There is always room in the cupboard for that game which is simply silly fun that everyone can play on an evening when the goal is fellowship, not in-depth gaming.
That is just the spot in a collection for Pass the Pigs from designer David Moffat. The game’s initial edition hit the market back in 1977, although since then there have been multiple releases.
Pass the Pigs is essentially a dice game, which of course means it is a matter of luck to win. While luck-based games are not high on my list, at times they have a place, particularly in a social setting that is more about friends getting together than gaming. In such situations Pass the Pigs works nicely.
The cute aspect of the game of course is that the dice are actually miniatures of pigs.
The object is to be the first to score 100 points using the special pigs dice.
On your turn, you throw the pigs and hope they end up in a scoring position such as a “snouter,” “trotter,” or “leaning jowler” (ranging in value from 1 to 60 points); if they do, you decide whether to “cash” the points (pass the pigs to the next player) or to roll again.
If you roll a non-scorer (“pig out” - one pig on the right flank, the other on the left flank; a fairly frequent result), you lose any as-yet-uncashed points.
If you throw an “oinker” (both pigs touching each other), you lose your entire accumulated score.
If you throw a “piggyback” (one pig on top of the other), you’re altogether eliminated.
Many dice games are similar in nature in terms of being push-your-luck. Some, like Cosmic Wimpout, do it better, but the unusual pig dice and their crazy landing profiles certainly make Pass the Pigs and entertaining option. There are big rewards if you push things and it works out, but also the potential for huge pitfalls.
Want to add a bit more risk and reward to Pass the Pigs, and blend it an element of ‘gambling’ on the rolls of other players, the try the variant Hog Call rules. They allow the other players to risk predicting the outcome of the throw; if predicted successfully, the hog caller earns twice the value of the position, and deducts that same amount from the roller’s score.
If this game was high-cost, or took an entire evening to play, then it would be a case of passing on the pigs. But, the cost is reasonable, think a holiday gift for a neighbour you game with on occasion, and at maybe half-an-hour to play, this is a winner.
