Liar's Dice

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Dice
Period: 1552

Liar’s Dice is a classic bluffing and deduction game played with dice hidden beneath cups. Each player must guess how many dice showing a certain face value are present across all players’ cups—but without knowing anyone else’s dice. Players bluff, challenge, and try to outwit each other to be the last one with dice remaining.

History of Liar’s Dice

  • Origins: Likely derived from Perudo or Dudo, a South American game with Incan roots.

  • Global Spread: Popularised among sailors and gamblers; modern versions are common in pubs and game collections.

  • Variants: Known by many names: Pirate’s Dice, Dudo, Perudo, and sometimes Bluff.

  • Pop Culture: Featured in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Traditional Rules of Liar’s Dice

Equipment

  • Each player needs:

    • A cup

    • Five six-sided dice

    • A flat surface

  • Optional: Chips or tokens to track lost dice or stakes

Players

  • 2 to 6 players is standard, though larger groups are possible

Basic Gameplay

Setup

  1. Each player rolls five dice in secret under their cup.

  2. Players peek at their own dice but do not show them to others.

  3. The first player makes a bid: an estimate of how many dice showing a specific number are present among all players.

    • Example: “Five 3s” means they believe there are at least five dice showing 3 across all cups.

On Your Turn

Each subsequent player must either:

  • Raise the Bid: Increase the quantity, or increase the face value (e.g., from “five 3s” to “six 3s” or “five 4s”).

  • Call Bluff (Challenge): If you believe the previous player is lying, you challenge the bid.

Revealing

  • If challenged, all players reveal their dice.

  • If the original bid is correct (i.e., there are at least as many dice as claimed), the challenger loses a die.

  • If the bid is incorrect, the bidder loses a die.

Losing Dice and Elimination

  • Players lose one die each time they fail a challenge or are caught bluffing.

  • Once a player loses all their dice, they’re eliminated.

  • The last player with any dice wins.

Optional and Variant Rules

1. Wild Ones

  • The 1 face is wild, counting as any number when tallying dice.

  • Makes bluffing easier but adds complexity.

  • Some variants only allow 1s to be wild until a certain round or after someone loses a die.

2. Alternative Raising

  • When increasing the face bid the player may reduce the number, eg if the current bid is five 3s they may raise to three 4s.

3. Everyone at one die

  • If all the players are down to one die, the call changes to be the value of the dice added together and subsequent callers can only increase the value. When challenged the player is lying if their bid is higher than the total of the dice.

4. Palifico Round (Perudo variant)

  • When a player is down to one die, their round becomes Palifico:

    • No wilds

    • Face value must stay the same (only quantity can increase)

    • Adds tension and strategy

5. Exact Call

  • A player may call “Exact!” if they believe the bid is precisely correct.

  • If right: they gain back a die (to a maximum of 5).

  • If wrong: they lose a die.

6. Silent Reveal (House Rule)

  • When a bid is challenged, players reveal dice one at a time, building suspense.

7. Stacked Dice Variant

  • For advanced players: allow rerolls, known-distribution dice, or loaded bluff dice for extra depth.

Summary Table

Rule Area Summary
Players 2–6 (or more with extra sets)
Dice 5 six-sided dice per player
Cups Opaque cups to hide dice
Objective Be the last player with dice
Play Style Bluffing, deduction, and risk management
Wilds 1s are wild (variant dependent)
Victory Outlast all others by calling and avoiding bluffs