How to Play Qwixx

Learn how to play Qwixx fast with this rules guide that summarises the instructions in simple steps. If you are looking for a quick overview of Qwixx to understand gameplay and what makes it fun, click here.

Players: 2 to 5 | Game duration from: 10 mins | Game Complexity: EASY
Qwixx rules pdf / rulebook

What is the goal of Qwixx?

The goal is to cross out as many numbers from each color-row as possible while avoiding penalties.

Game setup

• Each player takes a score sheet.
• A Qwixx game has one basic rule, which is that each of the four color rows must have numbers crossed out from left to right.
• There is no need to start at the leftmost number, but if you skip any numbers, they cannot be crossed out later.

Gameplay

The first player to roll a 6 becomes the active player. The active player rolls all six dice.
We now carry out the following two actions in order, one after the other.

First Action

• The active player adds up the white dice and announces the total.
• The players may then cross out the number announced by the active player in any (but only one of the color rows)

Example:

• The 2 white dice show a 4 and 1.
• The active player calls out loud “5”
• Non-active players (Tony, Caroline, Annie and Nora) decide if they wish to cross out numbers on their score sheet. Tony crosses out yellow 5. Caroline crosses out red 5. Annie and Nora do not cross out a number.

Second Action

The active player can then (but is not required to) add one of the white dice together with any one of the colored dice and cross out the number corresponding to this sum in the die-row corresponding to the color of the selected die.

Example:

Active player adds white 4 and blue 6 and crosses out 10 in the blue color row.

Penalties

After the two actions, the active player must cross out one of the penalty boxes if he didn’t cross out at least one number.
Penalties are worth -5 points at the end of the game. (No penalties for non-active players if they choose not to cross out a number.)

Locking a Row

Cross out at least five numbers in the color-row prior to crossing out the number at the extreme right end (red 12, yellow 12, green 2, blue 2).

Cross out the number on the extreme right, as well as the lock symbol directly next to it. The color-row is now locked for all players and numbers in this color cannot be crossed out. Remove the die corresponding to the color.

Note:

• When a row is locked during the first action, other players may also cross out the extreme right number and lock the same color-row at the same time. These players must also have previously crossed out at least five numbers in that row.
• The cross on the lock counts as one of the total crosses in that color row.

End of game

When either a player crosses his fourth penalty box, or two dice (two color-rows) are removed from the game, the game ends immediately.

It may happen (during the first action) that a third row locks simultaneously with the second row.

How to win?

Beneath the four color-rows is a table indicating how many points are awarded for how many crosses within each row (including any locks marked with a cross). There are five minus points for each crossed out penalty box. Score all four color rows and any penalties in the appropriate fields at the bottom of the scoresheet. The player with the highest total score wins.