The Rolling Realms rulebooks are available for download (including the living rulebook for promos, which is continually updated). There is also a full rules video by Watch It Played.
If you have rule questions, please post them in the comments on this page, create a thread on BoardGameGeek, or ask them in the Rolling Realms Facebook group.
In addition to the solo mode included in Rolling Realms, designer Morten Monrad Pedersen designed an additional solo mode while the game was in production. Check it out here! You can also play round-by-round against Jamey in this ongoing video series.
The original version of Rolling Realms is free to download and play, whether it’s with Jamey live, against Jamey in the past (see playthroughs on YouTube), or against your friends (in person or remotely). This version features rudimentary graphic design. If you can’t print it, Justin Dwyer has created a digital version available for free here. There’s also a randomizer created by Nathan Sullivan here and an FAQ by Rob Pettit. Also, thanks to Ollie Holliday for thinking of the game name!
A fellow designer, Seth Jaffee, has created his own version of Rolling Realms inspired by games he’s designed. You can download and play Jaffee Realms here.
93 Comments on “Rules & FAQ”
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Hello Jamey,
Thank you very much for this amazing game, the variety of the promo packs make every game different and mind scratching.
I would like to know if a restock of the Feast of Odin promo pack is planned (either europe or US) so I could complete my collection.
All the best,
Yves
Thanks! Yes, we’re working on a reprint of that promo realm. Please sign up for a back-in-stock notification so we can let you know in a few months when it’s back.
Hey Jamey – I have a Realmiverse question. In the first chapter, it says pumpkins can only be used to adjust rolled dice or heart generated dice. Does that mean pumpkins can not be used to reuse a realm on a turn? Is that what is limited?
I believe so, though it could also refer to coin-created dice. I’m not the designer of Realmiverse, but I’ll share this question with Morten to answer. :)
Hi Chris! As Jamey says, it refers to coin-created dice. The intention of the rule is to prevent you from spending unneeded resources. So, the rule wants to prevent you from creating a 3-coin die and then spending 4 pumpkins to adjust it to a 1. :-)
But, yes: you can use pumpkins to reuse a realm on a turn.
Have fun with our little solo campaign!
I am hoping you can give me a rules clarification on the charterstone realm. If I change a die’s value, when I drop it in the crate will it have the original value or the changed value?
Thanks for playing Rolling Realms! You must put the value shown on an unused die exactly as it was rolled in the crate (not a changed value).
Why is the newest expansion bundle priced so differently between US and Europe? It’s 45$ (25$ discounted) in US vs 53€ (30€ discounted), which is 58$ according to today’s exchange rate! Hope this is a mistake and it’s not gonna be the new trend..
The slight difference is VAT.
For Hole 7: Wishes Do Come True, the third die you create, it says it “works like a rolled die”. Does that mean for Euphoria that you pretty much can make a pair as long as the values are left available? Or are you still only limited to the actually rolled dice?
You’re still limited to the actual rolled dice. :)
About the Expedition (not Expeditions ;)) promo, as we should *not* skip the filled hex, what happen if we finish the move on a filled hex? Nothing?
Thanks for the question! You can’t use a number that would result you moving to a filled hex.
Hi, I am a little confused about the rules as written being different from the how to play videos. Specifically the case where you cannot use a dice you can then gain a resource. The rules say if you cannot use a dice you gain a resource but both the 10 minute review and Rodney’s review both state that if you cannot, or don’t want to use a dice you can gain a resource and in the 10 minute video the reviewer demonstrates that when doing this you gain a number of resources equal to the number on the dice…Which is correct?
If you cannot use a die, you can gain exactly 1 resource instead.
Can you create a die using coins before activating a realm? Meaning i create a 2, use it in a realm then use one of the rolled die in the same realm or is it now considered activated?
Thanks for playing, Valerie! If you create a 2-value die and use it in a realm, you have activated that realm.
Sorry, another question, have you come across a “very” hard mode for the solitaire minigolf? Or a simple way or formula to up the difficulty by chance? Thanks
IIRC we found it hard to make further difficulty levels without adding a lot of complexity because of the wide variety in how each minigolf hole works.
So, unfortunately I can’t help you with this one.
Is it safe to use whiteboard cleaner on the cards?
It is!
Thanks!
with all the new promo packs out there is there going to be another Mini-golf course created to include them
We have some fun things planned for solo players–we’ll reveal them when they’re ready. :)
sweet, can’t wait
Hi Christopher – I hope you have seen the Beyond the Realmiverse promo pack that came out in May. This introduces another way to play through a series of challenges (chapters in this case) and is fully compatible with the promo realms.
