Knucklebones is the two-player dice game that Cult of the Lamb made famous, free to play online against the computer with no download and no sign-up. Each of you fills a three-by-three tray one die at a time. Matching dice in a column multiply — two 5s score 20, three score 45 — and every die you drop knocks out the same number in your opponent’s facing column. When a tray is full, the higher total wins. Five measured opponents, best-of-three matches, hints, and it plays on phones and desktops.
How to play Knucklebones
- You and the computer each have a tray of three columns, with room for three dice in each. Your tray is the one nearest you; the computer’s faces it across the table.
- On your turn a die is rolled for you. Tap one of your columns that still has room — or press 1, 2 or 3 — to drop the die into it.
- A column scores the sum of its dice, but equal dice multiply: one 4 scores 4, two 4s score 4 × 2 each (16) and three 4s score 4 × 3 each (36). Paired dice turn gold and triples turn blue.
- Dropping a die knocks out every die of the same number in the computer’s facing column, and the computer can do the same to you. Hover a column (or move to it with the arrow keys) to see where the die would land and which enemy dice it would knock out.
- The game ends the moment either tray is full. The higher total wins and equal totals draw.
- A match is best of three games and you take turns to roll first. A win scores 1 and a draw ½; win the match to unlock the next of five opponents.
Tips
- A pair is worth far more than its two dice: two 6s score 24, and a third makes 54. Keep a column open for the number you already have there.
- Look across the table before you drop. A 5 that knocks out a pair of the computer’s 5s swings the score by 20 points before you count your own 5.
- A pair of 6s facing an open enemy column can vanish on one unlucky roll. Where you have a choice, build big pairs opposite columns the computer has already filled.
- Filling your tray ends the game. If you are ahead, finishing quickly locks the lead in; if you are behind, spread your dice to keep the game going.
- Stuck? Hint suggests a column and tells you what it gains and what it knocks out.
FAQ
Is Knucklebones free to play online?
Yes. Knucklebones is free to play in your browser with no download, no account and no in-game purchases. Your progress through the five opponents is saved on your device.
Is this the Knucklebones from Cult of the Lamb?
It is the same dice game — the version of knucklebones played in Cult of the Lamb, with three-by-three trays, multiplying matches and knock-outs — rebuilt here with its own art and computer opponents. It is not an official Cult of the Lamb game and is not affiliated with its makers.
How does scoring work in Knucklebones?
Each column scores on its own and your total is the three added together. A number that appears once counts its face value; a number that appears twice counts twice its value for each die, and three times counts three times for each. So 3, 3, 5 scores 3 × 2 + 3 × 2 + 5 = 17, and 6, 6, 6 scores 54.
How do you knock out the other player’s dice?
Drop a die into a column and every die with the same number in your opponent’s facing column is removed — one, two or all three of them. The other dice in that column slide back towards the middle. Knock-outs only ever hit the column directly opposite.
When does a game of Knucklebones end?
The moment either tray holds nine dice. Only the player who just dropped a die can fill a tray, but the full tray does not have to belong to the winner: the higher total wins. Equal totals draw. Knock-outs can keep a game going, so as a safety net play stops after 200 dice in all — a limit no game has reached in the thousands the computer players have played; the longest ran to 96 dice.
Does it matter who rolls first?
Hardly. In 2,000 games of the Apprentice playing itself, the player who rolled first won 999 and the other 966, with 35 draws; in 1,000 games of the Expert playing itself the split was 497 to 487 with 16 draws. Matches still take turns to roll first so neither side keeps it.
How strong is the computer?
Every opponent was measured over thousands of computer-against-computer games with the dice shared and the first roll swapped, a draw counting a half. The Novice, which only builds its own tray, wins 59% of games against a player who drops dice anywhere; the Apprentice, which also knocks your dice out, wins 70% against the Novice; the Player wins 57% against the Apprentice and the Expert 54% against the Player; the Master, which reads four dice ahead, wins 55% against the Expert and 63% against the Apprentice.
Can I beat the Master?
Yes — no opponent wins every game, because the dice decide a lot of Knucklebones. The Master makes the most of its rolls by weighing every face you and it might throw next, but a good run of dice beats it, and a best-of-three match gives your better play room to show.
Does Knucklebones work on phones?
Yes. On an upright phone your tray sits under the computer’s and you tap a column to drop your die; turned sideways, the trays face each other left and right. A keyboard works too: 1, 2 and 3 drop into a column, the arrow keys move between columns and Enter drops, H asks for a hint and N starts a new match.