That’s Pretty Clever takes the humble roll-and-write format and injects it with a combo system that turns simple dice selection into a chain reaction of scoring opportunities. On your turn, you roll six colored dice and pick one to use, marking the corresponding space on your score sheet. Any dice showing lower values than your choice get set aside, unavailable for the rest of your turn. After three picks, opponents get to use your leftover dice. The whole thing takes thirty minutes and leaves you wanting to play again immediately.

The community response has been overwhelmingly positive since its 2018 release. Players describe it as Yahtzee evolved, a game that takes a familiar concept and layers enough strategic depth on top to satisfy experienced gamers while remaining accessible to anyone. It earned a Kennerspiel des Jahres nomination, and the praise has barely cooled since. Criticism is minimal and focused mainly on limited depth for hardcore gamers and a multiplayer experience that sometimes feels like solo play happening at the same table.

Chain Reactions and the Joy of Combos

The combo system is what transforms That’s Pretty Clever from a pleasant time-waster into something truly compelling. Each of the six colored sections on the score sheet has its own scoring rules, and many spaces trigger bonuses when filled. Those bonuses can include free marks in other sections, rerolls, or additional picks, creating chains where one good choice cascades into three or four additional scores. When a combo fires across multiple sections in a single turn, it produces a rush of satisfaction that no game this simple has any right to deliver.

What makes the combos strategic rather than random is the dice selection mechanism. Setting aside lower-valued dice means every choice has opportunity costs. Taking a high-value die gives you a powerful placement but eliminates fewer options from the pool. Taking a low die preserves flexibility for subsequent picks but might mean marking a less valuable space. This tension between immediate reward and future potential gives the game a decision weight that far exceeds its thirty-minute playtime.

The passive turn mechanic keeps players engaged even when it’s not their turn. After the active player finishes selecting, everyone else gets to choose from the remaining dice. This means you’re always watching the rolls, always calculating which leftover dice you’d want, and always hoping the active player doesn’t take the one you need. It’s a small design choice that eliminates dead time and keeps the entire table invested in every roll.

Solo play works exceptionally well, which helps explain the game’s lasting popularity. Playing alone against a score threshold captures the same combo-chasing satisfaction without any loss of engagement, and the quick playtime makes it perfect for filling spare moments. The free app version brought the game to an even wider audience and proved that the core design loop is strong enough to stand on its own without the social element.

The Ceiling on Clever

Depth is the most common limitation players identify after extended play. The score sheet doesn’t change between games, which means experienced players eventually map out optimal paths and the discovery phase ends. Sequels in the series address this with new sheet designs, but the base game’s single sheet has a visible ceiling for dedicated players who put in dozens of sessions. The strategic decisions remain interesting, but the sense of exploring new territory fades.

Multiplayer interaction is functionally minimal. Beyond the passive dice selection, players have no way to affect each other’s games. You’re solving parallel puzzles at the same table, and while the passive turn mechanic keeps you engaged, the competitive element boils down to comparing final scores. Groups looking for negotiation, blocking, or any form of direct interaction will find nothing here.

The dice can occasionally produce truly frustrating turns. Sometimes the colors you need simply don’t appear, and your carefully planned combo path stalls because the dice won’t cooperate. The game mitigates this through reroll tokens and bonus actions, but there are turns where the best available option still feels like treading water. For a game this short, a bad turn passes quickly, but players who struggle with luck-driven outcomes might find the randomness grating over multiple sessions.

Score sheet design drew a small but persistent complaint. The final tally appears on the back of the sheet, which means flipping back and forth during the scoring phase. It’s a minor annoyance that a slightly different layout could have eliminated entirely.

Thirty Minutes That Keep Pulling You Back

The essential quality of That’s Pretty Clever is its addictiveness. The combo system creates a “one more game” pull that few titles at any weight class can match. You finish a round, look at your score, immediately see where you could have done better, and want to try again. That loop is the game’s greatest strength and the reason it’s sold millions of copies worldwide.

This addictive quality also means it punches above its weight as a gateway game. The rules take two minutes to explain, the combo system teaches itself through play, and the satisfaction of triggering a chain reaction hooks players who might otherwise dismiss dice games as too simple.

Should You Roll the Dice on That’s Pretty Clever?

That’s Pretty Clever is ideal for solo gamers, couples looking for a quick competitive game, and anyone who enjoys the satisfaction of optimizing within constraints. It works as a gateway game, a filler between heavier titles, and a travel game that fits in a small bag. The Kennerspiel nomination is well deserved, and the price point makes it an easy recommendation.

Skip it if you need meaningful player interaction, if a single unchanging score sheet will bore you after a dozen plays, or if roll-and-write as a concept doesn’t interest you. Players who prefer long-form strategic games will find this too light for a main course, though it works perfectly as an appetizer or nightcap.

The Verdict on That’s Pretty Clever

That’s Pretty Clever takes six dice and a score sheet and builds something unreasonably addictive out of them. The chain reactions feel brilliant when they fire, the passive turn mechanic keeps everyone engaged, and the whole thing wraps up in half an hour. Depth is limited compared to heavier roll-and-writes, and the multiplayer experience fades into near-solitaire at times. For a game this quick, portable, and replayable, those trade-offs are easy to accept. It earned its Kennerspiel nomination for a reason.