Overview

Burosh is a Dwarven pub game of strategy, bluffing, and luck for 2 to 6 players. Players roll and place dice on a communal board, bolster (increase) their own dice, and wane (reduce) their opponents’ dice. A deck of custom playing cards is used to resolve challenges when players contest each other’s board spaces. The game combines dice placement with poker-style hand comparison.

Components

• Game board with placement spaces
• Uniquely-colored six-sided dice sets (1 set per player)
• Custom Burosh playing card deck (52 standard cards + 3 unique wild cards)
• Rules sheet

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.
2. Each player takes a set of uniquely-colored dice.
3. Shuffle the Burosh card deck and deal a starting hand of cards to each player.
4. Determine the starting player.

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player:

1. Rolls their dice.
2. Places one or more dice on the communal board.
3. May bolster their own dice (increase pip values) or wane opponents’ dice (decrease pip values).
4. May initiate a challenge for a contested space.

Actions

Place Dice:

• Place one or more of your rolled dice on available spaces on the board.
• Each space shows the pip value required or allows any value.

Bolster (Increase):

• Increase the pip value shown on one of your dice already on the board.
• This strengthens your position on that space.

Wane (Reduce):

• Decrease the pip value shown on an opponent’s die on the board.
• If a die reaches 0, it is removed from the board.

Challenge:

• When contesting a space, both players reveal cards from their hands.
• Poker-style hand comparison determines the winner.
• The loser’s die is removed from the contested space.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when all board spaces are filled or no more moves can be made. The player with the most dice on the board (or highest total pip value) wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Wild Cards: The 3 unique wild cards in the Burosh deck can represent any card in a challenge, providing a significant advantage.
• Social Game: Burosh was designed as a social/pub game, and the rules are intentionally flexible. House rules are encouraged.
• Challenge Variants: Some groups resolve challenges using rock-paper-scissors, high card, or a coin toss instead of poker hands — all are acceptable.
• Bluffing: Players can bluff about initiating challenges to deter opponents from contesting their spaces.
• Quick Play: At approximately 15 minutes per game, Burosh is designed as a filler or pub game.

Player Reference

Action	Effect
Place die	Put a die on a board space
Bolster	Increase your die’s pip value
Wane	Decrease opponent’s die pip value
Challenge	Poker-hand contest for a space

Win condition: Most dice on the board at game end Game length: ~15 minutes Card deck: 52 standard + 3 wild cards