Can’t Stop Express: How to Play
Welcome to the world of Can’t Stop Express! In this thrilling board game, your goal is to race to the top of three columns by strategically rolling dice and making smart choices. Let’s dive into the game rules so you can start playing and having a blast!
Components
To play Can’t Stop Express, you’ll need the following components:
- A game board featuring three columns with numbered spaces
- 10 colored markers, 2 for each player
- Three standard dice
Objective
The objective of Can’t Stop Express is simple – be the first player to reach the top of all three columns! Plan your moves carefully to outsmart your opponents and claim victory.
Gameplay
Here’s how the game unfolds:
- Choose a starting player. You can have any fair method for determining who goes first.
- On your turn, roll all three dice. The values on the dice represent the spaces you can move on the board.
- You must use at least one die to move forward. You can choose to use any combination of dice, using their values to determine your movement.
- After moving, you can choose to stop and place a marker on one of the spaces you’ve reached. This locks in your progress and prevents other players from using that space.
- If you decide to continue rolling, you must keep at least one space marker on the board. This means you can’t use the same combination of dice and the same space again in your next turn.
- If you roll the dice and cannot make any legal moves, your turn ends immediately, and you lose any progress you made in that round.
- The play continues clockwise, with each player taking turns rolling the dice and making strategic choices.
- The first player to reach the top of all three columns wins the game!
Strategy Tips
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your moves in Can’t Stop Express:
- Take calculated risks – sometimes it’s worth pushing your luck to gain an advantage!
- Block your opponents – use your markers strategically to prevent them from progressing.
- Keep an eye on your opponents’ progress – adjust your strategy accordingly to stay ahead.
Now that you understand the rules of Can’t Stop Express, gather your friends and get ready for an exciting and strategic gaming experience!
I’ve got a game recommendation for all you brainiacs out there – Can’t Stop Express. It’s a dice game that’s perfect for playing with a group of smarties like you. You’ve got to be at least 10 years old to fully enjoy this game. And let me tell you, to come out on top in Can’t Stop Express, you’ve got to have guts. You’ve got to be willing to take a chance and be strategic at the same time. It’s a challenge, but it’s also a ton of fun. Trust me, you won’t be able to stop playing once you start.
You’re in for a treat! Let me break down the game components for you:
– You’ll find 5 dice in the box.
– There’s also a giant score pad included.
– Don’t forget about the set of rules!
Now, let’s dive into the heart of the game: the object of the game.
After you roll the dice, your goal is to select the best combination of two pairs and choose wisely for the fifth die. It’s all about making strategic decisions with each throw. And guess what? You’ll earn points for your efforts!
The player with the most points wins the game, which usually takes around 24-25 rolls.
Now, let’s talk about the different sections of the score pad.
1. “Points”: This is where you track the values you can earn by rolling two pairs of dice. This is where the big points come into play!
2. “Pair”: Keep an eye on this section. It keeps track of the totals you get by rolling two dice together.
3. “Number”: Whenever you roll your chosen pairs, mark them off in this section. It keeps things organized and helps you keep track of your progress.
So, are you ready to roll the dice and challenge your friends? Let the fun begin!
- “Results” – After the game, you add up the scores for the pairs you selected. (Negative scores are recorded on the left side of Column D, and positive scores are recorded on the right side of Column D, as indicated by the -/+ watermarks in row 7).
- “5th die” – In this section, you mark the 3 numbers you choose in the leftmost box and keep track of the 5th die you roll each turn. When you check off the last box in any of these tracks, the game is over.
Total – “Final total” – Here is where you calculate your final score based on the subtotals in Column D.
Playing the Game
When we play this game, each of us needs a pencil and a page from the score pad. To start the game, one of us rolls all five dice. It doesn’t really matter who does the rolling, because we will all use the same dice throw for our turn.
Here’s an important rule: once the dice are thrown, none of us can touch or move them on the table.
The dice throw is valid and used by all of us at the same time. In our minds, without talking or touching the dice, we each have to decide which four dice to choose for two pairs, and which one to use as the fifth die.
When I play this game, I have to remember that I can only use each die once. That means I can either use it as part of a pair or as the “5th die.” After everyone has made their choices on the score pad, we can throw the dice again. We usually give ourselves about 30 to 40 seconds to figure out our options for each throw. If we want to, we can use a timer to make sure we stick to the time limit.
The “5th Die”
When we play the game, we have to pick a special die and put it in the first three boxes on our chart. We also have to mark that we used that die by checking a box.
