then counts their Victory Points:
- Add points from Gold, Gems, and defeated Monsters.
- Add points for partial damage to an undefeated boss (3 VP for every 3 damage dealt).
- Subtract any unmarked Life Points from your total.
The player with the most Victory Points is declared the winner.
If there’s a tie, the player who lost the most Life Points wins. If still tied, players share the victory.
Solo Play
Dungeons, Dice & Danger also includes a solo play mode. The rules remain the same, but you compete against your own progress, trying to maximize Victory Points across different Dungeon maps and difficulties. Aim to defeat all bosses and complete the dungeon with as few Life Points lost as possible.
A Solo player rolls all 5 dice but always acts as a Passive player. The player may only use the Black Dice ability by taking 1 Black die from their Start ability area or 1 Black die from their Treasure chest. The Solo player always gains the higher Gem reward after defeating a Monster.
The player loses 1 Life point if they do not deal at least 1 Damage to a Monster during each round—even if they use both dice pairs elsewhere.
IMPORTANT: The Solo player may forfeit the 2nd dice pair during a round without losing a Life point as long as they deal Damage to a Monster. Use this option wisely!
The Solo player still loses Life points for every they suffer when defeating a Monster. The Solo player does not lose Victory points due to lost Life points at the end of the game. However, the Solo player still dies after crossing out the symbol at the bottom of the Life tracker.
Conclusion
In Dungeons, Dice & Danger, every adventurer must balance risk, reward, and dice luck to conquer fearsome bosses, unlock special abilities, and gather the most Victory Points. Whether playing solo or competitively, every dice roll leads to new dangers—and new paths to victory.
Video Tutorial
FAQ – Dungeon’s Dice and Danger Rules
In Dungeons, Dice & Danger, players roll dice to move through dungeon maps, cross out numbered spaces, collect treasure, and fight monsters. Each round, all players use the same dice rolls to form pairs and advance through their chosen adventure. The goal is to earn the most Victory Points by defeating monsters, collecting gold and gems, and surviving with as many life points as possible.
Victory Points are how you measure success in the game. Players earn them by collecting gold (2 points each), gems (3 points each), and by defeating monsters. You also lose points for any remaining life damage at the end of the game. The adventurer with the most Victory Points wins.
The Active Player rolls all five dice (four white and one black) and has access to all dice combinations that include the black die. Other players can only use white dice unless they spend a Black Dice ability. The Active Player rotates clockwise each round.
The Black Die gives the Active Player more pairing options. Passive players can also use it, but only if they cross out one of their Black Die symbols from the Start ability area. Once all symbols are used, they must wait until they become the Active Player again to use it.
If a player can’t use both dice pairs to visit spaces or deal damage, they must lose one Life Point for each unused pair. Losing your final Life Point eliminates you from the game, so efficient dice use is essential.
To fight a Monster, players must reach its room by connecting visited spaces. Then, they can use specific dice pair totals to deal Damage by crossing out the Monster’s Life boxes. When all boxes are crossed out, the Monster is defeated, and the player earns Victory Points and Gem rewards.
The Boss Monster is the final and toughest opponent in each dungeon. The game ends when a player defeats their boss. If you haven’t defeated your boss by then, you still earn 3 Victory Points for every 3 Damage you’ve dealt to it.
In solo play, you play using the same rules, rolling for yourself as both the Active and Passive player. The challenge comes from completing the dungeon efficiently and comparing your Victory Points total against your past attempts or published difficulty benchmarks.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points after the final scoring round. If there’s a tie, the player who lost the most Life Points wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.
The game is officially designed for 1–4 players, but larger groups can play by sharing dice rolls and tracking progress separately on extra Adventure Sheets. However, turns may take longer, so 4 or fewer players is ideal.
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