Get ready for a game that will warm your heart – Hearts Due! This delightful dice game is designed for 2 or more players and promises 30 minutes of fun. Dice games are a fantastic choice as a travel game because of the variety of games available without taking a bunch of space in your bag. Otherwise, on to Hearts Due!
- Ages 8+
- 30 min game play
- 2-6 players (can play more, but the time around the table might lag)
Overview
Welcome, game enthusiasts, to Hearts Due. In 1914, Parker Brothers released a dice game with hearts instead of pips on them and the goal was to roll the word HEARTS. Today, we’ll play a variation using regular dice. Using these dice, a sheet of paper, and a pencil, you’re about to embark on a journey where it’s all luck in the pursuit of spelling the word “HEARTS.”
Game Set Up
You’ll need:
- Six dice
- Paper
- Pencil
- Draw a table on the paper with columns for each player and rows for each round of the game or print this one here:
Game Play
Designate each number on the dice to a letter in the word “HEARTS.”
Roll all 6 dice to decide who plays first. The player with the highest total goes first. In case of a tie, re-roll.
The first player rolls all the dice. To score points, they will need to have at least rolled a H(1) and a E(2). That roll is worth 5 points. For each extra letter in order that is rolled, more points are earned. For example, a H(1), E(2), A(3), R(4) is worth 15 points.
To score:
H E (1,2) = 5 points
H E A (1,2,3) = 10 points
H E A R (1,2,3,4) = 15 points
H E A R T (1,2,3,4,5) = 20 points
H E A R T S (1,2,3,4,5,6) = 25 points
If H and E (1, 2) are not rolled, that player’s receives no points and play moves to the next player to their right.
Broken Heart
If a player rolls 3 H’s (1), their score is reset to zero, leaving that player “brokenhearted”.
How to Win
Play continues around the table until a player reaches 100 points, who emerges as the Hearts Due champion.
Ready to play Hearts Due? Share your experiences, strategies, and any variations you come up with in the comments below. May your rolls be lucky and your hearts be full of fun!