This set of instructions fully describes the rules of this wonderful game of skill and chance, as well as explain how to use the application itself. It is also available while Yahtzee! is running by selecting "Open Help" (†H) from the File menu or Instuctions from the Balloon Help/Guide menu (System 7).
The Object of Yahtzee! is to score as many points as possible with each turn, the winner being the person with the highest score after every player has finished the game.
How to Play
Begin by selecting "New Game…" (†N) from the File menu. To enter player names, type each name in the edit box, clicking on Add to add it to the list at left. By clicking on a player on the left, that person's name may be deleted, or edited. Only players whose names appear in this box will be registered to play. Select the game you wish to play, original Yahtzee! or Triple Yahtzee! for longer, higher scoring games.
Each turn begins with an initial roll. The player then has two opportunities to reroll any, or all, of his dice. This is done by selecting each die to be rerolled by clicking the mouse to depress each die button. A die will be rerolled when it is depressed (darkened).
After the second reroll (or the first if no dice are unlocked), the player must then select the category he wishes to score his roll under. This is done by clicking the mouse with the arrow pointing to one of the category names on the scorepad. Only categories which have not been previously selected by the player may be chosen (except for Yahtzee!, which will be explained later), the available categories will be highlighted for your convenience.
Play then proceeds to the next player who has not scored rolls in each of his categories. When no player is left with open categories, the game is finished.
All About Yahtzee! Scoring
Each category belongs to one of two groups, the uppers and the lowers. The Uppers are all scored in the same way. Each upper category's title corresponds to a particular value for a die. The player will receive a score for each upper category equivalent to the sum of all dice of his roll whose values are the same as the category title. For example, a roll of 4-2-2-3-2 scored under Twos would score 2+2+2 or 6 points and a roll of 5-2-4-2-3 would score 3 points under the Threes category.
If a player's upper total reaches 63 points or above, he will receive an additional 35 points scored in the Bonus box. Note that to reach 63 points, you can have three dice matching for each upper category.
The Lowers consist of seven categories.
3-of-a-Kind and 4-of-a-Kind
These are scored as the sum of all five dice, only if at least three of the dice, four for 4-of-a-Kind, match (just like the poker hand).
Full House
The player receives 25 points is his roll has three dice with one value, and two of another (again, just like in poker). However, 5-of-a-Kind (a Yahtzee!) does not qualify.
Small Straight
The player receives 30 points if his roll contains four dice with consecutive numbers, for example 1-2-3-4. The fifth die can have any value.
Large Straight
The player receives 40 points if his roll contains five dice with consecutive numbers, either 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6.
"Yahtzee!"
This category is everybody's goal, and is simply another name for a 5-of-a-Kind. Its scoring, however, is unique in that the first one a player gets is worth 50 points, but in Yahtzee! each subsequent one adds an additional 100 points. But be careful, a roll which is not a 5-of-a-Kind scored under this category will lower your Yahtzee! score to zero no matter what level it was previously at. In Triple Yahtzee!, the 100 point bonuses are not available.
Chance
This category is simply scored as the sum of all five of the player's dice.
High Scores are recorded in the file Yahtzee! Prefs. To view the top five High Scores for both games, select the About Yahtzee... item in the menu.
About This Software
This game is a hybrid of freeware and shareware. What this means is that I do not require that you send in a fee for using the application, as I don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying the game. However, as with all programs Yahtzee! consumed a reasonably decent portion of my time, and I therefore request that you send a little something as an incentive (money, a CD, software of your own, etc.). I also strongly encourage bug reports, suggestions for improvements, and ideas for new projects. I can also provide the source code for this little program if desired.
I can be reached (as of the date of this release) at:
Mikael Sheikh
Necromancer Software
60 Wadsworth St Apt 5B
Cambridge MA 02142-1336
U.S.A.
Internet: sheikh@server.berkeley.edu
World Wide Web: http://server.berkeley.edu/~sheikh/NS/
Redistribution
You are entitled to redistribute this software through whatever means, provided that (a) this README file accompanies it, (b) neither the application nor this README are edited or altered in any way, and (c) no more than reasonable costs of reproduction are charged. This software may not be sold, incorporated into other products, or in any way commercially exploited without prior written consent of the author.
MIKAEL SHEIKH AND NECROMANCER SOFTWARE MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE DESCRIBED HERE, ITS MERCHANTABILITY, OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOU THE USER ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF DATA OR MATERIALS RESULTING FROM ITS USE. THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME STATES. THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. THERE MAY BE OTHER RIGHTS YOU HAVE WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
