Pass the Pigs Dice Game

The dice in Pass the Pigs are two little pigs, and you score by how they land. A pig on its side is a Sider, worth 1 point. On its back it’s a Razorback and standing upright it’s a Trotter, 5 points each. Balanced on its snout and one ear, it’s the rare Leaning Jowler, worth 15.

You keep rolling as long as you dare, building points toward 100, but roll an Oinker or a Pig Out and you lose what you gathered that turn. That push-your-luck tension is why the game has stuck around since the 1970s, back when it was called Pigmania. More than 30 million people have bought it, and some math teachers use it to teach probability, which is nice cover for something this silly.

Everything fits in a small plastic carrying case: the two pigs, a score pad and two pencils. It’s the stocking stuffer that ends up on the table after dinner, at a bar or around a campfire.

It suits the guy who likes a game he can explain in 30 seconds and play with anyone from 7 to 97.

The catch: the pigs are small and easy to lose under a couch, and there isn’t much strategy beyond knowing when to stop. That’s the charm, but serious gamers may want more to chew on.