Criss-Cross

Criss-Cross is a simple roll-and-write game for any number of players. Each player has a 5x5 grid of squares.

Each turn two standard dice are rolled and all players enter the sum in an empty box in their grid; 10, 11, and 12 are entered as 0, 1, and 2 respectively.

After 25 turns the grids are full and each player scores their rows and columns: 2/3/4/5 of the same number score 1/3/6/10 points, and 5 sequential numbers (not necessarily in order) scores 5 points. If a row or column contains multiple scoring combinations (two pairs or a pair and a triple) just add the scores for each combination.

The second version of the game (in Dice Games Properly Explained) gives a few variants:

• For larger groups it suggests entering two different numbers on each sheet to begin with and playing 23 turns.

• In Criss and Cross the rows and columns are totaled separately and you only score the lower of the two numbers.

• Criss versus Cross is for two players only; players use the same grid and take turns entering numbers. One player scores rows and the other columns.