Liar's Dice rules explained

Liar's Dice is a 2-6 player game of nerve: five dice each, only your own dice visible, and bids that keep climbing until someone calls the showdown. This guide covers bidding, wild ones, showdown rulings, and elimination in one pass.

1. Players, dice, and goal

Two to six players per table, five dice each, so up to thirty dice can be in play. The goal is not to win one round but to outlast everyone: the last player holding dice wins.

2. How each round starts

Every surviving player shakes at the same time and checks their own dice. You only know your own numbers; everyone else knows only what you bid — and that is where the bluff lives.

The host opens round one. From then on, the previous round's loser opens; if that player is out, the next surviving player does.

3. Bidding: always higher

A bid is quantity + face, such as three fours, meaning the whole table holds at least three fours.

• Each bid must beat the previous one: more dice, or the same quantity with a higher face.
• The quantity cannot exceed the total number of dice still in play.
• Faces rise from 2 to 6. Ones are special and covered in the next section.

4. Wild ones and locking

Until anyone bids ones, ones are wild and can stand in for any face. If you bid three fives, every one on the table counts toward the fives.

But once anyone bids any number of ones, ones lock for the rest of the round and count only as ones. Bidding ones is both attack and defense: it kills the table's wilds and removes one layer of protection from your own hand.

5. Challenging and showdown rulings

If you think the last bid is a bluff, hit Challenge. Every cup is revealed and all dice matching the face are counted:

• Actual count ≥ the bid:the bid stands, the challenger judged wrong and loses a die.
• Actual count < the bid:the bidder was bluffing and loses a die.

One line to remember: after the showdown, whoever judged wrong loses a die.

6. Losing dice, elimination, and the end

Each challenge settles once; the loser loses one die and shakes one fewer next round. Players with no dice are out. When only one player has dice left, the game ends and that player wins.

7. Playing online

No download or signup — open your browser and play. Creating a room gives you a 4-letter code; share it with friends and they join in one tap. AI players fill empty seats, and a dropped player returns to the same seat automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum number of players?

Two players can start, up to six. Everyone starts with five dice; online, AI players fill empty seats.

When are ones wild?

Until anyone bids ones in the current round, ones count as any face. Once someone bids any number of ones, they lock as ordinary ones for that round.

Who loses after a showdown?

If the actual count is at least the bid, the bid stands and the challenger loses a die. If the count is short, the bidder loses a die.

Is this the same as Big Talk Dice?

Yes. Liar's Dice is the English name for the same game commonly called Big Talk Dice in Chinese. Both use rising bids, challenge showdowns, and losing a die on a wrong call.

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