Welcome to RS Games Farkle, an accessible, online, multiplayer version of the dice game Farkle. RS Games Farkle utilizes the RS Games client, which allows players to play against each other from around the world, via the centralized RS Games server.
To get started, you will need the RS Games client installed. TO get the RS Games client if you don't have it already, go to http://www.rsgames.org. connecting and logging into the server are covered in the RS Games client documentation. Alternatively, you can use the web client, from which you can play by using your web browser. The web client can be found in the "Quick Links" section on the RS Games home page.
This document assumes you have read the RS Games client documentation first, for general concepts and instructions on using the client. If you have not read this document, please read it before continuing.
If you are using the web client, options referred to as keyboard commands in this document will appear as buttons on the web page.
Once you are connected, choose Farkle from the list of games, and you will be presented with the main menu. From there, you can create a new game, join a game, or see a list of existing games. Choose an option using the up and down arrow keys and the enter key, or by clicking on the option if you are using the web client.
If you choose to create a new game, you will be asked if you want to make the game private. If you choose yes, you can set a password, and only those who know the password will be able to join. You will then be asked if you want to adjust scoring options. If you indicate you do, you'll be told how the minimum and winning score values effect gameplay, and asked if you want to change each. After you have made your choices, you will be placed in your game. Here, players will be able to join your game.
Bots are computer players who will play against you if there are no other humans around to play with, or if you want to add more players to your game. If you are the creator of the game, you can press B to add a bot, or R to remove a bot.
Once you are ready to start the game, press the Enter key.
To join a game, choose the Join Game option from the main menu. You will be presented with a list of games that are open for players, along with the people playing in each game. Choose a game from the list, and press enter. If the game is private, you will then be asked to enter the password. Once you are in the game, you must wait for the game master to start the game.
Farkle is a simple yet fun game, in which the object is to throw dice and keep certain scorable combinations, in order to eventually reach a predetermined target score.
When the game starts, each player rolls a die. The player who rolled the highest number goes first. In case of a tie between two or more players, those players roll again until there is no longer a tie. Play begins with the eventual highest roller, then proceeds in the order determined by when people joined the game.
When it's your turn, roll the six dice. Depending on what you get, you may be able to keep certain dice and add to your score for this turn. A list of all the scoring combinations allowed by the game will be given later. You must keep at least one scoring die. If you are unable to do so, you have farkled, and you lose all the points you've accumulated for your current turn.
Once you've determined which dice you want to keep, you can either roll the remaining dice, or if you have a fear of farkling, you can bank your current score, thus ending your turn. Once you bank your score, those points are safe for the remainder of the game, as you can't lose them to a farkle. Note, however, that you have to have a minimum number of points in order to bank your score for the first time. This minimum score is normally 500, but can be changed by the game master at the time the game is created. After you bank for the first time during a game, you can then bank anytime you like thereafter.
The game is menu-driven. Any time it's your turn to roll, you can select to roll the dice, end your turn and bank your score, or leave the game. You must have scored some points before you can bank, of course. When you roll, assuming you don't farkle, you are presented with a menu of scoring options. The first time this menu appears after each roll, you must select one of the options. When you do, if there are other options available, the menu will appear again. You can then select another option from the list, or you can select the last choice, "Done," to discard the remaining scorable dice and roll them along with any other unscorable dice or bank your score.
If you find that, by keeping all your remaining dice, you would have none left to roll, that situation is called "hot dice," and you may roll all six dice again. Of course, in that situation, you can also bank your score.
When your turn is over, either because you banked your score or because you farkled, the six dice are passed to the next player, who then rolls them.
A player who banks his or her score, and by doing so, obtains a banked score equal to or greater than a certain number of points has a chance to win the game. This winning score is normally 10000, but can be changed by the game master at the time the game is created. Everybody else will be given one last turn to try to beat the winning score. If nobody does, that player will win. However, if somebody beats the winning score by banking an amount which puts them over the winning score, the whole cycle begins again. This repeats until someone achieves a winning score which nobody is able to beat.
Here is a list of all the possible scoring combinations of dice. The game of Farkle is centuries old, and has countless variations invented by countless people. These are the rules which seem to be common.
In all cases, the highest allowable scoring option will be at the top of the scoring menu. Also, the order in which the dice are rolled doesn't matter. For example, if you rolled 3, 6, 4, 5, 2, 1, that would still be counted as a straight.
There are several keyboard commands that can be used to get information about your current game. You can always press Ctrl+H to get a quick reminder of these keystrokes.
You can chat with other players at any point during game play by pressing the F2 key, typing your message into the input box and pressing enter. You can also chat at the main menu to other players who are not currently in a game, also by pressing F2.
To change the volume of the background music during the game, use F3 to lower the volume and F4 to raise the volume. You can also adjust the volume of the sound effects with F5 and F6 to lower or raise the volume, respectively.
You can opt to receive a transcript of your game, that is, an email containing the entire text of your game. When you leave a game, you will be asked if you would like to receive a transcript. If you would, choose Yes, and the transcript will be sent to the email address you used when creating your RS Games account. You can also press F11 during the game, rather than wait until you leave the game to decide.
Thanks to the following people for helping to create Farkle:
If you have any problems using any of the games released by RS Games, or have a question, bug report, suggestion, feature request, or anything else, feel free to contact RS Games by sending an email to rsgames@gmail.com.