I have a specific rules question. Let’s say I roll a 3 and 1. I spend 2 pumpkins to adjust the 3 into a 4 (use it in Charterstone). Then, I spend 3 coins to gain a 3 die. I use that 3 die in Tapestry. Finally, I’m left with that 1 die which is not possible to use on my remaining Scythe realm. Can I gain a resource for the rolled 1 die, then spend 2 more coins to use it on the Scythe realm?
Question 2: Another similar situation. Let’s say I roll a 3 and 1. I spend 2 coins and use them on an imaginary 2 die for Tapestry. Then, I can use my 3 but choose not to yet. Instead I focus on my 1 which I cannot use and therefore, I gain a resource. Finally, I use the gained resource in combination with my 3 on Scythe for a star. Is this within the rules?
Question 3: Can I create three dice using coins, then use those dice in all three realms (disregarding my two rolled dice entirely)?
Thanks Ruben! I’ll reply to each of your questions below:
1 and 2. Yes, if you reach a point at any time during a turn where it’s impossible to place a rolled die without manipulating it, you may gain a resource from that die instead of using it.
3. Yes
I will say that it is in the spirit of the game to TRY to use the rolled dice instead of trying to avoid using them. :)
Hey SM team,
I have a question about the Micro Dojo realm. I just don’t quite understand how it works.
1. Do the dice I mark off (one gaining a benefit and one not) have to be inside the same square or can I mark one off and then mark the other off anywhere in the realm?
2. How does it score? It says 1 Star for each first completed row and column. Then there’s also Stars in the realm and a Star for the entire realm filled so does that mean to get all 6 stars I would — complete a row, 1 Star. Complete a column, 1 Star. Use the die that gains the benefit on the next 3 stars and then at the end of the entire thing is filled, I get an additional Star for a total of 6?
Sorry if I worded that horribly confusing, I’m just a tad bit lost on this realm here but I think we’re doing it right.
Anyway, thank you!
Marc
Hi Marc!
1. Anywhere in the realm.
2. That’s correct (though the order can vary–you get stars as soon as you mark the 4, 5, or 6 as shown within the grid).
Awesome! Thanks, Jamey.
I did want to add something also. We just played a round with Architects of the west kingdom, Terra Mystica, and Libertalia.
The problem is that out of those three realms, only 3 coins are available to earn. But for libertarian you have to spend 4 coins to earn more than 2 stars so essentially with this combo, rare it may be, it was impossible to complete the Libertalia realm. In case no one has mentioned this yet.
Thanks again,
Marc
Hey Jamey, thanks for the quick response.
Seems my first reply didn’t go through so sorry if it did and I’m just not seeing it.
Ran into a little issue with our last round. We had Terra Mystica, Architects of the West Kingdom, and Libertalia. Unfortunately with this combo of Realms, only 3 coins are available to gain in total. However, for the Libertalia Realm, 4 coins are needed to gain more than 2 stars which made that Realm unable to be completed. Any thoughts on this rare situation?
Thanks again!
Marc
Marc: That’s the nice thing about having the same realms and dice as other players–everyone is in the exact same situation, even odd situations like this. :)
Hahaha true, true. I’m sure we won’t come across it too much anyway now with how many realms there are and more to come!
Thanks again. Have a good weekend,
Marc
Pumpkin and Hearts Question:
After rolling the dice, can I use 2 pumpkins to adjust a die to create a pair, and then use 2 hearts to gain a virtual die of that value?
Example:
– I roll a 4 and a 5
– Use two pumpkins to adjust the 4 to a 5, thus creating a pair of 5s.
– Use two hearts to gain a third die of value 5.
Shelley: Thanks for your question. When you use hearts (or coins) to copy a rolled die, you can only copy the dice as they are rolled. So if a 4 and 5 are rolled, even if you change the 4 to a 5, the rolled dice are not a pair.
Hello,
Received my copy and all the upgrades yesterday and it was a splendid first game.
This thread was already very clarifying, that I have only one hiccup left.
A Feast For Odin
A dice created, or one upgraded to a six, uses the rules of a six?
Can a six be used on any shape or only on the still available shapes?
We played it that way, with a little doubt
Jeroen
6 can be used for any shape (marked or unmarked). Thanks!
For end of round scoring, if I have 9 stars and 12 unused resources is that 9.12? or 10.2 ?
10.2 :)
If you use a created die on the Charterstone realm, what die would you use for the crate?
In that case, you would choose 1 of the rolled dice for the crate.
Hi Jamey,
what a fun game, congrats! One rule question for the Libertalia card: do I have to fill in the numbers from left to right and top to bottom, so I have to start with them pirate on the top left? Or can I fill them in any order I like as long as I stick to the ascending rule?
Thanks Markus! You can complete the pirates in any order as long as they meet the ascending rule (respective to other completed pirates).
I don’t quite understand, in each realm, whether stars are scored immediately after activating a realm or at the end of a round. In the rulebook it says that “. Some
realms have you mark stars as they’re completed; others have you mark stars at the end of the round.”, but in the one-by-one realm explanation it doesn’t say which ones work in this or the other way.
