1 What Is Tenzi?

Tenzi is a lightning-fast dice game for 2–4 players (more with extra sets). Each player has 10 dice in their color. All players roll simultaneously and keep rolling, setting aside matching dice, until someone has all 10 dice showing the same number and shouts "Tenzi!" A round takes about 60–90 seconds. It's pure chaos in the best way.

Tenzi was created by Carma Games and launched in 2011. It won multiple toy and game awards and spawned an entire family of variants and accessories, including the official "77 Ways to Play Tenzi" card set.

2 Setup

• Each player takes all 10 dice in their color.
• Players hold all 10 dice in their hands, ready to roll.
• No turn order, everyone plays simultaneously.
• Agree on a number of rounds (first to 5 wins, or just one winner per round).

3 How to Play Tenzi

1. Everyone rolls all 10 dice at the same time.
2. Choose a number, any number showing on your dice that you want to collect.
3. Keep all dice showing that number. Roll the rest again.
4. Keep repeating, keeping matches, rolling the rest, as fast as you can.
5. First player to have all 10 dice showing the same number shouts "Tenzi!" and wins the round.

You can change your target number at any time, if 6s seem to stop appearing, switch to 4s. There's no penalty for switching.

4 77 Ways to Play Tenzi

Tenzi's official expansion card set lists 77 variants. Popular ones include:

• Splitzi: Split your 10 dice into two groups of 5, each group must show a different matching number.
• Stealzi: When you roll a number that matches another player's target, you can steal their set-aside dice.
• Targetzi: Before rolling, everyone announces their target number, you can't change mid-round.
• Towerzi: Instead of setting dice aside, stack them on top of each other. If your tower falls, you have to reroll those dice.
• Dicey Tenzi: Instead of matching numbers, players must match a pattern (all even, all odd, ascending sequence, etc.).
• Teamzi: Two-player teams combine 20 dice, one partner rolls first, passes remaining dice to second partner, and so on.

5 Tenzi Tips

• Pick the number you rolled the most on your first roll. Starting with 3 or 4 matching dice is a significant head start.
• Roll fast, don't overthink. Tenzi rewards speed. Hesitating to switch targets costs you more than a suboptimal starting number.
• Roll near the edge of the table or in a tray. Dice go everywhere, contain the chaos.
• Don't wait to shout. Shout "Tenzi!" the moment you hit 10 matching dice, opponents are racing, and a half-second delay can lose you the round.

6 Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play Tenzi?

Each player gets 10 dice. All players roll simultaneously and keep rolling, setting aside any dice showing their chosen number and rerolling the rest, until one player has all 10 dice showing the same number and yells 'Tenzi!'

How many players can play Tenzi?

Tenzi comes with 4 sets of 10 dice (4 colors). Up to 4 players can play out of the box, but you can add more sets for larger groups.

Do all players roll at the same time?

Yes, everyone rolls simultaneously. There are no turns. First to shout 'Tenzi!' wins the round.

What are Splitzi and Stealzi?

Splitzi and Stealzi are two of the 77 official Tenzi variants. Splitzi requires splitting your 10 dice into two groups of 5 (two different numbers). Stealzi lets you steal another player's set-aside dice.

Is Tenzi just luck?

Mostly, yes, but some variants (like Tenzi Tower, which uses a Jenga-style tower) add a skill element. Classic Tenzi is pure speed and luck.