How to Care for Your Yahtzee Set
The good folks at Hasbro can churn out a high-quality Yahtzee game that is built to last. But nothing is immune to the ravages of time. Accidents, sabotage, and general decay can all result in a loss of game equipment, archival data, and historical relics. Take steps now to protect your game. We answer letters from our readers with questions about how to care for your Yahtzee set.
Yahtzee is more than just a game - it's a cherished member of the family. We've all spent countless afternoons and evenings gathered around the table, rolling the dice and competing for the highest score. As such, it’s important we take great care to protect and safeguard our beloved Yahtzee set.
Always handle the game components with care, avoiding throwing or dropping the dice unnecessarily and storing the set in a soft, padded container during transportation. Don’t eat soup of out the dice shaker. Regular maintenance, such as wiping down the dice and scorecards after each use, helps prevent dirt buildup and damage to the materials.
It is sometimes necessary to go to great lengths to protect and care for a vintage set. By taking these steps, we ensure that it remains a source of fun and entertainment for years to come.
Yahtzee Maintenence & Upkeep
Caring for your Yahtzee set is essential to ensure that you can enjoy countless hours of fun and competition with friends and family. A well-maintained Yahtzee set will not only last longer but will also provide a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience. Neglecting to take proper care of your Yahtzee set can result in a host of problems, ranging from dice that are no longer properly weighted to scorecards that are difficult to read or have become damaged.
Proper Yahtzee set maintenance starts with keeping the components of the set clean and organized. This includes regularly wiping down the dice to remove any dirt, dust, or other debris that may have accumulated during play. It is also important to store the Yahtzee set in a cool, dry place to prevent any damage from moisture or extreme temperatures. Additionally, it is a good idea to invest in a protective carrying case to keep your Yahtzee set safe and secure while on the go.
Always remember to follow best practices to keep your Yahtzee game in tip-top condition:
- Store properly: Keep your Yahtzee set in a dry place away from moisture and extreme temperatures. This will prevent warping, fading or cracking of the game components.
- Clean regularly: Wipe down the dice and game board with a soft cloth to remove dirt and oils that can build up over time.
- Protect the dice: Store the dice in a secure container to prevent damage from accidental drops or rough handling.
- Repair as needed: If a component becomes damaged, repair or replace it as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the rest of the set.
- Secure Your Score Card: Invest a secure scorepad, such as Scratch Pad: Yahtzee Score Sheets for the Dice Proletariat to keep your valuable records safe
The worst case scenario of not caring for your Yahtzee set is having to replace the entire set, which can be an unnecessary expense. Neglecting to keep the set clean can also result in damage to the scorecards, making it difficult to keep track of your score during a game. In addition, if the dice are not properly maintained, they may become warped or damaged, affecting their ability to roll correctly and altering the outcome of the game. These issues can ruin the excitement of the game and negatively impact the overall experience of playing Yahtzee. It is important to take the time to properly care for your Yahtzee set to ensure that you can continue to enjoy the game for years to come.
Yahtzee Mailbag
Greetings, Yahtzee comrades! This week we once again open the mailbag to answer questions posed by our readers. In this installment, we’ll look at issues that revolve around the most fundamental of all Yahtzee strategies: how to care for your Yahtzee set. After all, if the physical game itself is missing pieces or otherwise degraded, it may not even be possible to play a single match. The Yahtzee Equipment page provides a comprehensive overview of the game materiel and its proper maintenance, but sometimes unique situations arise where there are no clear answers. Keep sending us your questions and Yahtzee oddities and we’ll wade through the murkiness together to find a practical solution for even the weirdest of circumstances.
Reader letters may be lightly edited or condensed for clarity. The following commentary does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the World Yahtzee Institute or its subsidiaries.
Yahtzee in the Bathtub
Dear Yahtzee Manifesto,
I recently came across an Instagram post from Geraldine Kemper, a Dutch TV personality, who claimed she had spent the whole weekend playing Yahtzee in the bathtub. Have you ever heard of such a thing?
