I was introduced to Pickomino on BSW. At first I thought, what could this be about? Worms? Grilling? Ewww..... then I started playing, and was immediately hooked on it. Even though I like deeper games, this is a game which can be slapped on the table and played by just about anyone, from Grandma to a 5 year old.

Game Components:
There are 16 domino like tiles which range in numerical value from 21 to 36. Each tile has the number and a number of worms on it. 21-24 have 1 worm, 25-28 have 2 worms, 29-32 have 3 worms and 32-36 have 4 worms. These tiles are laid out in the playing area in numerical order.

Gameplay:

On each players turn they roll 8 dice. These dice have the numbers 1-5, the 6 side is replaced by a worm. The worm counts as a value of 5 when adding your score up. Once you have rolled you must pick a numerical value rolled to take, the catch is you must take ALL dice of that number.

For example - If I rolled 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,5 and I wanted to take the 2s I would be forces to take the 2 dice with the twos on them and place them aside. This becomes my "score" for this round. You can only take each numerical value, or worm one time. So if you took 1 5 on your first roll and then rolled 6 5s and a 1 then you'd have to take the 1.

Once you have taken your dice you then have a choice:

1) You can take a tile whose value is less than or equal to the value of your taken dice (worms on dice = 5 each)
2) You can continue rolling, hoping you roll a number you havn't picked yet.
3) Take an opponents top tile if you have EXACTLY the number on that tile.

If you cannot do any of these things because you've rolled only numbers you've taken, or you don't have a high enough total to take a tile you must return your topmost tile (if you have one) to the playing area. You must then remove (or flip over) the highest remaining tile in the game. This neat timing mechanism prevents the game from going on too long and punishes everyone a bit for pressing their luck a little too hard.

One note: If there's only one tile left and you fail and the tile you return is HIGHER than the remaining tile you still flip over the tile which was there before you put your tile down. If 25 is left, and my top tile is 30 and I fail to get 25 I must return my 30 to the table and flip over the 25. This is the only case in which a lower tile will get removed from the game.

In the end the winner is the player who has the most WORMS on thier tiles. If it is tied then the player who has the highest tile wins.


Pickomino will not make your brain hurt, it will not cause analysis paralysis or numbness of the limbs, but it will pass 20-30 minutes with 2-5 players pleasantly. With more players there is more downtime, but more opportunity to hen peck (ha ha) the tiles on the top of the other players stacks.

I force my wife to make a chicken sound when she places a tile back. She refuses, but I make her do it anyway. Makes it more fun.

I would highly recommend this game to anyone as an easy, light, euro filler game by the good Doctor.