⊑⟒⌰⌰⍜ ⏃⋏⎅ ⍙⟒⌰☊⍜⋔⟒ ⏁⍜ ⋔⊬ ⏚⌰⍜☌

Now that I’ve gotten the attention of all the Martians in the room, let’s begin! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go to this “Earth” planet we have found and get us as many of the inhabitants as you can – particularly of the “hu-man,” “chi-ck-en,” and “kow” varieties as they have the samples we most need. Take plenty of death rays with you to combat their pesky tanks, and most importantly, do not disappoint us. GO NOW!


What Is It?

Just 13 dice and a rulebook! Martian Dice is a super light, simple, and quick push-your-luck dice rolling game. You’re trying to collect sets of 3 types of earthlings and also roll enough death rays because without them, you won’t score your sets. Be careful, don’t get greedy, and collect points as fast as you can! The first player to 25 triggers the end game and the person with the most points wins!


Who Is It For?

Really, this one is great for any type of gamer! (Unless you absolutely, undeniably abhor push-your-luck games…then steer clear). It’s so quick to learn and play and really let’s the good times roll – pun definitely intended – so I think it would be a nice filler and a big hit with lots of groups.

The box says ages 14+ but I find that to be an overestimate. It’s a really easy learn so I think player as young as 6 or 7 could easily understand and enjoy this one.


Quality

Obviously not very many components here, but what is there is of great quality. The dice are sturdy and the colors of the images are really vibrant. The rulebook is very clear and concise which makes it an even easier game to learn, and that’s always a plus. And finally the box, though a tad big for what it contains, is good quality, and definitely very fun and fitting to the theme which makes for a great look!


PROS

  • Plays quickly
  • Easy to learn, teach, and play
  • Fun theme
  • Cute box and pieces
  • Small/portable
  • Some very light strategy/choice (when to stop vs when it’s worth it to keep rolling)

CONS

  • Pretty much completely luck based (sans choosing to stop of course), which I know isn’t always appealing to everyone
  • Can be hard to catch up if you’re already behind because of that luck factor

Difficulty

Definitely only a 1/5 for difficulty. Anyone could easily learn and play this and do just as well as the next person; there’s no real skill or prior knowledge advantages at all.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed this little game a lot! I’m usually not huge on push-your-luck style games, but there was just something special about this one that made it an easy one to love. I consistently requested playing it since getting it and had a great time every time, even when I was losing! (Also a feat for me, as anyone can tell you).
It’s so quick and light that you can’t help but have a good time whether you’re trying to meticulously plan when to stop or you’re just chanting against other players hoping they get more tanks! All-in-all, a very solid small box game that’s bound to be a big hit in many groups!

Happy Gaming~

Additional Information:
Designer – Scott Almes
Publisher – Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG);
Artist – Josh Cappel
BGG
BGA

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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