Farkle is a free online push-your-luck dice game for one player against a computer opponent, first to 5000. You roll six dice, set aside the ones that score, and then choose: bank what the turn is worth, or roll what is left and risk all of it. A roll that scores nothing is a farkle, and the whole turn goes with it. Single ones are 100 and single fives 50; three of a kind is a hundred times the face, except three ones which are 1000, and every die past the third doubles it again, so six fours are worth 3200. A straight of all six is 1500, three pairs 1500, two triplets 2500. Two rules do most of the work. Every die you set aside has to score — you cannot drag a dead three along with a live one — and if you set all six aside you get hot dice: all six come back and the turn keeps everything it has already earned, which is where a turn worth four thousand comes from. The game shows you the odds instead of asking you to feel them: above the tray it prints the exact chance the next roll farkles, counted over every possible roll rather than estimated. Those numbers are not intuitive. Six dice farkle about one time in fifty; two dice farkle four times in nine, and a single die two times in three. The opponent decides from the same numbers, banking when the pot it would lose outweighs what another roll is worth, so it is neither reckless nor timid.
How to play Farkle
- Press Play. Six dice are rolled for you, and the first player to 5000 wins.
- Tap every die you want to set aside. Each one has to be part of something that scores — a one, a five, or a set of three or more.
- The turn total climbs as you set dice aside, but it is not yours yet. The number in green is what you would be adding.
- Press Roll again to roll whatever is left, or Bank to take the turn total and hand over.
- If a roll scores nothing at all, that is a farkle: the whole turn is lost and it passes to your opponent.
- Set all six dice aside and you get hot dice — all six come back and the turn keeps everything it has earned. This is where the huge turns come from.
- Single ones are 100 and single fives 50. Three of a kind is a hundred times the face, three ones are 1000, and every die past the third doubles it again.
- A run of all six is 1500, three pairs is 1500, and two triplets is 2500.
- You need 500 in a single turn before you can bank anything at all. Until then, Bank stays shut.
- Above the tray the game prints the exact chance the next roll farkles. Read it before you decide — the numbers are not what most people guess.
Tips
- Learn three numbers and the game changes. Six dice farkle 2% of the time, three dice 28%, two dice 44% and one die 67%. Rolling a single die is almost always a mistake.
- Hot dice are free. Six fresh dice farkle one time in fifty, and you keep everything already earned, so there is essentially never a reason not to roll them.
- Do not take every scoring die. A single five is only 50 points and costs you a die, which makes the next roll much more dangerous — sometimes leaving it is worth more than taking it.
- The question is always the pot against the odds. Risking 300 on three dice is fine; risking 2000 on two dice is not, and the percentage on screen tells you which one you are looking at.
- Three ones are 1000 and three twos are only 200. That gap is why a roll with a pair of ones in it is worth rolling on for.
- Watch your opponent's score, not just your own. Once it is close to 5000 you have to gamble, and once you are close you should not.
- The opening rule bites hardest at the start. You cannot bank at all until one turn is worth 500, so early turns have to be pushed further than you would like.
- The Hint button marks the best set to keep and stays up while you take them, so you can follow it one die at a time rather than memorising it.
FAQ
Is Farkle free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account.
What is a farkle?
A roll where nothing scores at all. When it happens the entire turn total is lost — not just the last roll — and play passes to your opponent. It is the whole reason banking is a decision.
How does Farkle scoring work?
Single ones are 100 and single fives 50. Three of a kind is a hundred times the face, except three ones which are 1000, and each die beyond the third doubles it again. A run of all six is 1500, three pairs 1500, and two triplets 2500.
What are hot dice?
Setting all six dice aside in one turn. All six come back and the turn keeps everything it has already earned, so a turn can chain several times over. Six fresh dice farkle about one time in fifty, which is why rolling them is close to free.
Why can I not keep this die?
Because it does not score as part of what you have selected. Every die set aside has to earn its place, so you cannot take a one and a three together and claim the hundred.
Why is Bank greyed out?
You need 500 points in a single turn before you can bank anything. Until your account is open the only way forward is to keep rolling, which is what makes the first few turns the sharpest ones.
What is the percentage above the dice?
The exact chance that rolling the dice you have left scores nothing. It is counted over every possible roll rather than estimated, so it is a fact rather than a feel — and it changes enormously as dice leave the table.
How good is the computer player?
It reads the same odds you can see and banks when the turn total it would lose outweighs what another roll is worth. Measured over six hundred games, going first is worth about 52 percent, so the first-turn advantage is real but small.