It doesn’t really matter either way with the realms that have been released so far. There is a promo realm we’re working on that looks at stars as they’re earned, so when that realm is in play, you’ll account for stars gained as you gain them.
My question is about the Rolling Realms realm. The wording on the card isn’t clear. When it says “score 1* per complete world whose sum is equal to the sum of another world” does that other world have to be complete as well? So if I had 5, 4, and 1 on one and just 6 and 4 on another would that give 1 star since they both equal 10 but only one is complete? Or do they both have to be complete and then you would gain 2 stars if they are equal?
You’re keen to observe that it doesn’t say “another *complete* world.” In your example, you have two worlds that add up to 10, but only one of them is complete (and with different numbers on each face). You’ll gain 1 star for completing that world with different numbers, then 1 more star because its sum matches the other world.
Great, thanks! My son was actually the keen observer. He’s gloating now and just added a point to his total where he already beat me. We love this game!
Also, if you have used both dice, and then create a third die using a pair of hearts, but have nowhere to legally use it, can you then exchange that newly-created die for a resource of your choice?
No, that’s just for the rolled dice.
Thanks, agreed.
Rules clarification on the definition of “ascending order” in the Libertalia promo realm: if you have a pirate whose value is 64, then can you put another pirate with a value of 64 either in front or behind them? I believe you can, but just want to be sure.
No, ascending means higher–you can’t place the same numbers in Libertalia.
Thanks for the reply Jamey. My counterpoint to this is that if, for example (per google), you are ranking test scores in ascending order, and you have 2 or more people score the same, then you would group them together and still say that the test scores are ranked in ascending order. Also, in the Libertalia game, you often have 2 pirates with the same number side by side and it is not an issue – they are still considered to be in ascending order in that game.
Also I seem to recall a ruling in wingspan where, if your goal is to have a number of birds with wingspans in ascending order, that 2 birds with the same wingspan wouldn’t break the streak/combo when scoring the goal.
That’s true about Wingspan, but only because we specifically say that in the rules. Think of it this way: If I told you to ascend on a staircase from step 1 to step 2 and you shuffled forward a few inches on step 1, did you ascend? Nope–you just stayed at the same height. Same in the Libertalia realm. :)
Hi, with Viticulture to circle a grape do you need to have the corresponding dice to do so? There was a bit of a debate in my group when we played as it wasn’t clarified on the card in comparison to others
Otherwise really game! And probably going to be one of my favourite roll and writes!
Yes, that’s why the numbers are on the grapes. :) I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
I think I know the answer to this but this generated a debate in our game group so I want clarification.
Let’s imagine there are two rolled dices 2 and 4. I used both in two different realms and now I can’t use 3 pumpkins to adjust one of them and use it in the third realm, right? Because the adjust action is for a non used die?
Yes, you are correct. Pumpkins adjust dice–they do not create them. You could, however, create a third die using hearts or coins and use that die in the third realm (or create a die, adjust it with 3 pumpkins, and use it in a realm you’ve already activated this turn).
In the names of of Eric Frank Russel and Damon Knight, FREEDOM–i won’t!
Great game! Will definitely purchase it! Tried to play along side a streamer online and would like to use their setup of cards! Would it be possible to use a seeded setup of cards?
Sure, you can use any combination of 3 cards as long as all players use the same combination.
First of all I apologize for my English and if any questions have already been addressed.
1a) I can create a third die and use it before or during the activation of the two dice rolled. Happened in the game, it gave me more points …
1b) … but in doing so, moreover, I could not use both basic dice. Therefore, I would also get an extra resource for not having used all the dice. Is it possible to do this? Or when I can use both dice rolled, do I MUST place them?
2) Can I use a die in Charterstone to mark a Chest without getting stars and without activating the die of the house above?
3) When I get an extra resource for not being able to use one of the two dice and thanks to it I can get an extra die, can I create it and use it?
1ab: You are correct that you can create and use a die any time on your turn. In the spirit of the game, you should try to use both rolled dice if possible, but there are definitely times where you create and use a die at a crucial moment and then realize you can’t use one of the rolled dice. If that happens, you can gain a resource for the unused die.
2. The only way to mark a chest is if there’s a number in that chest and you use a die with that number.
3. Yes.
Thanks for your replies and patience.
I’ll explain what happened to me in part with case 1a.
I roll the dice for the ninth and final round and get a double 1.
Now, I could have placed both of them, the first one on Euphoria getting a resource (and if I remember correctly, also a coin), but if I use the other 1 in Wingspan for the third bird, I only get one star. Instead, with the 5 coins I have, I can make a 5 die and place it in Wingspan and receive 2 stars. But by doing so, that second 1 remains unused because I can’t place it in the third Kingdom (Pendulum) and, in addition, I would get the bonus resource.
