Dice Throne
Officially Dice Throne (Roxley Games)
Roxley Games 2-6 player asymmetric dice-combat game (Manny Trembley + Nate Chatellier, 2018) — 24+ character heroes each with unique dice + Yahtzee-style rolling + card upgrades. Simple turn: roll dice, activate abilities, attack. Massively backed on Kickstarter.
What is Dice Throne?
Dice Throne is a fast-paced 2-6 player asymmetric dice-combat card game designed by Manny Trembley + Nate Chatellier + published by Roxley Games (Canada). Kickstarted 2018 (Season 1) + 2019 (Season 2) — raised $2M+ combined. Each player picks 1 of 24+ character heroes (Monk, Barbarian, Pyromancer, Shadow Thief, Cursed Pirate, Samurai, Vampire Lord, etc.) — each with unique dice, hero mat, ability cards, and 5+ signature attack abilities. Combat: roll 5 dice Yahtzee-style (up to 3 rolls with reroll), activate matching-face ability from hero card, resolve damage. HP starts at 50; reduce opponent to 0 = win. Card play + upgrades between rounds add strategy layers. Play formats: 1v1 (best-of-3), 2v2, 3v3, free-for-all. Extremely popular in casual + light-strategy scene; Season 1 heroes (8 characters) + Season 2 (16 characters + expansions) + crossover expansions (Marvel Dice Throne 2022 with Iron Man, Black Panther, Loki, Scarlet Witch). Wildly popular gateway asymmetric game — comparable in market space to Root, but faster + more accessible.
Quick facts
Category
Dice Games
Type
Mixed
Players
2–6
Duration
~30 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇦 Canada
Estimated origin
Season 1 Kickstarted 2018; Season 2 2019; Marvel Dice Throne 2022
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Reduce opponent HP from 50 to 0 by rolling matching-ability dice combos.
Match structure
Round-based: each round players roll dice (up to 3 rerolls), activate matching-face abilities, resolve damage.
Rules
Basic rules
Roll 5 dice, up to 3 times (Yahtzee-style)
Roll all 5 dice, then hold + reroll up to 2 more times.
Match dice to hero ability card
Ability activates based on dice combination (pair, triple, straight, etc.).
Reduce opponent HP to 0
First player to bring opponent from 50 to 0 HP wins.
Advanced rules
Card play + upgrades between rounds
Between rounds, spend combat points to upgrade abilities + play tactical cards.
Hero-specific mechanics
Each hero has unique passive + active mechanics (Pyromancer's Elementary Combustion chains, Monk's Meditation for extra dice).
Team formats (2v2, 3v3)
Team formats add cross-turn ability interactions + support-role heroes.
Scoring
First to reduce opponent HP to 0 wins.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Attack damage | Ability-specific damage |
Win condition · Opponent HP reaches 0.
Equipment
24+ character hero decks + dice
Each hero has custom dice + card deck + hero mat.
Hero mat + HP tracker
Individual player mat with 50 HP tracker + ability slots.
Combat point tokens
Currency between rounds for upgrades.
Positions & roles
Hero (24+ characters)
×1Solo player picking hero for combat.
Officiating
No formal officials.
- Group consensus
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Missed roll (no matching ability)
Turn passed with minimal action.
Wasted rerolls
Roll all 3 times without landing viable combo = wasted turn.
Strategies
Hero-matchup adaptation
Certain heroes counter others — read opponent hero + adapt strategy accordingly.
Reroll for highest-damage ability
Sometimes better to skip low-damage ability + reroll for signature high-damage combo.
Combat point saving vs spending
Save combat points for game-defining upgrades vs. spend immediately for tempo advantage.
Terminology
- Hero
- Character selected for combat
- Ability card
- Attack/utility abilities triggered by matching dice
- Combat points
- Currency for upgrades between rounds
- Yahtzee-style rerolls
- Roll 5 dice, hold some, reroll rest up to 2 more times
Major competitions
Community tournaments (BGG, Reddit)
ongoing (community-run) · worldwide (community) · since 2019
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Roxley Games
Founded 2014 · Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Manny Trembley (designer)
- Nate Chatellier (designer)
Records
$2M+ Kickstarter
Roxley Games — Season 1 + Season 2 combined Kickstarter raised $2M+ USD (2019)
Marvel Dice Throne 2022
Roxley + Marvel — Marvel Dice Throne (2022) crossover expansion with Iron Man, Black Panther, Loki, Scarlet Witch — mainstream awareness boost (2022)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Season 1 Monk vs Barbarian intro
Simplest heroes for learning core mechanics.
intermediate
- 1
All Season 1 + Season 2 heroes
Master matchups across 24 heroes.
advanced
- 1
2v2 team + tournament strategy
Team formats + community tournament competitions.
Frequently asked
How does Dice Throne compare to King of Tokyo?+
Both are dice-rolling combat games. King of Tokyo is simpler (5-6 players, monster theme, ~30 min). Dice Throne has deeper asymmetric hero mechanics + more variety + longer play time, closer to a light-CCG feel.
Is Dice Throne cooperative?+
Primarily competitive (PvP hero brawler). Dice Throne Adventures (2022+) added cooperative campaign mode with 5-mission story arcs for 1-4 players vs. AI bosses.
Sources & provenance
- BoardGameGeek — Dice Throne— BoardGameGeek