Board Game Mechanics: Press Your Luck

Hey there! This website does contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through this page, Cats and Dice may earn a share of sales from the link. Learn more.

“Just one more time! I can make it! Just one more time!” Game players who enjoy the thrill of luck, who love to push the boundaries of their gaming experience, who always aim to do a little bit better will love press your luck board games. In this edition of our board game mechanics series, we’ll talk about press your luck games: what they are, how to win, and some of our favorites.

Are you feeling lucky?

Press your luck games rely on that impulse we all have to go just a little bit further. A press your luck game is about choices. Either you can continue on in the hopes of earning more points (with the risk of losing them all), or you can stop and save what you’ve earned. Sometimes this mechanic is also called push your luck. The most important thing to understand is the choice; you choose whether or not to continue on.

If this mechanic sounds familiar, it’s probably because it is. Gambling games use it all the time. They practically rely on it. Game shows use it quite a lot, too. There’s an excitement to seeing if you could go just a little bit longer that people enjoy watching and participating in. It’s an old mechanic, but a good one.

So what’s the key to winning press your luck games? If there were an answer, it wouldn’t be called luck! You can keep a few tips in mind, though.

• Balance risk to reward. If what you have to lose is greater than what you have to gain, it might be a good time to stop.
• Keep the objective in mind. It’s fun to roll “well,” but if it doesn’t meet your goal, all sixes is not a good roll.
• Watch the odds. Know which rolls are more likely, and it will give you a better idea of whether you should stop or if you might continue on.

The best way to get better at press your luck games is to play a few. Some of these are even available to play for free.

Modern Press Your Luck Games

Casinos and game shows may use press your luck all the time, but the mechanic still has fresh takes. These press your luck games are some of our favorites. Some of them were made within the last few years.

Megaland

From the creators of Above and Below and Near and Far, Megaland drops you into a videogame-like world. “Run” the levels to gain as many resources as possible, but if you lose all your health, you’ll also lose everything you’ve earned! Stop at the right time, though, and you’ll have the resources to purchase different goods that’ll earn you coins and lead you to victory.

Can’t Stop

Every time I play this game, I know I should stop rolling but I just… can’t! Roll four dice and pair them together to make any number you can, then progress on that number. You can only progress on three numbers a turn, though. Roll as much as you can to keep that number going, or stop to save your progress. But if you can’t stop and you don’t roll one of your three numbers, you’ll lose your hard work. This out-of-print gem is available to play for free at Board Game Arena.

Celestia

Take to the skies with Gulliver in this press your luck game. Players will test the limits of their courage and their ability to fight off vicious foes as they ride an aircraft in search of Celestia. Roll a die to see what event happens on your travels, but can the captain overcome it? Players can choose to stay or abandon ship. The longer they last, the more rewards they might earn.

Zombie Dice

Braaains! Be the first zombie to eat 13 brains, but avoid the shotguns as you feast. Each turn, you’ll have the opportunity to eat more brains. If you get shot with a shotgun three times in a turn, though, you’ll lose the enjoyment of your cranial feast. Pace yourself and you’ll find yourself the winner of this press your luck game.

Pass the Pigs

Most press your luck games rely on dice as they offer the perfect balance between pure luck and odds. And while you do roll something in Pass the Pigs, it’s not dice. It’s pigs! You’ll score points based on how they land, but if they both fall on their side, you’re out of luck. There are no points for you, and the next player gets to roll the pigs.

Your dice rolls might be up to fate, but your odds of having fun with press your luck games are good. Share your awesome rolls with us on social media @catsanddice. Make sure to follow us on Instagram, too, to play some press your luck games with us in our stories!

What are your favorite press your luck games?

Kristen

Hi there! I’m Kristen. I’m a game writer, a Dungeon Master, and like you, I love tabletop games. Visit our About page to learn more about me.

I wrote this Cats and Dice article to help you enjoy gaming even more. Did it help? If so, our kitties (and our site) would be grateful for a little gift through Ko-Fi.