Kniffel

Kniffel is a dice game and the German name for Yahtzee. It is played with five six-sided dice and a score sheet. The goal is to score the highest total by filling 13 categories across two sections: an upper section for ones through sixes, and a lower section for various combinations such as three of a kind, four of a kind, full house, small straight, large straight, chance, and Kniffel (Yahtzee).

On each turn, a player rolls all five dice. After each roll, the player may set aside any dice and roll the remaining dice. This may be done up to two more times (three rolls per turn). After the final roll, the player assigns the result to an unfilled category on the score sheet, and that category cannot be used again in the session.

Scoring is done by the rules of the chosen category. The upper section sums the dice showing the corresponding value (for example, the sum of all ones). The lower section assigns points for the listed combinations. The Kniffel/Yahtzee category awards a fixed score, commonly 50 points, for rolling five identical dice; some rule variants provide bonuses for additional Yahtzees.

The game ends when all categories on the score sheet are filled, and the player with the highest total wins. Kniffel is popular in German-speaking countries and is available in various editions, as well as digital and online versions.