Cosmic Wimpout
A dice game with wild cubes and free-form subculture roots.
Cosmic Wimpout is a dice game first released by C3, Inc in 1976. It belongs to the same family as games like 1000/5000/10000, Farkle, Greed, Hot Dice, Squelch, and Zilch. Players use five specially designed dice, and the game can be played on a combined scoreboard and rolling surface made of cloth or felt, which comes in different colors and patterns. Each player provides their own token for keeping score. The game is often linked to the Berkeley area, the Grateful Dead, and other free-form subcultures. A yearly tournament is held at the Green River Festival in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
The dice are called "cubes." Four of them show two swirls, three triangular glyphs, four lightning bolts, the number 5, five stars, and the number 10. The fifth cube, usually a different color, replaces the six-dot face with a single flaming sun icon. The rules have changed over time, and minor tweaks have been made to the colors and patterns on the dice faces.
To play, you roll all five cubes and add up your score. If you roll and get no points, you have "wimped out." Fives and tens are worth 5 and 10 points each. Twos, threes, fours, and sixes score nothing when rolled alone or as a pair. The flaming sun is wild: it can count as a 5 or 10 (and must if it's the only scoring cube in that roll), be part of a three-of-a-kind "flash," or be treated as a non-scoring cube that can be rerolled. The sun does not make non-scoring singles score points on its own.
A flash happens when you roll three of a kind of any number. The flaming sun can complete a three-of-a-kind flash (e.g., a pair plus the sun counts as a flash). A flash scores ten times the face value of one die in the flash—for example, three twos are worth 20 points, three fives are worth 50. A freight train occurs when you roll five of a kind in a single roll, worth 100 times the face value. Five swirls (twos) are 200 points, five lightning bolts (fours) are 400, and five fives are 500. A freight train of stars (sixes) is an instant win. A freight train of tens, called a "supernova," is an instant win as well.
After scoring, you set aside the scoring cubes and can either keep your points or reroll the non-scoring dice to try for more. There are four exceptions that force rolls.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Cosmic Wimpout
- Genre
- Dice Rolling
- Players
- 2 and up
- Ages
- 5 and up
- Setup Time
- 1 minute
- Playing Time
- 20 minutes
- Random Chance
- High (Dice)
- Skills
- Arithmetic, Risk Management
- Web
- [http: · www.cosmicwimpout.com/ Homepage]
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The five Cosmic Wimpout dice are referred to as 'cubes'. Four of the cubes have face values of 'two swirls', 'three triangular glyphs', 'four lightning bolts', 'the number 5', 'five stars', and 'the number 10' - the fifth cube, often a different colour, has a single 'flaming sun' icon in place of the six-dot face. The general rules for the game have evolved since its inception and there have been various minor modifications made to the colors and patterns of the face designs on the cubes. Scoring involves rolling all five cubes and adding up points; if no points are scored, the player has 'wimped out'. Fives and tens are worth 5 and 10 points respectively, while twos, threes, fours, and sixes score nothing unless part of a flash. The Flaming Sun is a wild cube that can be used as a 5 or 10, or to complete a three-of-a-kind flash, but does not make non-scoring singles score points.
Reader's Guide
Cosmic Wimpout holds significance as a cult dice game that emerged from the free-form subcultures of the Berkeley area and the Grateful Dead scene, reflecting a playful, improvisational spirit. Its rules, which include the wild Flaming Sun cube, the Futtless rule, and the risk of a train wreck, create a clean, elegant system that allows for dramatic comebacks, as noted by game designer Andrew Looney in his 2007 essay. The game's influence is acknowledged from the French dice game Dix Mille, and it shares mechanics with variations such as Bupkis, Greed, Farkle, and Zonk. Cosmic Wimpout's legacy includes an annual tournament at the Green River Festival in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and its inclusion in the 1985 Games 100 list. The game's design encourages house rules and modifications, known as the Guiding Light, allowing players to adapt the experience. Its enduring appeal lies in its balance of luck and strategy, where players must decide when to bank points or push for more, making it a staple of casual and convention gaming circles.
Did You Know?
- Rolling a freight train of five stars (sixes) is an instant win, while five tens (a 'supernova') causes instant loss.
- Game designer Andrew Looney called Cosmic Wimpout the 'single most influential game I've ever played' in a 2007 essay.
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