Daruma

About this board game

Daruma is a dice push-your-luck game for 2–5 players, with games lasting around 40 minutes. On your turn, roll eight dice and use results showing 1 to fill the eyes of Darumas available on the game board.

Each time you fill an eye, resolve that Daruma’s power. These effects can create exciting combos, giving you opportunities to use more dice and obtain additional Darumas. Fill a Daruma’s second eye to receive its card, which will score at the end of the game.

• Roll eight dice and use results to fill Daruma eyes.
• Resolve card powers to create combos and gain more Darumas.
• Choose whether to continue using dice or pass and claim completed Darumas.
• Watch out for four dice showing 4: your turn ends and you receive nothing.

Your turn ends when you cannot execute any more dice or decide to pass. If you have completed Darumas, you obtain them at that point. The game also lets you gift Darumas to another player; in return, you can get back one die per turn at any time.

That gifting rule adds another possibility to each turn as you decide how to manage your Darumas and dice. Push too far and a roll of four 4s can wipe out the rewards from the turn, but stopping at the right moment lets you secure completed Darumas.

At the end of Daruma, every Daruma is worth points. Some of your favorite Darumas provide extra value, while others can reduce your score, so your final collection matters. The player with the most points wins.