In 1914, Parker Brothers released a dice game Called Heart dice that was “an exciting letter game.” Each of the dice had the letter H E A R T S on them and the goal was to roll the word Hearts. Although it would be great to find a vintage game, it could be hard to find. Instead we’ll show you how to play the Hearts Dice Game with regular dice.
Hearts is a simple game that is all luck. Similar games are Dice Golf, Mafia and Knock Out. It would make a great addition to our Valentine’s Day dice games.
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What you Need For Hearts Dice Game
You will need six regular dice and a score sheet. For extra fun, you can get dice that have hearts as the pips.
Playing Hearts Dice
The original game had special dice that had letters on them, but you can play with regular dice with this easy conversion:
H = 1
E = 2
A = 3
R = 4
T = 5
S = 6
Now that you know the letters, you need to know that the goal is to roll a straight of 1-2-3-4-5-6.
On a players turn, he will roll all six dice. He only gets one roll per turn. To score he must have rolled at least a H-E or a 1-2. A roll of H-E would be worth 5 points. For each addition letter, or number in order that a player rolls, another 5 points is earned. For example a roll of 1-2-3 would be worth 10 points.
The scoring looks like this:
1-2 — HE = 5 points
1-2-3 — HEA = 10 points
1-2-3-4 – HEAR = 15 points
1-2-3-4-5 – HEART = 20 points
1-2-3-4-5-6 – HEARTS = 25 points
On the other hand, if a H and E were not rolled, the player’s score is 0 and the next player rolls.
The Broken Heart Rule
When a player rolls three 1s or three Hs, then her score is wiped out. Now, she has to start again at zero, leaving her broken hearted.
Winning Hearts Dice Game
The player who reaches 100 points first is the winner.
Hearts Variations
Double Score
Some variations of Hearts Dice game have a player’s score doubling when four Hs or 1s are rolled.
Double Trouble
This Hearts Dice rule says that any doubles that are rolled cancel each other out and the score stops before them. For example, when a player rolls 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6 then the 3s cancel each other out and the player scores 10 points for the 1-2.
Wipe Out
There are two different rules for wiping out score. First, when you roll four 6s then your score is wiped out and you need to start over at one. Second, when you roll three 1s is when your score is wiped out.
150 Goal
The last Hearts variation is that the winner needs to reach 150 points to win. Of course, any number of points can be the winning line—smaller for shorter games, and higher ones for more challenging games. Just be sure that all players agree on a number before you start playing.
Love For Hearts Dice Game
Hearts may be an old, almost forgotten game, but it’s a fun little game that can be played by anyone just about anywhere. It would make a great Valentine’s Day game or just for family game night.
If you want to add to the fun, shop for heart dice here. Canadians can get their heart dice here. And if you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day fun, be sure to read our Valentine’s Day Dice games and our holiday games in our Family Game Shelf Shop including our Whacky Putt Valentine’s Day dice mini golf!
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