Beetle Dice Game: Rules, Drawing Chart and Odds
Beetle is a dice and drawing game for all ages. Each roll lets you add one part to a beetle on your paper, and the first player to finish a whole beetle shouts "Beetle!" and wins. There is no skill and no reading involved, which makes it a favourite for young children, classrooms and big family parties.
What You Need
- One six-sided die per player or per table.
- Paper and a pencil for each player.
- Two or more players. Big groups can play at several tables at once.
No die? Use our Dice Roller on a phone or a classroom screen.
Which Number Draws Which Part
This is the most common way to number the parts. Groups often use their own numbers, so agree on them before you start.
| Part | Roll |
|---|---|
| Body (draw first) | 6 |
| Head (needs the body) | 5 |
| Legs, one per roll (six in all) | 4 |
| Tail (needs the body) | 1 |
| Eyes, one per roll (two) | 3 |
| Feelers, one per roll (two) | 2 |
A beetle has 13 parts in all: a body, a head, six legs, a tail, two eyes and two feelers (antennae).
How to Play
- Take turns rolling the die. On your turn, roll once and pass the die on.
- Start with the body. Nothing can be drawn until you roll a 6 and draw the body.
- Add parts to the body. Once you have the body, a 5 draws the head, a 4 draws a leg and a 1 draws the tail.
- Add parts to the head. Eyes (3) and feelers (2) need the head first.
- Wasted rolls. If you roll a part you cannot draw yet, or one you already have all of, nothing happens.
- Shout "Beetle!" The first player with all 13 parts wins the round.
How Long Does a Game Take?
We simulated two million beetles with the numbers above and one roll per turn:
| Finishing a beetle | Turns needed (one roll per turn) |
|---|---|
| Average | about 44 |
| Lucky player (fastest 10%) | 29 or fewer |
| Typical (median) | about 42 |
| Slow player (slowest 10%) | 62 or more |
| Winner of a 4-player race, on average | about 32 |
The legs are what slow everyone down. Each leg needs its own 4, and on average a specific number takes 6 rolls to come up, so six legs alone take about 36 rolls. A single beetle is a long game for one player, but in a race between four players someone usually finishes in about 32 turns.
For a quicker game, many families let you roll again every time you draw a part. That rule speeds things up a lot:
| Finishing a beetle | Turns needed (roll again after each part) |
|---|---|
| Average | about 32 |
| Typical (median) | about 30 |
| Winner of a 4-player race, on average | about 20 |
Want to know why some numbers feel slow to come up? Our guide to dice probability explains the maths in plain words.
Variants
- Roll again after a part: keep rolling while you are drawing parts. Faster, and good for small children.
- Any part first: skip the body rule and let players draw any part at any time. The game gets much shorter.
- Beetle Drive: a party version with several tables. Players at each table race, then the winners move up a table and new partners are formed, a bit like a whist drive. Points are often scored for every part drawn, and the top total at the end of the evening wins.
- Other creatures: classes draw monsters, robots or snowmen with the same rules. Make your own number chart for six parts.
Beetle in the Classroom
Beetle is a useful game for early maths: children read the die, match it to a chart and count parts. Put the number chart on the board and split the class into small tables (see our fair ways to make random teams). For more ideas, see our lists of classroom games and kids party games.
Where the Game Comes From
Beetle is a traditional British party game, and Beetle Drives were a popular way to raise money at church halls, schools and clubs for much of the 20th century. In the United States, a similar idea became the plastic toy Cootie, in which children build a bug from pieces instead of drawing it. Other quick games for the same dice are in our list of easy dice games.
FAQ
How do you play Beetle?
Each player rolls one die in turn. A 6 draws the body, then 5 the head, 4 a leg (six in all), 1 the tail, 3 an eye (two) and 2 a feeler (two). The first player to draw all 13 parts shouts Beetle and wins.
What do you need to roll first in Beetle?
In the usual rules you need a 6 for the body before you can draw anything else, and the head before the eyes and feelers. Some groups drop this rule for a faster game.
How long does a game of Beetle take?
With one roll per turn, one player needs about 44 turns on average to finish a beetle. In a race between four players, the winner usually finishes in about 32 turns.
What is a Beetle Drive?
A Beetle Drive is a party or fundraising version of Beetle played at several tables, with players moving tables between rounds and scoring points for the parts they draw.
Can you play Beetle without a real die?
Yes. Use our online Dice Roller set to one die on a phone or a classroom screen.