This is a game that you may have heard of as Yahtzi, although it is simply a variation of poker dice.

Up to six players take it in turns to roll five dice. Each player can then re-roll any of the dice, the object being to make up one of a number of different combinations, such as Pontoon, where the dice add up to 21, a four or five dice run, or three, four or five of a kind, etc.

You have 13 turns and after each turn you must allocate his score to one of the 13 different categories to score points.

As a newcomer to this type of game, I was pleased to see a wealth of examples in the instructions, and I found the game to be both compelling and interesting. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a break from frantic keyboard-bashing.

The graphics (consisting of five disc faces) are colourful and attractive and it's nice to hear some alternative sounds to pre-programmed zaps and pings. I suspect that I shall keep coming back to this one for quite a while.

G.P.