Nile: The Dice Game
By Daniel Callister v-1.1 (0401210)
1-4 players, 10-20 min
Components:
-10 dice (2 white speculation, 1 blue speculation, 7 tan resource)
-4 pencils
-Score sheets
General Idea:
In Nile: The Dice Game players take on the role of ancient farmers harvesting valuable resources along the
fertile, yet unpredictable Nile river. Through multiple rolls and strategy players may roll a successful
harvest or an unsuccessful one and score accordingly. After a certain amount of unsuccessful harvests
and/or plagues of locusts the game ends and players tally up their individual scores. The player with the
most fruitful harvests wins, having proven himself the most resilient and hard-working farmer.
Setup:
Each player receives one score sheet and a pencil. All ten dice are placed near the play area. Each player
will start the game with the two white dice and three of the tan dice. This is the default for each turn.
Players will never start a turn with fewer than these five dice. Select a starting player by any fair method.
Playing:
On your turn you must roll all of your dice. All players start the game rolling the same amount of dice, but
you may increase the number of dice you roll throughout the game. Some die results you may re-roll if you
wish. Players may re-roll dice twice per turn (making three total rolls) before they must stop and score their
results. Players need not roll three times, but may stop and score at anytime after their first roll. When rerolling keep these rules in mind:
-Plague of locusts results may not be re-rolled
-Any resource matches on tan dice may not be re-rolled
-White dice may always be re-rolled regardless of their results
-The blue die may be re-rolled as long as it doesn’t show the plague.
Players may re-roll a die result that was kept from and earlier roll if it does not match any other tan die and
is not a plague of locusts. Scoring is done immediately after the third roll or earlier if the player decides to
stop before their third roll.
Scoring:
Players’ scores are kept on their individual score sheets. Each turn a player may score no more than one
type of resource, but may score several of that resource type at once if they manage their dice rolls well. To
determine the type of resource (if any) that you score you must determine from the result of your die rolls
which resource type has the fewest matches. This is the resource type you will score this round. The
number you score will be equal to the number of dice showing that particular resource type.
When two or more resource types are tied for fewest matches, you must score the resource type farthest to
the right on the score sheet. The score sheet shows left to right:
Papyrus
Castor
Lettuce
Wheat
Flax
Plague of Locusts
After you have determined which resource type and how many of that type you will score, simply cross off
boxes on your score sheet equal to the number you scored under the appropriate resource type.
Your turn is now over and the dice are passed to the next player moving clockwise.
Speculation Dice:
There are three speculation dice. The two white speculation dice will be rolled on each player’s turn
throughout the game, the blue die may only be acquired later in the game. Aside from resources (which are
scored as the tan dice) these dice also allow the players two special options:
Offering to Hapi: To execute this special option the player must have this result on two
speculation dice. The player may disregard this option if he wishes or cross off the next die
symbol on the bottom of his score sheet signifying that this player will use an additional tan die
during each of his turns for the rest of the game. The additional dice must be acquired in the order
they are shown on the bottom of the score sheet. Thus a player must acquire two additional tan
dice before he may acquire the blue die.
Market: To execute this special option the player must have this result (with red and/or
blue arrows) on two speculation dice. This special option need not be executed immediately, but
can wait until the player has finished all of his rolls for the current turn. It allows the player to
change any one of his die results to any other face once at any time during this turn. Scoring is
then carried out as normal. Executing the Market option is not required.
Plague of Locusts / Game End:
Anytime three or more plague of locusts are rolled in the same turn, one box is crossed off from the plague
section of the score sheet as a penalty, however the player still scores resources as normal during this turn.
Plagues are scored by all players as a group. Any time a player is forced to score one or more plagues, all
players must cross off the appropriate number of boxes on their score sheets. The game ends immediately
once the final plague of locusts box has been crossed off (using the appropriate set of boxes on the score
sheet for the number of players).
Final Scoring:
Once the game has ended players tally their scores individually. This is done by writing the total number of
units collected of each resource in the “total box” for that resource. Next, players must rearrange their five
totals from low to high (including any zeros). Players then compare scores, the player whose lowest of their
five totals has the highest value is the winner. If there is a tie, the tied players compare the value of their
next lowest total and so on. In the event of a perfect tie, the player with the most dice is the winner. If there
is still a tie… play again!
Additional Rules for Solo Play:
When playing a solo game, you are competing against an invisible player. After each turn you must cross
off a box starting from the bottom of your score sheet. This represents the invisible player’s score. Start
with flax and move to the next resource on the left, marking off one box at the end of each turn. After
marking off papyrus, return to flax and repeat. Score as usual by comparing your totals with those of the
invisible player to determine the winner. Invisible player’s score should already be arranged low to high.