Regenwormen rules

2 to 7 players · ages 8+ · 30 minutes · dice game

Eight dice and sixteen tiles with worms on them. Every turn revolves around the same question: roll once more, or be happy with what you have? Get too greedy and you lose a tile. Play it too safe and you watch the others grab the fat worms. Don't have the box yet? Regenwormen (published in English as Pickomino) is in the shop.

Set up in one minute

1. Lay the sixteen tiles out in order in the middle of the table, from 21 on the left to 36 on the right, with the worms showing.
2. Give the eight dice to the starting player. Each die has the numbers 1 to 5 and a worm.
3. Whoever most recently saw a real earthworm goes first. No idea? Then the youngest player.

How to play a turn

In short: roll all the dice, set aside all the dice showing one particular value, and choose: carry on with the rest or stop. Each time you must set aside a value you did not have yet. If you have at least 21 points and at least one worm, you may take a tile.

1. Roll all the dice you still have in your hand. The first time, that is all eight.
2. Choose one value you rolled and set aside all the dice showing that value. A worm counts as a value too. You may only choose a value you have not yet set aside this turn.
3. Decide: stop, or roll again with the dice you have left. If you roll again, go back to step 1.
4. Can you not set aside a single new value after a roll? Then your turn has failed. Put the top tile of your own stack back in the middle, with the worms showing. Then the highest tile in the middle is turned face down and is out of the game, unless the tile you just put back is itself the highest. No tiles yet? Then you only lose your turn, but the highest tile is still turned face down.
5. If you stop, add up the dice you have set aside. Each worm counts as 5. You need at least one worm, otherwise your turn fails after all (see step 4).
6. Use your total to take a tile. From the middle: the tile showing exactly your total or, if that one is gone, the next lower one that is still face up. From an opponent: only the top tile of someone's stack, and only if it shows exactly your total.
7. Place the tile on top of your own stack. Only the top tile can be stolen; the rest are safe. Pass the dice to the left.

When does the game end?

The game stops as soon as there are no face-up tiles left in the middle. Face-down tiles do not count and do not come back.

Scoring

You count the worms on your tiles, not the numbers. The higher tiles are worth more worms:

Tiles	21 to 24	25 to 28	29 to 32	33 to 36
Worms per tile	1	2	3	4

The player with the most worms wins. If two players are tied, the one with the highest tile wins.

Frequently asked questions

I rolled 21, but no worm. May I take a tile?

No. No worm, no tile, however high your total. Your turn has then failed and you put your top tile back.

May I take a tile from the middle that is lower than my total?

Only if the tile showing exactly your total is no longer there. Then you take the next lower one that is still face up. Choosing a lower one voluntarily is not allowed.

Can I steal a tile from lower down in someone's stack?

No. You may only take an opponent's top tile, and only with an exactly matching total. Whatever is underneath is safe.

I rolled 30 and that tile is face down. What now?

Look at the middle: if 29 or lower is still face up, take the highest of those. If an opponent has the 30 on top, you may steal it. Otherwise your turn has failed.

May I set aside several values at once?

No. For each roll you choose one value and set aside all the dice showing that value. You roll the rest again or you stop.

Tips for experienced players

• Take worms early. Without a worm your turn is worth nothing, so set them aside as soon as you roll two or more.
• Taking a low tile is better than nothing. The 21 is only one worm, but a failed turn costs you a tile and closes a high tile for everyone.
• Watch what is on top of your neighbours' stacks. Rolling exactly that number is the most fun way to win.
• Fours and fives are tempting, but three dice showing a 5 make 15, and three worms also make 15. Choose the worm.

Love that one extra roll?

The tension in Regenwormen lies in the question: roll once more or not? You will find that feeling in Flip 7 too, just with cards. You turn one over, and another, until you stop. Draw a number you already have and you lose that round's points. Want more dice on the table instead? Take a look at Magical Athlete: a dice race in which every runner has a special power of their own.

Still looking for a present for Sinterklaas or Christmas? Have a look at the top 10 Sinterklaas games or the top 10 Christmas games.

Do you play a house rule that is not listed here, or have you spotted a mistake? Let us know and we will update it.