Fans of Roll-and-Writes Rejoice with Dice & Ink Volume 1

Roll and write your way through various roll-and-write games in this collection of 10 paper and dice games from Inkwell Games.

Gameplay

Dice & Ink: A Roll-and-Write Anthology is the first volume in a proposed series that brings together multiple roll-and-write games in a compact book. 

Each of the ten games included use different dice (from the standard six-sided variety to a suggested 10-sided die) to complete the objectives of the games. The games come with multiple tear-out sheets (many of which are double-sided with the game boards) for games which can accommodate multiple players. Some games are solo or cooperative and others offer traditional opponent versus opponent.

Many of the games within Dice & Ink offer friendly competition. For example, in Islands of Atlantis by Alexander Shen, 1-6 players are working to construct islands using 6 six-sided dice, separated into two sets of different colors. When players select from the die, one of the sets will detail the number of hexes the land mass will take up and the other selected die from the second set will determine the number (1-6) of the mass. The goal is for players to create connected land masses that have at least one mass of each number (1-6) and then to fill in the bordering hexes to designate the island complete. This process repeats throughout the game, earning players scoring bonuses depending on how well they construct their islands. The game ends when players can no longer play any of the rolled dice. The player with the most points wins.

Games such as Lost at Sea offer a solitaire experience for those who prefer going it alone. In Lost at Sea, the player is stranded at sea on an island made of trash. The player will roll their dice and try to scavenge goods, create a raft, clean water, and try to manage their health and hygiene with the goal of escaping the island before perishing. 

Photo provided by the publisher.

Review

The first anthology of Dice & Ink is a study in variety within a specific genre. Within 10 small games, there are epic solo games and quick group contests; thinky games where math and forethought are necessary and others where quickness and luck are utilized to their maximum benefit. 

The multiple copies and double-sided pages allows for multiple playthroughs of all the games, as well. So for an inexpensive price point, players will get a lot of games out of the book, even if playing the games that allow for multiple players. Perforated pages mean that pages also tear out easily, and even laminate them to get endless mileage out of the anthology.

However, Dice & Ink isn’t perfect. The rules are poorly written for many of the games, and even the guiding images included do not always help players understand the rule set and actions of every game. Likewise, despite offering many pages for each game, some games can play up to 6 players. If gamers play in big groups and do not have easy access to lamination tools, it’s likely they’ll run out of sheets quickly and be left to either printing out copies or forgoing that game in the future. Also, players will need to provide their own dice and some of the game’s requirements may mean some games cannot be played unless dice are purchased.

These are slight negatives to what is ultimately a triumphant first anthology from Inkwell and the 11 designers behind these introductory 10 roll-and-writes. 

Pros: Variety in roll-and-write themes and mechanics, great introduction to the roll-and-write genre

Cons: Poorly written rules and examples, players need to supply their own dice