Five Dice or Thirty-One?
Both games come with Gather. Here’s how they differ and when each one fits better.
The key differences
- From 7 players on, only Thirty-One works: it goes up to 9 players, Five Dice only up to 6.
- Thirty-One needs at least 2 players – with fewer people, only Five Dice works.
- Thirty-One has more interaction than Five Dice (you react to each other vs. everyone on their own).
- Thirty-One rewards skill more than Five Dice (skill and luck vs. lots of luck).
- Thirty-One is over sooner: usually 10–20 minutes, while Five Dice takes 10–30 minutes.
- In Thirty-One everyone has secret information on their phone; in Five Dice more is out in the open.
- Five Dice is one of the Board and dice games, Thirty-One one of the Card games.
At a glance
| At a glance | Five Dice | Thirty-One |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Board and dice games | Card games |
| Players | 1–6 players | 2–9 players |
| Length of a game | 10–30 min | 10–20 min |
| Age | ages 8+ | ages 8+ |
| Luck or skill | lots of luck | skill and luck |
| Noise level | lively | lively |
| Learning curve | quick to learn | quick to learn |
| Interaction | everyone on their own | you react to each other |
| TV | not needed | not needed |
| Against the computer | yes | yes |
| Teams | no | no |
| Bluffing | no | no |
| Reading needed | no | no |
Which one suits you?
Five Dice
Five dice, three rolls, thirteen boxes on the score sheet: every turn is a small choice between playing safe and taking a risk. The sheet adds itself up, bonus and extra five-of-a-kinds included.
Pick Five Dice when you want a laid-back dice game where kids can keep up.
Thirty-One
Three cards in your hand, three in the middle: swap until one suit gets as close to 31 as you can. Whoever knocks ends the round – and the worst hand then loses a life.
Pick Thirty-One when a bigger group wants a fast card game with a bit of a thrill.
What they have in common
- Both work for 2–6 players.
- Both also work without a TV, right on iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- You can play both against the computer.
- Both work from age 8.
- Both come free with Gather and need no account.