Each turn begins with a roll of five dice. The player may set aside selected dice and reroll the others, usually for up to three total rolls, before assigning the final combination to one unused scoring category.

The score sheet includes number categories and combination categories such as three of a kind, four of a kind, full house, straights, and Yahtzee. A complete game ends after every category has been filled; the winner is the player or computer opponent with the highest score.

Plan each turn around the categories that remain available rather than chasing Yahtzee on every roll. Keeping a useful pair or three matching dice can be stronger than repeatedly pursuing a rare result, especially when a difficult category is still open.

Track the upper-section bonus and protect flexible rolls for straights or full houses. When a turn cannot produce a valuable combination, sacrificing the least useful open category can limit the damage to the final score.