After the first three turns, our chart will have three different numbers in the first three boxes. From now on, when we throw the dice, we have to use one of those three numbers if it’s available. And of course, we have to mark it on our chart. If we have more than one of the numbers available, we can choose which one to use and mark off.
Now, it might happen that we don’t get any of the three numbers we chose. In that case, we get a “free throw” where we don’t have to choose or use the special die.
When playing this game, you have to select two pairs of dice from the available five. Then, you mark those pairs on your score pad. But here’s the catch: you can choose to ignore one of the dice. Keep in mind that you can’t make a “free throw” until everyone has taken their fourth turn and chosen unique values for their third “5th die.”
Now, let’s talk about how the game ends. The game doesn’t end for all players at the same time. It’s only over for a player when they fill in the eighth box for one of their “5th die” values. As for the other players, they finish when they’ve crossed off the “5th die” for the eighth time, but this time for one of their three “5th box” numbers.
Once the last player is out, the game comes to an end. Now, let’s move on to scoring.
In the score pad, Column C is made up of three different parts. These parts consist of four boxes, one box, and five boxes. You can fill in or mark an “X” in one of these boxes for each pair of dice that you choose. The number of boxes you fill in will determine the points you receive. Here’s how the points are awarded:
For each row that you have filled in only one, two, three, or four times, you will receive minus 200 points. Write -200 on the left side of Column D for each row that falls into this category.
Variant: If you are new to the game or a younger player, you can change the negative value to 150 or 100 points. This will make the game less discouraging. Scoring positive points in this game is tough!
For each row that you have filled in exactly five times or not filled in at all, you will receive 0 points. Write 0 on the right side of column D for each row that falls into this category.
Plus points can be earned when a value is filled in at least six times. For each box filled in from the sixth to the tenth row, the player receives plus points. The value of these plus points is determined by the points listed in column A.
For example, if the dice sum to 8 (indicated in column B on the score pad), and there are 160 points entered, the player will receive 40 points for each of the boxes filled in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth rows. This totals to 160 plus points, which are recorded in the left side of Column D.
The Winner
In a multiplayer game, the player with the highest number of plus points is declared the winner. If you’re playing alone, make sure to record your best score and aim to beat it in future games.
When I first started playing, I often ended up with a negative score because I focused too much on the rare rolls of 2, 3, 11, and 12. I’ve learned that it’s actually better to go for values between 4 and 10. Sure, there may be fewer points available, but these numbers come up more often.
Experienced players, and those who are lucky, can expect to score 800 points or more. And if you really manage to hit it big, you might even reach the impressive milestone of 1,000 points or more. Now, that’s an amazing achievement!
Let Me Show You
Now, I’d like to show you some examples from different stages of the game.
Example 1: The First Throw
Let’s say it’s the first throw and here are the numbers: 1-3-4-4-6. I’m Player A and I decide to go for the pairs 4 (1 + 3) and 10 (4 + 6). For the “5th die,” I choose the number 4. Take a look at illustration 1 to see how it all pans out.
Example 2: The Third Throw.
Now, let’s take a close look at the third throw. We have a series of numbers: 1, 2, 2, 4, and 5. This is where things get interesting. Player A gets to select two pairs from these numbers: 4 (which is made up of 2 and 2) and 5 (which is made up of 1 and 4). So those pairs are chosen. But there’s more! The fifth die this time is the mighty 5. Take a look at illustration 2 to see it all in action! It’s really quite fascinating!
If, during the first three rounds, I can’t choose a new unique “5th die” number because all the dice match my current “5th die” number(s), I still have to take a number as my “5th die” and mark off another box for that number. On the subsequent rolls, I still have to choose a new 5th die number until I have all three unique “5th die” numbers chosen.
Example 3: The Fourth Throw.
This time the dice show the numbers: 1-3-3-6-6. None of these numbers is in the column “5th die,” so I have one of those rare “free throws.” I don’t need to make a cross for the “5th die” and therefore choose the pairs 4 (1 +3) and 9 (3+6). (See illustration 3)
Note: Even if you’ve already filled in a number 10 times, you can still use two dice to make that number again. However, you won’t earn any points for doing so. This might be useful if you don’t want to start a new row or if you want to save a particular number for later.
Example 4: How Scoring Works
I’m going to use an example to explain how scoring works. Let’s say I’m Player A. I just filled in the number 4 as my “5th die” for the 8th time. In the row where I add up pairs of dice that equal two, I only filled it in twice, so I lose 200 points. But in the other rows, I filled them all in and earned a total of 600 points. (Take a look at illustration 4 to see what I mean.)