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Mother game from the Charlie Charlie Sugar budget range, an another board style game - this time with dice. For experts in the foreign tongue Dix Mille should present no problems, but for those who don't know that Calais is only forty minutes from Dover by hovercraft, it means ten thousand, and that's the points you're expected to score in this dice game.

It can be played by one person against the computer or by up to six players with the computer looking after the dice and scores. Each player is given six dice to 'throw' and the object is to score points by getting winning combinations of dice. You score 50 for any five, 100 for any one, 1000 for three nes, 3000 for a combination of 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1500 points for three pairs and 100 x the face value for three of a kind. Should you score a flush or three pairs your six dice are thrown again.

After the first throw the player must 'take ' at least one scoring dice and then throw the remainder or pass to the next player. Any scoring combination (eg a one a five and a five) may be removed before throwing or passing on. Obviously the less dice there are to throw the less likely the chance of getting a second scoring combination. If a player manages to remove all six dice successfully, then he may throw the six again. There are bonus points for successfully throwing only one die. The game ends when all players have had the same number of turns and one has scored at least 10,000 points.

The screen display has a strip at the top for the six numbered dice, and below it an information and scoring area which prompts the players. Players names can be entered at the start of play. Incorrect or invalid entries are error trapped and an explanation of the fault given. If a winning combination happens to be the first, third and fifth dice in the row, the entry is simply made as '135'.

Control keys: numerics plus 1 for throw and 'p' for pass
Joystick: not needed
Keyboard play: very responsive and fast despite
BASIC entry routine
Use of colour: very limited
Graphics: simple, but effective 3D dice and throw
Sound: simple beeps
Skill levels: 1

'This is another game which is very simple to play but which relies on the intrinsic interest of the simulated game. As a game Dix Mille is interesting, although it isn't so much fun as a solo game. What makes this program so effective is the way the dice are portrayed. When you 'throw' each one appears in 3D, spinning round until it settles, getting bigger all the while. It's an effect that works really well and is a constant delight to watch. Quite a bit of thought must have gone into it, because you can see the three sides of a thrown die and they are always accurately presented with the right number of dots showing on each side. '

'Dix Mille (Francais for ten thousand) is a sort of poker dice game. It's concept is simple in design. I found it challenging to play and relatively addictive. If you have any interest in dice games like this then you will be hooked. With the player options it should make an excellent party game.'

'This isn't exactly what you would call an essential computer game to own, but it did keep me at it much longer than I thought would be the case at first. It's all quite nicely done, with rather good graphics for the dice being thrown, and you don't have to wait around at all, as everything happens very fast. Don't make the mistake I made at first of playing a truly solo game. If you want the computer to play against you, you must enter its name as ZEDX, otherwise the computer will allow you to carry on playing and scoring for ever and ever. An interesting dice game and at the price well worth the money.'