Once Ratau's tutorial concludes in Cult Of The Lamb, you can stop by the Lonely Shack any time you like to play Knucklebones. This simple and strategic dice game can be played for fun, or you can bet Coins to try and win some extra cash for your cult. The more skilled the opponent, the more you stand to win if you can beat them.

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We've broken down the rules of knucklebones to make them easy to digest. Read on for a crash course in the forest's favorite dice game, as well as winning strategies to help you rake in the gold!

Updated April 26, 2023: While the Relics of the Old Gods update has added plenty of new content to play with, sometimes it's fun to go back to the classics. We've gone over this guide to make sure everything is clear and readable.

How To Play Knucklebones

Players take turns rolling a single six-sided die and placing it on their side of the board. Each player has their own 3x3 grid, and their score is the total of all the dice currently placed there. When one player has filled all nine slots on their board, the game ends, and the player with the highest score wins.

Each player's grid is divided into three columns. If a player has two or three dice showing the same number in a single column, their values are added together and multiplied by the number of matches.

Getting matching dice in the same column is the best way to drive up your score. Try to prioritize this over any other strategies.

Double And Triple Score Chart

If a player places a die that matches one or more dice in their opponent's corresponding column, all of their opponent's matching dice are removed. This allows you to get rid of high-scoring dice, even doubles or triples, as long as you have somewhere for your matching die to go.

While the game is luck-based, being strategic with your die placement is the best way to win consistently.

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Knucklebones Opponents

As you explore the realms of the Old Faith, you'll encounter Ratau's friends on their way to the Lonely Shack. They typically appear late in each region, as you're approaching the Bishop's Temple, but you don't have to worry about missing them - they always appear on the main route.

Ratau and his friends have different skill levels at Knucklebones. A less-skilled opponent will often make mistakes, missing opportunities to remove your dice or to get doubles and triples. More skilled opponents will not make these mistakes as frequently, providing more of a challenge.

You can play friendly games, or you can bet Coins in increments of five. More skilled opponents have higher maximum bets, letting you put more gold on the line. If you lose the game, you lose the Coins, but if you win, you get the same amount!

The first time you beat each of these opponents in a game of Knucklebones, you'll acquire a Tarot Card.

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How To Win At Knucklebones

Even Shrumy can be beaten with relative ease as long as you play smart. Whenever you place a die follow these guidelines:

• Always take the opportunity to get a double or triple, even for low numbers.
• Eliminate your opponents' dice every chance you get, especially doubles and triples if possible.
  • If you're forced to choose between getting a match or eliminating your opponent's dice, do some quick math to see which will give you a better net gain. Destroying a single six is effectively worth two more points than matching two ones, for example.

• Place high-numbered dice in columns that your opponent has already filled. This keeps them from eliminating your best scorers!
• Have a "trash column" for ones and twos, ideally opposite an empty column of your opponent. If you can bait them into eliminating your low dice, you can replace them with better numbers.
• In general, the player who places their ninth die to finish the game will win unless their opponent has several matches and high numbers.

Once you've gotten the hang of knucklebones, you'll be walking out of the Lonely Shack with a full purse every time!

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