Counter Magazine
Greg J. Schloesser
February 2005
USA

Reiner Knizia keeps churning games out so fast that it is difficult to keep track of them all. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a parcel from Out of the Box containing Easy Come, Easy Go, a new dice-rolling game from the good doctor. I hadn’t heard a peep about the game, so I had no expectations, be they good or bad.

The basic premise of the game is quite simple: Roll dice in hopes of achieving certain combinations in order to capture valuable prizes. Be the first to capture three prizes and hold on to them for a full round and you emerge victorious.

The game consists of four dice, numbered 0 – 5, nine thick placards depicting valuable prizes and the number combinations necessary to win them, and a very nice, but completely superfluous dice cup. All come packaged in the same tall, square box in which Cloud 9 was also released.

Each turn, a player rolls the four dice and then decides which ones he wishes to keep (“freeze” in game parlance) and which ones he will re-roll. The player MUST freeze at least one die, but is free to freeze more if he desires. In fact, he can keep all four numbers and secure a prize, if he has met the requirements of one of the placards.

This “freeze and re-roll” aspect is similar to the mechanism used in other dice games, including Fill or Bust and Liar’s Dice.

The goal is to meet the requirements listed on one or more of the prizes. These include 2 pairs, 3 of a kind (with all dice being odd or even), 4 of a kind, a straight, or value totals of 17 or more, 3 or less, 7 exactly, or 13 exactly. Some are a bit easier to achieve than others, while a few – especially the ‘4 of a kind’ – are quite difficult. So, on each turn, players must decide which dice to freeze in order to give them the best chance at achieving the requirements and winning a prize. The best advice here is to play the odds and keep your options flexible. If you are reducing your options to needing a single number when you re-roll, you are likely going to be disappointed.

When achieving the requirements and winning a prize, it doesn’t matter whether the prize is presently unclaimed or currently in the possession of an opponent. You simply claim it, often to the consternation of your opponent! When this occurs – and it happens often – it isn’t difficult to understand the inspiration for the game’s title! Frequent outbursts occur, including the oft-repeated statement of “Easy Come, Easy Go!”

A player’s turn ends either when he claims a prize, or when he is unable to claim a prize after freezing all of the dice. If a player manages to claim three prizes AND hold them until the beginning of his next turn, he is the champ! As soon as a player acquires his third prize, however, he becomes the target. Each opponent has ONE more chance to steal one of his prizes before he can claim the victory. In practice, players will grab three prizes numerous times during the course of the game, only to have one or more stolen from them before they can win the game. While mildly frustrating, this is all part of the fun.

There is nothing ground-breaking here. It is another dice-rolling game, plain and simple. Yet, it is a fun pastime, one that can be played quickly and just about anywhere. It has never failed to elicit outbursts of glee and frustration, and has even resulted in some good-natured taunting. It is best played with 3 or 4, though, as 2 is sorely lacking in interaction and options. In spite of having a closet-full of “fillers”, there is always room for one more, provided it is fun. Easy Come, Easy Go is certainly that, and will likely see lots of table-time in a variety of settings. Another keeper from Herr Knizia!

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