Rehearsal For Life 2026

Rehearsal For Life is a fast roll-and-write dice game for 2–5 players in which players try to build the best result through two consecutive stages: School and College.

On each turn, a player rolls five dice, with up to three rolls available. After each roll, the player may keep any dice they want and reroll the rest. After their final roll, they must choose one available category on their personal board and record the result. The choice of which dice to keep and which category to use is an important part of the game.

School

During the School stage, players fill six number categories, from 1 to 6. Each category scores according to how many dice show that number. Three matching dice score 0 points, while having fewer or more can result in negative or positive points. After all six School categories have been filled, the player's School Result is calculated. A School Result of +1 or higher earns a +50 School Bonus.

College

After School, players move to the College stage. They must fill eight different combination categories: Double, Two Doubles, Triangle, Fronton, Small Order, Large Order, Quadrilateral, and Pentagon. These categories represent combinations such as pairs, three- and four-of-a-kind, a full house, and straights.

Players also have one Strategic Reserve. This space can be used for any valid combination, even if the corresponding main College category has already been filled.

Two special actions can affect a turn. With a Golden Roll, if a player completes a valid combination on their very first roll of the turn, the points for that combination are doubled. A player may also declare a Risk Roll before rolling. If the player successfully records a combination that turn, they gain an extra roll for a future turn. If the attempt fails, they lose one resource: either an extra roll or their Strategic Reserve.

The College stage ends when a player has filled all eight combination categories and their Strategic Reserve.

At the end of the game, each player adds their School Result, College points, and any bonuses they earned. The player with the highest total score wins.

—description from the designer