1 What Is Liar's Dice?

Liar's Dice is a hidden information bluffing game for 2–6 players. Each player rolls 5 dice under a cup and keeps their results secret. Players take turns making bids about how many dice of a specific face exist across all players combined, but since no one can see anyone else's dice, every bid involves some bluffing and deduction. When a bid is challenged, all dice are revealed and the loser loses a die. Last player standing wins.

The game has roots in 15th-century South America (under the name "Dudo" or "Perudo") and was popularized globally by the commercial Perudo game. It was famously featured in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

2 Setup

• Each player gets 5 dice and a cup (or shake cup).
• All players simultaneously roll their dice and keep results hidden under their cups.
• The youngest player or highest visible die goes first.
• Keep paper nearby to track which dice have been lost (or remove dice physically).

3 How to Play Liar's Dice

1. All players roll secretly under their cups.
2. The first player makes a bid: a quantity and a face value. Example: "Three 4s" means "I claim there are at least three dice showing 4 among all players' dice."
3. The next player must either raise the bid or challenge it.
4. Play continues clockwise until someone challenges.
5. On a challenge, all dice are revealed and counted.
6. The loser of the challenge loses one die and starts the next round.
7. When a player loses all their dice, they are eliminated.
8. Last player with dice wins.

4 The Bidding Rules

Each new bid must be strictly higher than the previous. You can raise it in two ways:

• Increase the quantity at the same or lower face: "Three 4s" → "Four 4s" or "Four 2s"
• Increase the face value at the same quantity: "Three 4s" → "Three 5s" or "Three 6s"

You cannot bid the same quantity and face as the previous player. You cannot decrease the quantity unless you also increase the face value sufficiently.

Example bid sequence: Two 3s → Two 5s → Three 5s → Three 6s → Four 1s (if 1s are wild) → Challenge!

5 Challenging a Bid

When you say "Liar!" (or "Dudo!" in Perudo), all players lift their cups and count the relevant dice across the entire table.

• Bid was wrong (fewer dice than claimed): The bidder loses one die.
• Bid was correct or exceeded (at least as many dice as claimed): The challenger loses one die.

After the challenge is resolved, all players reroll their remaining dice and a new round begins. The player who lost a die starts the next bid.

6 Wild Dice (Aces / 1s)

Many versions of Liar's Dice treat 1s as wild, they count as any face value. This is standard in Perudo but optional in home versions.

With wilds: If there are two 1s and two 4s on the table, a bid of "four 4s" is technically met (2 actual 4s + 2 wild 1s = 4).

Bidding 1s directly: In Perudo, when someone bids 1s specifically, the quantity is halved (rounded up) relative to normal bids. So "two 4s" → "one 1" is a valid escalation.

Always clarify wild rules before the game. Wild 1s significantly increase the likelihood of bids being accurate and slow down challenges.

7 Bluffing Strategy

• Bid based on your dice, not hope. If you have two 5s, a bid of "three 5s" in a 4-player game is statistically reasonable (others likely have at least one 5). Grounding bids in your actual dice is more reliable than pure bluffing.
• Use quantity increases to buy time. If you have weak dice, raise the quantity on a face your opponent just bid, you're extending the sequence without making an outrageous claim.
• Challenge late bids aggressively. Late in a round, with fewer total dice on the table, high bids become statistically improbable. Challenge more freely.
• Track revealed dice. When challenges occur, note what was on the table, this informs your future bids and challenges.
• Low dice counts = challenge territory. When a player bids "five 6s" with only 10 dice total in play, the probability drops sharply. Do the math.

8 Variants and Perudo

Perudo (Commercial Version)

Perudo (by Cosmodrome Games) is the most popular commercial version. Key differences:

• 1s are wild (count as any face)
• Players can make an "exact" call, claiming the bid is exactly right. If correct, the caller gains a die; if wrong, loses one.
• When bidding 1s, quantity rules change (halved from the last non-1 bid)

Two-Player Liar's Dice

Each player gets 5 dice. Reveal one die from each cup before bidding to reduce blind guessing. First to 0 dice loses.

Team Liar's Dice

Teams of two share a pool of dice. Partners can signal (legally) about their dice through bid choices. Popular at larger gatherings.

9 Common Rule Mistakes

• Wrong: Bids don't have to increase. They absolutely do, every bid must be higher than the previous.
• Wrong: Peeking at dice is fine. The entire game is hidden information. Peeking at another player's dice is cheating.
• Wrong: Challenge ends the game. A challenge only eliminates one die from one player. The game continues until one player has all the dice.
• Wrong: Assuming 1s are always wild. Wild 1s are optional, confirm before playing.

10 Frequently Asked Questions

What is Liar's Dice?

Liar's Dice is a bluffing dice game where each player has a set of hidden dice. Players make escalating bids about how many dice of a given face value exist across all players' cups, and can challenge ('call liar') any bid they doubt.

How many dice per player?

Standard rules give each player 5 dice and a cup. The game can be played with fewer (3 per player) for a shorter experience.

What does 'call liar' mean?

When you doubt the current bid is accurate, you challenge it by calling 'Liar!' The dice are revealed. If the bid is wrong, the bidder loses a die. If the bid is right or higher, the challenger loses a die.

Are 1s wild in Liar's Dice?

In many variants, 1s (aces) are wild and count as any face value. This is common in the Perudo variant. Some home versions do not use wilds, clarify before playing.

How do you win Liar's Dice?

Be the last player with dice remaining. Players who lose all their dice are eliminated.

Can you bid the same quantity?

You must always increase the bid, either the quantity, the face value (on the same quantity), or both. You cannot bid the same quantity and face as the previous bid.

What is Perudo?

Perudo is the commercial version of Liar's Dice, originally from South America (Dudo in Spanish means 'I doubt'). It uses wilds (1s count as any number) and has a special 'exact' call.