KNUCKLEBONES with Dice-Arena

KNUCKLEBONES with Dice-Arena

While looking for an entertaining dice game for two players, I came across Knucklebones. Knucklebones is normally an in-game version of the computer game ‘Cult of the Lamb’. There are already some conversions here, but I wanted to make my own... with a dice arena integrated into the lid of the game. 
Two sets of 9 dice are needed to play. Ideally, each set should have its own colour, but this is not absolutely necessary.
The lid with integrated dice arena can optionally be lined with foam rubber... this feels better when rolling the dice. I have also provided templates for cutting the foam rubber to size. Of course it also works without the foam rubber... but then it rattles when you roll the dice. Of course, you don't necessarily need the dice arena... You can also roll the dice normally on the table. 

RULES / How to play:

• The game consists of two 3x3 boards, each belonging to their respective player.
• The players take turns. On a player's turn, they roll a single 6-sided die, and must place it in a column on their board. A filled column does not accept any more dice.
• Each player has a score, which is the sum of all the dice values on their board. The score awarded by each column is also displayed.
• If a player places multiple dice of the same value in the same column, the score awarded for each of those dice is multiplied by the number of dice of the same value in that column. e.g. if a column contains 4-1-4, then the score for that column is 4x2 + 1x1 + 4x2 = 17 (There is an overview table at the bottom of the game board. Here you can read off the values of the combos without having to do the maths yourself).
• When a player places a die, all dice of the same value in the corresponding column of the opponent's board gets destroyed. Players can use this mechanic to destroy their opponent's high-scoring combos.
• The game ends when either player completely fills up their 3x3 board. The player with the higher score wins.

STRATEGIES:

• Knucklebones is largely a game of chance, so don't expect to win every game even with an optimal strategy.
• Combos are generally much more worth pursuing than die value: two 2s are worth more than one 6, and three 3s are worth more than two 6s.
• As such, it is generally not worth destroying single dice (even if high valued), but worth destroying doubles and of course triples (aside from combos made from 1-dice). Work on your own combos instead.
• Focus on building strong combos in a column where the opponent has already filled up all or most their slots, as they won't be able to destroy your dice.
• If an opponent's column is already filled up, it's better to make combos in that column, since they can't take away your dice, rather than take away one or more of their dice and delete a relatively safe combo breeding ground.
• Pay attention to how close the game is to ending. When most of the board is empty, you may want to plan long-term building combos. When the boards are almost filled up, you may want to focus on sabotaging your opponent to get that last minute overtake or to delay the game to get more chances at finishing your own combos.

Have fun!