Next! 2012

In the dice game Next!, players try to roll specific combinations of colors/symbols in order to claim target cards. The harder the target is to claim, the more points that card is worth.

To set up the game, shuffle the 45 target cards, then lay them out face up in stacks of 15 in the three card trays. On a turn, a player can roll the dice up to three times, setting aside any dice that she wants to keep after each of the first two rolls. If a player could claim a target card after the first or second roll – such as a card showing three-of-a-kind – but decides to roll again, she can no longer claim that card after a future roll. Once a player claims a card, her turn ends and the next player goes, rolling all six dice to start the turn.

If a player doesn't claim a card, however, the next player has the option of immediately claiming a card that matches the dice previously set aside or keeping those dice set aside and having only two rolls on his turn to try to claim a card.

Some cards have icons that allow whoever wins it to take a special action, such as a bonus turn or theft of a card from an opponent.

After a player has claimed a certain number of cards (4, 5 or 7 with four-to-six, three or two players), that player can decide to end the game. The game ends automatically once a player has claimed six, eight or ten cards (again, based on the number of players). Players then tally their points, and whoever has the high score wins!