Crack & Stack - Learn to Play!
How to Play
We recommend you open the rulebook to this centrefold and leave it out while you play. If you want to print a larger version, you can download a PDF of it here.
If you have any issues or questions not solved by this video and FAQ, please let us know by sending an email to hello@triplepointpublishing.com.au!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who goes first?
At the start of the game, draw random sets of three dice for each player. Then let the youngest or weakest player choose which set of three they will start with. Then the next youngest, and so on. This generally means the strongest players are slightly disadvantaged by having a harder set of dice to stack.
Does everyone play at the same time?
Yes! It's a race where all players follow the steps 1) Stack!, 2) Crack!, and 3) Stack! simultaneously. Wait at the finish line (see how-to-play diagram above) and then have each player say the answer to their Puzzle Card, starting with whoever was slowest to finish the race, and continuing clockwise around the table.
What happens if my tower falls over?
If you're in Step 1 - stacking for the first time in a round - don't worry about it. Just keep trying until you succeed or are the last player still on this step. But if you're in Step 3 - stacking on top of your face-down Puzzle Card, and including your newest Dice - then every time it falls over you must return one of your Dice to the bag. Remember that you can choose to repeat Step 3 after this to gain a Speedy Token, but if it falls again you'll be paying another of your Dice to the bag, so stack it carefully!
Do I have to take a new Dice or a Speedy Token?
Nope! If you're finding it hard to stack your tower already, you can choose to skip taking the rewards during a round. But they are worth points, and if your tower falls over anyway you might wish you'd taken one to put back in the bag.
What if I can't solve my Puzzle Card at all?
You can discard and draw a new Puzzle Card as many times as you wish. You can do this because it's too hard, or because you're fishing for a puzzle of a particular type, or even because you're looking for a puzzle worth more medals!
You're also not required to solve your Puzzle Card - you just have to put it face-down. If racing to get the best looking Dice and a Speedy Token is more your style, then you can simply put your Puzzle Card down immediately.
And finally, the solution to each puzzle is hidden somewhere in the border of each card! It is not cheating to spend your time searching for the answer this way instead of solving it - but you'll probably be slower!
They bumped the table and my tower fell over!
That's not a question... But we recommend just trying to play fair. If your tower falls and it's not your fault, we say you can move to the next step without paying any penalty.
Now they keep yelling while I'm trying to remember the answer!
You're really not good at this question thing, are you? Maybe cover your ears, yell right back, or just agree not to do that. But within some of our crazier player groups this is considered a totally valid tactic!
How can I balance things to play with kids and adults together?
The Puzzle Cards can be separated by type or difficulty, or both. And you should feel free to leave out any puzzles that you're struggling with. Cards with just one medal are intended to be Easy puzzles, and cards with three medals are the Hardest. Cards with two medals have both Easy and Hard variants.
After separating the cards, leave them in these piles and let players choose what they want to draw in each round. You can also give adults an extra challenge such as only getting one point per card or being forced to draw from the Hard pile every time!
How do we break ties?
If two or more players finish with the same number of points, each of them must gather all their dice and roll them. The highest total value is the winner!
So yes, there is a strategic reason to take the 20-sided dice - they help you win the tie-breaker!