Jaap Lips - Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Dear Jaap,
I personally think that sounds like a great way to spend the weekend! It may seem preposterous at first, but playing Yahtzee around the water is certainly not without precedent. In fact, there is a rich history of aquatic dice play amongst European sailors that stretches back centuries. This nautical theme continued into the 21st century. The modern iteration of the game was developed on a yacht at sea. And ever since then, sanctioned tournaments have been held on a multitude of other watercraft, including paddleboats, canoes, cruiseliners, aircraft carriers, and inflatable pool floats.
However, bathtime Yahtzee does pose some unique challenges, such as the need for a level playing surface upon which to roll the dice. It appears that Ms. Kemper has found an ideal solution by fitting a portable table right over the sides of the tub. Because the danger of rolling a die into the bath is quite high with this type of setup, players should set rules prior to the start of the game on how to deal with errant throws into the water hazard. Another area of concern is the scorecard situation when playing near water. Kemper’s own scoresheet is at risk of smudged ink or even disintegration as it sits perilously close to the water’s edge. Using a laminated Yahtzee scoresheet is a great solution to this problem. If you don't have access to a laminator, simply insert the scorecard into a waterproof bag or add a layer of plastic wrap for extra protection.
And it should go without saying that adding machines or other electronic devices should not be used in this scenario due to the risk of electrocution. The last thing anyone wants is a repeat of the Great Yahtzee Disaster of 1987. A more common bane of long soaks in the tub is the ever-present danger of developing prune fingers. Combined with slick hands from water and suds, this could easily interfere with a player's rolling technique. If the other players are outside of the bathtub during gameplay then a handicap may be considered to address pruniness concerns of the waterlogged participant.
Yahtzee Score Card Safety
Yahtzee is a beloved dice game played by friends and family worldwide. The thrill of rolling five dice in a plastic cup and dishing out high-fives after scoring a Yahtzee is undeniable. However, the fun does not need to end once the game is over. Yahtzee enthusiasts can relive past games and outcomes by reminiscing over old Yahtzee scorecards.
Many players simply discard their completed scorecards, while others save them only if they have achieved a high score. The World Yahtzee Institute recommends keeping all scorecards for future generations to study and enjoy. However, accidents can happen, such as toddlers defacing scorecards with crayon scribblings or pets chewing them up, especially when they are stored in the Yahtzee box with the rest of the equipment.
To prevent damage to these precious documents, Yahtzee players are encouraged to store their scorecards in a secure place where they would typically store valuables. Popular options include personal safes, gun lockers, jewelry boxes, under the mattress, underwear drawer, cookie jar, or a bank's safety deposit box. It is crucial to choose a spot where the records will be free from moisture, flame, and potential tampering.
Losing a Yahtzee archive to a natural disaster is terrible enough, but to have precious data intentionally altered or destroyed could cause serious psychological harm. Common types of Yahtzee vandalism include data erasure, score manipulation, and outright thievery. To deter potential hooligans, consider installing an alarm system that will alert you when the security of your Yahtzee repository is breached.
Even with the most meticulously insulated physical scorecards, time and entropy will eventually take their toll. Therefore, electronic preservation is the preferred method for maintaining an accurate record of Yahtzee scores in the long term. One easy way to manage Yahtzee scores digitally is to forgo a paper scorecard entirely and use a simple computer spreadsheet to record scores. Alternatively, the scores from a paper scorecard can be transcribed into a spreadsheet once the game has ended. Players who include artwork on their scorecards that cannot be translated into a spreadsheet format can electronically replicate the scorecards with a digital scanner or photographic technique.
As players contemplate how to safeguard their scorecards after death, they can be included in a personal will to be bequeathed to a loved one or donated to the World Yahtzee Institute. With proper management, your Yahtzee scores can live on forever and contribute to both Yahtzee history and its continued development.