Glückshaus

Sympkyn of the Moor

November 24, 2023

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Dice
Period: 1500+

Glückshaus (German for “House of Fortune”) is a traditional dice game of luck and simple strategy. Played since the late Middle Ages, it uses a specially numbered board and two dice. Each number represents a “room” in the house, some of which have symbolic or festive meanings—most notably the Pig, Wedding, and King.

History of Glückshaus

Origins: Glückshaus originated in 15th or 16th century Germany, and became popular across Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries.
Social Game: Traditionally played at weddings, feasts, and fairs, often with small coins, nuts, or beans.
Room Symbolism: Some spaces were given traditional meanings:
- 2 – The Pig (a lucky windfall),
- 7 – The Wedding Room,
- 12 – The King (the best roll),
- 4 – The Forbidden Room, sometimes omitted.

Traditional Rules of Glückshaus (Pig–King Variant)

Equipment

A Glückshaus board with numbered spaces: 2, 3, 5–12 (the number 4 is omitted).
Two six-sided dice (2d6).
A pile of coins, tokens, or beans.
2 or more players (best with 3–6).

Setup

Players each start with an equal number of tokens (e.g. 10).
Optionally, place one token in room 7.

Gameplay

Players take turns rolling both dice and adding the total:

Roll Result	Action
2	The Pig – take all coins on the board.
3, 5–6, 8–11	Place a token on that number if it’s empty. If already occupied, take all its coins.
4	The Forbidden Room – either reroll or do nothing (determined before play starts).
7	Wedding Room – place one token in every empty space, except 7.
12	The King – take all coins on the board.

No action is taken for rolls outside 2–12 (though these don’t occur with standard 2d6).
Play continues clockwise.

Victory Conditions

Players continue until a set number of rounds are played, or one player runs out of coins.
The winner is the player with the most coins at the end.

Optional and House Rules

Customise your Glückshaus experience with these variants:

1. Token Buy-in

All players contribute 1 token to each space (excluding 7 and 12) before play begins.

2. Fixed Rounds

Set a timer or play a fixed number of turns (e.g. 3 rounds per player).

3. Pig Bonus Variant

When rolling 2, the Pig not only gives you all coins, but lets you take another turn.

4. King Reroll

After rolling 12 and claiming the King’s bounty, roll again and continue your turn.

4. Pay the house

On rolling a 4 pay one coin to the owner of the game, this may have been done where the game was owned by a tavern.

6. Custom Room Names

Give each space a thematic title for fun:

Number	Room Name
2	The Pig (Glücksschwein)
3	The Soldier
4	The Forbidden Room (omit or reroll)
5	The Maiden
6	The Merchant
7	The Wedding Room
8	The Monk
9	The Widow
10	The Fool
11	The Traveller
12	The King

Summary Table

Dice Total	Traditional Name	Action
2	The Pig	Take all coins on the board.
3, 5–6, 8–11	Standard Rooms	Place a coin if empty; take all coins if occupied.
4	Forbidden Room	Nothing happens, or reroll if using that rule.
7	Wedding Room	Place 1 coin into every empty room except 7.
12	The King	Take all coins on the board.