How to Play Beetle

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Beetle is a simple, fast-moving dice and drawing game for two to six players. Each player attempts to sketch a complete beetle, with each body part only unlocked by rolling the right number on a single die. Because certain parts must be drawn before others can be added, luck and timing collide in a way that keeps everyone at the table tense right to the last roll.

It needs nothing more than a die, paper, and a pencil per player, which makes it a favourite at kitchen tables, on holiday, and at family gatherings. Children can join in as soon as they can hold a pencil and recognise numbers, and the rules take under two minutes to explain to a complete newcomer.

A little history

The precise origins of Beetle are unclear. The game appears to have been widely played in Britain from at least the mid-twentieth century and is frequently cited as a classic British parlour and pub game. It has been published in various boxed editions over the decades, but its core rules predate any single commercial release and were almost certainly passed along informally long before they were set down in print.

Setting up

1. Seat all players around a table so everyone has a clear writing surface.
2. Give each player a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.
3. Place a single die in the centre of the table where all players can reach it.
4. Agree before play begins how many rounds constitute a full game (three or five rounds is common).
5. Decide which player takes the first turn, by any method the group prefers.

How to play

1. Players take turns in clockwise order. On your turn, roll the die once.
2. Each number on the die corresponds to one beetle body part: 1 = Body, 2 = Head, 3 = Leg (one leg per roll), 4 = Eye (one eye per roll), 5 = Feeler/Antenna (one per roll), 6 = Tail.
3. You may only draw the part that matches the number you rolled.
4. Crucially, you must draw the Body (roll a 1) before you can add any other part at all.
5. You must draw the Head (roll a 2) before you can add Eyes or Feelers.
6. Once a part is eligible, draw it on your beetle immediately. If you roll a number for a part you cannot yet draw, or for a part you have already completed, your turn ends with no drawing.
7. A complete beetle has: 1 body, 1 head, 6 legs, 2 eyes, 2 feelers, and 1 tail. That is 13 parts in total.
8. After drawing (or failing to draw), pass the die to the next player clockwise.
9. The first player to draw all 13 parts shouts 'Beetle!' and the round ends immediately.

Winning and scoring

The player who completes all 13 parts of their beetle first wins the round and scores 13 points. If you are playing a multi-round game, all other players score one point for each body part they have successfully drawn by the time 'Beetle!' is called. The player with the highest cumulative score after the agreed number of rounds wins the game. In a single-round game, the first to complete their beetle simply wins outright.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns whether a player may draw a part mid-sequence and then add dependent parts in the same turn. The standard ruling is one roll per turn, one part drawn per turn, with no exceptions. You roll, you draw at most one part, and the die passes on. A second frequent argument concerns the legs: a player who has a body but rolls a 3 may draw one leg per turn per roll of 3. Six separate rolls of 3 are needed to complete all six legs. There is no rule allowing multiple legs from a single roll unless your group has explicitly agreed a variant beforehand.

If a player shouts 'Beetle!' before they have genuinely completed all 13 parts, the standard ruling is that the round continues and that player may not win that round. Check the drawing carefully before accepting the call.

How to win more often

• Prioritise getting your body down as fast as possible. Until you roll a 1, every other roll is wasted, so the earlier you secure the body the sooner every number becomes useful.
• Keep calm about the legs. Six legs are the single biggest bottleneck in the game. Accept that they will take time and resist the temptation to rush or bend the rules in your favour.
• Watch opponents' progress. Once another player is close to finishing, consider playing a faster, more focused game rather than trying to draw neatly. Speed matters more than artistry.
• When playing for cumulative points across rounds, every part counts. Even if you cannot win a round outright, completing as many parts as possible before someone calls 'Beetle!' keeps your score competitive.
• Agree all variant rules before the first roll. Disputes about house rules mid-game are the main source of frustration in Beetle. A clear agreement at the start makes everything smoother.

Variations

Team Beetle

Players pair up into teams of two. Each team shares a single beetle drawing, with partners alternating turns. The first team to complete their beetle wins. This works well with larger groups and encourages a little light collaboration.

Scoring Beetle

Instead of the first finisher winning the round outright, every player scores points equal to the number of parts they have drawn when 'Beetle!' is called. A completed beetle scores a bonus of five additional points. Play a set number of rounds and the highest cumulative score wins. This version rewards steady progress over pure luck of the draw.

Speed Beetle

All players roll simultaneously on a shared count rather than taking turns. Each player keeps their own die and rolls continuously. The first to complete all 13 parts and shout 'Beetle!' wins. This variant is considerably louder and faster, and suits younger children or groups who want a high-energy game.

Themed Beetle

Replace the beetle with another creature or character whose parts map neatly onto the numbers one to six. A spider (eight legs) requires adjusting the part counts and sometimes using two dice. Any symmetrical creature works. This variation keeps the core mechanic intact while adding novelty for players who know the standard game well.

Beetle: frequently asked questions