Klondike - Drinking Game Rules & How to Play

Klondike is a drinking game in the Dice Games category for 2-6 players that takes about 15-30 min with a easy difficulty level.

Gold rush themed dice game

Equipment Needed

Setup

Each player gets a six-sided die and a drink. Place a central 'gold stash' by setting five coins (or any small tokens) in the middle of the table. Players will be rolling their dice to claim gold, assign drinks, or face penalties. Decide on the first player by having everyone roll their dice, with the highest roll going first.

How to Play Klondike

  1. Set up the game according to basic rules
  2. Players take turns or play simultaneously
  3. Penalties result in drinking
  4. Success means assigning drinks
  5. Continue until winner emerges
  6. Loser faces final penalty
  7. Winner earns bragging rights
  8. Adjust rules as needed for your group

Tips & Strategies

Roll aggressively, but keep an eye on the '1' result,this is often the drinking penalty, and it adds up fast if you're unlucky. If you're on a hot streak and winning gold, don't gloat too much or you'll find yourself the target of everyone assigning drinks back to you. If you're losing and keep drinking, try agreeing to a house rule that lets you swap one of your gold tokens for a die reroll. This can buy you some time to recover.

Variations

Every time someone rolls a 6, they not only claim a gold token but also assign double drinks to another player.: Introduce a rule where rolling a 3 allows the player to steal a gold token from another player instead of taking from the stash.: Once the central stash is empty, players must gamble gold tokens against each other by rolling dice, with the higher roll taking the opponent's token.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if two players tie for the highest roll?
In the event of a tie, those players must have a roll-off. The loser of the roll-off takes a drink, and the winner goes first.
What does rolling a 1 mean?
Rolling a 1 is a penalty, meaning you immediately take a drink. You don't get to claim any gold or assign drinks on that turn.
How do you win Klondike?
The game ends when the central gold stash is empty and one player has the most gold tokens. If there's a tie, a final roll-off determines the winner, with the loser facing a drinking penalty.
Can you adjust the number of gold tokens in the stash?
Yes, you can add more tokens to the stash to make the game longer or remove some for a quicker game. Just make sure everyone agrees before starting.

Players: 2-6 | Duration: 15-30 min | Difficulty: easy

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