Overview
Martian Dice is a quick push-your-luck dice game where players are Martians abducting Earthlings (humans, cows, and chickens) while avoiding the military (tanks). Each die face shows 1 Tank, 2 Death Rays, 1 Human, 1 Cow, or 1 Chicken. Players roll and set aside dice, trying to collect Earthlings while using Death Rays to neutralize Tanks. The game ends when someone reaches 25 points.
Components
- 13 custom dice (each with faces: Tank, Death Ray x2, Human, Cow, Chicken)
- Score pad
Setup
No board setup required. Determine a starting player. Each player will take turns rolling all 13 dice.
Turn Structure
On your turn:
- Roll all 13 dice.
- You MUST set aside all Tanks (if any were rolled).
- Choose one other type (Chickens, Cows, Humans, or Death Rays) and set aside ALL dice of that type.
- Decide: Continue rolling the remaining dice, or stop and score.
- If you continue, roll the remaining dice and repeat from step 2.
- You may only choose each Earthling type (Chicken, Cow, Human) once per turn. Death Rays may always be chosen.
Actions
Setting Aside Dice
- Tanks are always mandatory – set them aside immediately.
- Death Rays may be chosen on any roll to counter Tanks.
- Earthlings (Chickens, Cows, Humans) may each be chosen only once per turn.
Stopping and Scoring
When you stop (or run out of dice):
- If your Death Rays >= your Tanks, you score points for collected Earthlings.
- If your Tanks > your Death Rays, you score 0 points for this turn.
- Bonus: If you collected at least 1 of each Earthling type (Chicken + Cow + Human), earn 3 bonus points.
Forced Stop
If you have no dice remaining or no valid choice to make, your turn ends automatically.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
| Earthling |
Points |
| Each Chicken |
1 |
| Each Cow |
1 |
| Each Human |
1 |
| Set bonus (1+ of each type) |
+3 |
| Tanks > Death Rays |
0 (bust!) |
The game ends when any player reaches a total score of 25 points or more at the end of their turn. Complete the current round so all players have equal turns. The player with the highest score wins.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- You cannot re-roll dice that have been set aside.
- If all remaining dice show Tanks, you must stop (and likely bust).
- Death Rays only counter Tanks; they do not score points themselves.
- With 2 Death Rays per die face, they appear most frequently and are key to defense.
- Strategic choice: stop early with a safe small score, or push your luck for more Earthlings and the set bonus.
Player Reference
| Die Face |
Count per Die |
Effect |
| Tank |
1 |
Must set aside; cancels scoring if > Death Rays |
| Death Ray |
2 |
Counters Tanks; may always be chosen |
| Human |
1 |
Scores 1 pt; choose only once per turn |
| Cow |
1 |
Scores 1 pt; choose only once per turn |
| Chicken |
1 |
Scores 1 pt; choose only once per turn |