Did I play correctly or should I have put the 1 in Wingspan obligatorily?
I hope I was clear. It is important to know!
I think you played fairly. :)
1) KINGDOM OF CHARTERSTONE
Can I use a virtual die (a third die, so to speak) to mark a House and omit (give up) to mark the Chest below and simply get the Resource?
2) Use of the 3 PUMPKINS
Their use continues to confuse me.
If 2 Pumpkins modify but DO NOT create a die, then I can’t use another 3 Pumpkins to play that die considering it as an additional die !? In short, playing 5 Pumpkins in this way makes no sense. Quite right?
In Charterstone, you can use a virtual die to mark a house. If you do, you must note one of the numbers on the rolled dice in the crate below.
Pumpkins modify dice–they do not create dice.
Thanks
Jamey:
The first video 2:20
Rodney: 3:18
German rule book:
Du erhältst nichts,wenn du einen würfel nutzen kannst,aber nicht willst.
Translation:
You get nothing if you can use a die, but you don’t want to.
That is correct. If you CAN use a die but don’t want to use it, you don’t get anything.
He Jamey, thx but then the video’s are wrong.
That’s true, the videos are slightly incorrect in that way, but it’s a very minor error.
Thanks for the reply 👍🏼 It is very minor and you can play the game as you like either way the game is fun and that is the most important aspect of a game 😉😉😉
Thx for the quick reply , but if what you say is correct then both instructional video’s above are incorrect 🤔🤔🤔
Joe Pau: You mentioned before that “You can choose to not spent a die in your realms to get resources equal to the dice pips”. Such a thing is never mentioned in the videos or the rulebooks. Nor is “You can choose to not spent a die in your realms and get 1 resource.”
Can you provide the exact timestamp in each video you’re referring to?
I still don’t know what is correct:
You can only spent a die for 1 resource if you can not place it in your realms
You can choose to not spent a die in your realms and get 1 resource
You can choose to not spent a die in your realms to get resources equal to the dice pips ???
If you can’t use a die in any realm, you get a single resource as compensation. You only get compensation if you can’t use the die. There’s also a chance you can’t use both dice, and so you’d get a resource for each unusable die.
Rules clarification. How does loading crates work with charterstone when creating dice? If I create a die with 3 hearts or 2 coins, can I load either original die into the crate or must it be the opposite? If I create a die spending X coins, can I load either original die into a crate?
If you create a die, the number you put in the crate is still the rolled die (either rolled die of your choice).
Thanks! I thought that was the case but couldn’t seem to find it in the rules.
Does the number you put in the crate need to be the rolled value of the other die, or can it be the adjusted value?
It must be the rolled value.
Just curious: During play-testing were there any pairs (or trios) of realms that worked better (or worse) together?
That’s kind of the puzzle of the game–each trio of cards works together in different ways. During playtesting there were a few instances where certain realms didn’t offer as much access to certain resources as others, but those were revised for the final version.
Thank you. That was the basis of my question. Since there were a number of iterations while playing / playtesting during the pandemic last year, I figured all the bugs were worked out. Looking forward to playing Rolling Realms – The Board .Game ! ! !
Use of Resources
In summary, to understand the rules well:
1. Only with Hearts and Coins new dice are created in different ways and conditions.
– The first die created can be used for free on the third Kingdom, unless you use 3 Pumpkins to be able to play it in a Kingdom already activated in the current turn.
– All the other dice, eventually created (fourth, fifth …), can be used ONLY by playing 3 Pumpkins for each.
2. Pumpkins DO NOT create dice, they only modify them
– Using 3 Pumpkins to possibly modify one of the two dice rolled, it can ONLY make sense if you intend to play it in the same Kingdom in which we played the first dice.
– When I change a die with 2 Pumpkins, for example a 2 into a 3, I can then use another 3 Pumpkins to change the virtual 3 into a 4 and play it in an already activated Kingdom.
All correct?
All of that is indeed correct! :)
Use of Resources
In summary, to understand the rules well:
1. Only with Hearts and Coins new dice are created in different ways and conditions.
– The first die created can be used for free on the third Kingdom, unless you use 3 Pumpkins to be able to play it in a Kingdom already activated in the current turn.
– All the other dice, eventually created (fourth, fifth …), can be used ONLY by playing 3 Pumpkins for each.
2. Pumpkins DO NOT create dice, they only modify them
– Using 3 Pumpkins to possibly modify one of the two dice rolled, it can ONLY make sense if you intend to play it in the same Kingdom in which we played the first dice.
– When I change a die with 2 Pumpkins, for example a 2 into a 3, I can then use another 3 Pumpkins to change the virtual 3 into a 4 and play it in an already activated Kingdom.
All correct?