View source for Kismet (dice game)

{{Short description|1963 dice game}}
{{italics title}}
[[Image:Kismet Die Faces.png|thumb|200px|The faces of the dice used in Kismet, with three different colors of [[Pip (counting)|pips]]]]
'''''Kismet''''' is a commercial [[dice game]] introduced in 1964. The game's name is the [[Turkish language|Turkish]] word for "fate". [[E. William DeLaittre]] holds the trademark on the game, which was originally published by Lakeside Games,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rolling through Life with Kismet|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/rolling-through-life-with-kismet/|website=National Museum of Play|date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> and which is currently produced by Endless Games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kismet Rules|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2581/kismet|website=BoardGameGeek|date=March 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kismet Rules|url=https://www.boardgamecentral.com/rules/kismet-rules.html|website=Board Game Central|date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> Marketed as "The Modern Game of [[Yacht (dice game)|Yacht]]", the game play is similar to Yacht and ''[[Yahtzee]]'', with a few variations. A primary distinction is that in ''Kismet'', the sides of the [[dice]] have different colored pips.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kismet Game: A Comprehensive Guide|url=https://www.rolldice.games/blog/kismet-game-a-comprehensive-guide/|website=rolldice.games|date=March 1, 2025}}</ref>

==Game contents==
The game consists of five white dice with colored pips (1 and 6 black, 2 and 5 red, 3 and 4 green), a dice cup, a pad of scorecards, and a pencil.

==Game play==
Players take turns rolling five dice. Each player can take up to three rolls per turn. On the second and third rolls, the player may hold back dice from the previous rolls in order to create better scoring combinations.  At the end of the third roll, the player must enter a score into an open field on their scorecard. If the player cannot use their third roll in any scorecard field, they must enter a zero into an open field.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.endlessgames.com/instr/kismet.pdf |title=Kismet rule sheet at Endless Games website |access-date=2011-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710191757/http://www.endlessgames.com/instr/kismet.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ultrafoodmess.com/board-games/how-to-play-kismet-official-rules/|title=How to play Kismet Official Rules|website=ultrafoodmess.com|date=27 May 2024 }}</ref>

===Scorecard===
Each player keeps a running tally of their rolls on a scorecard. The scorecard is laid out in two sections, the Basic Section and the Kismet Section.

====Basic section====
The Basic Section of the scorecard plays similarly to ''[[Yahtzee]]'''s upper section, in that points are scored for the number of pips on the dice displaying the chosen category. There are six categories: ''[[Ace]]s'' (ones), ''Deuces'' (twos), ''Treys'' (threes); ''Fours'', ''Fives'', and ''Sixes''. Each of these categories is scored by adding the total of dice that match the category. For example, after the third roll, dice displaying [[File:Tabler-icons dice-3.svg|Dice value 3]][[File:Tabler-icons dice-4.svg|Dice value 4]][[File:Tabler-icons dice-4.svg|Dice value 4]][[File:Tabler-icons dice-4.svg|Dice value 4]][[File:Tabler-icons dice-6.svg|Dice value 6]] may be entered as a score of '''12''' in the ''Fours'' section (the total pips on the dice displaying 4), '''3''' in the ''Treys'' section (3x1), or '''6''' in the ''Sixes'' section (6x1), if those categories are still open.

As in ''Yahtzee'', a bonus of '''35''' points is earned with a minimum of 63 in the Basic Section. ''Kismet'' provides two further bonus levels; a score of at least 71 but no more than 77 earns a bonus of '''55''' points; and 78 or more, a bonus of '''75''' points.

====Kismet Section====
The Kismet Section is scored based on creating dice combinations similar to [[poker]] hands. It is in this section that the colored dice come into play, as they determine scoring criteria below:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width: 15%;" | Category
! style="width: 45%;" | Description
! style="width: 15%;" | Score
! style="width: 25%;" | Example
|-
! 2 Pair Same Color
| Two pairs of numbers having the same color: [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|18px]] or [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|18px]] or [[Image:Kismet-Trey.png|20px]]  [[Image:Kismet-Trey.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|18px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|18px]]. The fifth die can be anything. Any Four-of-a-Kind, same-colored Full House, or Kismet can also be scored under this category.
| Sum of all dice
| [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]]
|-
! 3 of a Kind
| Three or more dice having the same number.
| Sum of all dice
| [[Image:Kismet-Trey.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]]
|-
! Straight
| 1-2-3-4-5 or 2-3-4-5-6<br><small>(There is no "Small Straight" in Kismet.)</small>
| 30
| [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Trey.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]]
|-
! Flush
| All dice showing the same color.
| 35
| [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]]
|-
! Full House
| Any Three-of-a-Kind and a pair; color is not important.
| Sum of all dice + 15
| [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]]
|-
! Full House Same Color
| A Full House with all dice the same color.
| Sum of all dice + 20
| [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]]
|-
! 4 of a Kind
| Four or more dice showing the same number.
| Sum of all dice + 25
| [[Image:Kismet-Trey.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]]
|-
! Yarborough
| Any combination.<br><small>(Kismet's "Chance" category)</small>
| Sum of all dice
| [[Image:Kismet-Ace.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Four.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Five.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Six.png|25px]]
|-
! Kismet
| All five dice showing the same number
| Sum of all dice + 50
| [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]] [[Image:Kismet-Deuce.png|25px]]
|}

===Rolling subsequent Kismets===
''Kismet'' does not provide for bonus points for multiple five-of-a-kinds. After scoring a Kismet, a subsequent five-of-a-kind can be used as a "joker", which can be scored in any open category in the Kismet Section (except the Straight category), or the appropriate number category in the Basic Section if it has not already been scored. Scoring occurs as the category specifies.

The twist of rolling a second Kismet comes in games where two or more people are playing; in multi-player games, if one player rolls a second Kismet, all other players must take a zero in the first open category (closest to the top on the scoresheet) in the Basic section, or the Kismet section if all Basic section boxes have been filled. The opponents thus lose a turn; the player who rolled the second Kismet rolls again. This applies to subsequent Kismets as well. This is where the name of the game comes into play; with the player rolling multiple Kismets, "it is fate" that they most likely will win.

==See also==
*[[Game design]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{bgg title|2581|Kismet}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110202114652/http://endlessgames.com/ns-KismetWindowBox.html Kismet at Endless Games website]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAVAPpUJG0 How To Play Kismet] (Bower's Game Corner, YouTube)
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAVAPpUJG0 Ep. 234: Kismet Dice Game Review (Lakeside 1964) + How To Play] (Board Game Museum, YouTube)
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAVAPpUJG0It's Kismet! A history of the popular dice game and its predecessor (and competitor) Yahtzee] (NewVenture Games, YouTube)

{{Dice games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kismet (Dice Game)}}
[[Category:Dice games]]
[[Category:Endless Games games]]
[[pl:Kości (gra)]]