How to Play Round the Clock

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

Round the Clock is a simple, fast-moving dice game for two to six players in which everyone races to roll the numbers 1 through 12 in strict sequence. No board, no cards, no complex scoring, just two dice, a good memory for where you are in the sequence, and enough luck to keep every round genuinely unpredictable.

It is a firm favourite at kitchen tables and family gatherings because the rules take under a minute to explain, younger children can compete on equal terms with adults, and the lead can change on a single roll. Games are short enough to play several back-to-back, which is exactly what most groups end up doing.

A little history

The origins of Round the Clock are unclear. Dice racing games in which players work through a fixed numerical sequence appear in various forms across European game collections from the nineteenth century onward, and the clock-face framing, matching the twelve numbers on an analogue clock, is a neat piece of folk design that made the goal immediately memorable. No single inventor or definitive first publication has been recorded.

Setting up

1. Seat all players around a table where everyone can reach the dice easily.
2. Agree who goes first, youngest player, highest single-die roll, or any method the group prefers.
3. Each player notes or remembers that their starting target is 1.
4. No other preparation is needed: the game begins immediately.

How to play

1. On your turn, roll both dice.
2. If the total shown equals your current target number, you advance: your new target becomes the next number up in the sequence (1, 2, 3 ... all the way to 12).
3. If the total does not match your current target, nothing happens and your target stays the same.
4. Pass the dice to the next player clockwise regardless of whether you scored.
5. On any single turn you may only advance one step, even if you happen to roll a number that would match a later target, you must hit each number in strict order.
6. A score of 1 can only be made with two dice showing 1 and a blank, which is impossible on standard six-sided dice. See Fine Points for how groups typically handle this.
7. Continue taking turns in order. There is no limit on the number of rounds.
8. The moment a player rolls a total of 12 while that is their current target, they call it out and the game ends immediately.

Winning and scoring

The winner is the first player to have successfully rolled every number from 1 to 12 in sequence. There is no points tally in the standard game: it is a straight race. If you want to run a longer session, award one point per game won and play to a agreed total, such as first to five points.

The fine points

The most common rules dispute concerns the number 1. Two standard six-sided dice cannot produce a total of 1, so most groups adopt one of two house rulings before play begins: either skip 1 entirely and start the sequence at 2, or allow a double-1 (snake eyes, total of 2) to count as the 1 target as a special case. Agree which ruling you are using before the first roll; switching mid-game causes arguments. The skip-to-2 version is the more commonly documented approach and is recommended for straightforward play.

A second dispute arises when a player rolls their target number but forgets to announce it and passes the dice on. The standard ruling is that the advance only counts if the player claims it before the next player rolls. If the next player has already thrown, the moment has passed and the target does not move. This keeps play moving and removes any incentive to watch other players' dice rather than your own.

How to win more often

• Keep a clear mental note of your current target before every turn. Losing track costs you legitimate scores.
• If you are playing the variant that allows splitting dice values (see Variations), think ahead: rolling a 3 and a 4 when you need 7 scores, but it also means you gave up a chance to count the 3 separately if that were your target.
• In a crowded game (five or six players), the pace is slower per person. Stay patient rather than rushing, the race is long enough that consistent attention matters more than any single lucky roll.
• Watch where your nearest rival is in the sequence. If they are one step ahead of you, any turn they fail to score is as valuable to you as a turn you succeed.
• When teaching the game to younger children, write the sequence 1-12 on a slip of paper for each player and let them tick off each number as they hit it. It removes memory load and keeps the game moving.

Variations

Split Dice

In this popular variant, a player may use the two dice individually rather than as a combined total. So a roll of 3 and 5 could count as 8 (combined), or the player could use the 3 to hit target 3 and then, on the same turn, use the 5 to hit target 5 if 3 and 4 have already been cleared. This variant rewards players who manage their sequence cleverly and adds a genuine decision point to every roll.

Reverse Clock

Players work backwards from 12 down to 1 (or 2 if skipping 1). Everything else stays the same. The reversed sequence feels surprisingly fresh because the high numbers come early when everyone is jostling for position, and the race tightens sharply at the low end where dice totals cluster least often.

Double or Nothing

A player who rolls a double on any turn may roll both dice again immediately as a bonus throw. If the bonus roll also matches their target, they advance and keep rolling as long as they throw doubles. Any non-double that misses the target ends the turn as normal. This variant significantly increases the drama and variance, making it particularly popular with younger players.

Team Clock

Pairs of players share a sequence, alternating who rolls. Both teammates must have hit all numbers 1-12 between them before the team can win, meaning each individual roll advances the shared target. This works well with larger groups and introduces a light co-operative element without changing any of the core rules.

Round the Clock: frequently asked questions