Chicago / Rotation

👥 2–8 players 📍 Indoor📍 Anywhere ⚡ Calm 🧩 Simple ⏱ 30-45 minutes 🎂 Ages 4+

Quick Pitch

Chicago is a dice game where players race through 11 rounds, each with a target number from 2 to 12 — score a point by being the first to roll that round's target.

Hook

Round 1: who can roll a 2 first? Round 2: who can roll a 3? It sounds simple, but the probabilities shift dramatically as you move toward the middle (7 is the most common roll) and then back out again (12 is extremely rare). Chicago is fast, fun, and easy to teach — perfect for groups who want a structured dice game with a little suspense in every round.

Equipment Needed

  • 2 standard six-sided dice
  • Paper scorecard (one per player, showing rounds 2-12)
  • Pencil or pen

Setup

  1. Create a scorecard with rounds labeled 2 through 12 (11 rounds total)
  2. Each player gets a scorecard or shared scorecard
  3. Determine play order
  4. Round 1 begins with the target number 2

Rules

Objective

Accumulate the most points across 11 rounds by rolling the target number first each round.

Round Structure

  1. Determine target number: Round begins with a specific target (2 in round 1, then 3, 4, 5... up to 12)
  2. Players take turns rolling: Each player rolls the two dice in turn order
  3. First to target wins: The first player to roll the target number that round scores a point and cannot roll again that round
  4. Other players continue: Other players continue rolling, hoping to roll the target (but don't score)
  5. Round ends: When one player has rolled the target OR all players have rolled once
  6. Next round: Move to the next target number (3, then 4, then 5, etc.)

Scoring

1 point = Rolling the target number first each round

  • Round 1 (target 2): First player to roll 2 total scores 1 point
  • Round 2 (target 3): First player to roll 3 total scores 1 point
  • Continue through Round 11 (target 12)

Example Turn

  • Round Target: 5 (so the dice must add to 5)
  • Player A rolls: 3-1 = 4 (not 5, no score)
  • Player B rolls: 2-3 = 5 (SCORES 1 point, cannot roll again this round)
  • Player C rolls: 2-4 = 6 (not 5, doesn't matter, someone already scored)
  • Round 2 target is 6, new round begins

Game Phases

Round Target Number Difficulty
1 2 Easiest (only 1-1)
2 3 Easy (1-2 or 2-1)
3 4 Easy (1-3, 2-2, 3-1)
4 5 Moderate
5 6 Moderate (most common)
6 7 Moderate (most combinations)
7 8 Moderate
8 9 Harder
9 10 Hard
10 11 Very hard
11 12 Hardest (only 6-6)

Expert Player

Tips

  1. Probability focus: Rounds 4-8 (targets 5-9) have the most combinations—easier to roll. Rounds 1, 2, 10, 11 are harder
  2. Early advantage: If you're first in play order in early rounds, lock in easy points (target 2-4 are nearly guaranteed)
  3. Late game comebacks: Players who fall behind can catch up in middle rounds (targets 5-8 are easiest)
  4. Position matters: First in play order has advantage in every round
  5. Rhythm play: If you notice a player is struggling with a particular number, they'll likely not score. Plan your turns around this
  6. No strategy variance: Once you roll, you either hit the target or don't. Luck dominates

Variations

  • Point multiplier: Points in harder rounds (10-12) worth more (e.g., 2 or 3 points instead of 1)
  • Multiple scorers: All players who roll the target number that round score 1 point each (less common)
  • No reroll limit: Players can roll as many times as they want per round (extends game)
  • Three-dice variant: Some groups use three dice instead of two (changes probabilities)
  • Reverse Chicago: Start at 12 and count down to 2 (reverse difficulty curve)
  • Speed Chicago: Players roll simultaneously instead of taking turns (chaotic variant)
Learn More — History & Origins

History & Origins

Chicago likely emerged in America during the mid-20th century as a bar game and casual parlor game, part of a broader tradition of simple target-roll dice games popular in informal social settings. It's sometimes called "Rotation" (because players rotate through all possible two-dice totals) or "Illinois" in some regions. The systematic structure — moving through every number from 2 to 12 in order — gives it an organized feel that distinguishes it from purely random dice games.

Cultural Context

Chicago sits comfortably in the tradition of American bar and family dice games: easy to explain, fast to play, accessible to anyone who can add two numbers together, and just suspenseful enough to be entertaining. The game's clever structure means the early rounds fly by (rolling a 2 or 3 is quick), the middle rounds are the most competitive (everyone has a good shot at 6, 7, or 8), and the final rounds generate genuine tension as players try to roll rare totals like 11 or 12. That pacing — slow ramp up to a tense finish — is why the game has stayed popular in informal settings for decades.

See Also