Zooloretto: The Dice Game

Coloretto's add-or-take tension with dice and a scoresheet: fill your zoo before the carts fill up.

Designer: Michael Schacht
Published by: ABACUSSPIELE
Editions by: Z-Man Games, 999 Games, White Goblin Games, Filosofia Éditions

Zooloretto: The Dice Game takes the old push-or-take rhythm of Coloretto and swaps the cards for dice, so you never know which animal will turn up. Each of you has a scoresheet that is your zoo: room for one crocodile, two ostriches, up to five lions and more, plus coins and barns for creatures that do not fit. On your turn you either grab two dice from the reserve, roll them and park each in a transport cart on the board, or you take every die in one cart and tick those animals and coins off your sheet. Carts have limited space, so when to cash in is the whole question. Roughly fifteen minutes of pencil work, two to four players, best with three.

Dice replace cards in the Coloretto rhythmYour scoresheet is your zooCarts with limited space force the timing

Who it's for

You know Zooloretto or Coloretto and want a tiny dice-and-pencil version, or you like short set-collection games with a push-your-luck feel.

Not for you if…

You want deep zoo building with tiles and a board of your own, or you dislike dice deciding which animals you receive.

Vibe's take

Quick and tense for its size. Everyone watches the carts, tries to guess what the next roll will bring, and decides whether to grab a fat cart now or add one more die and hope.