Picture this: you’re at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green, and suddenly—bam! You’re inspired to create the longest chain of numbers. Sound familiar? Probably not. But in Express Cross, that’s exactly what you’ll do! In just 15 minutes, this nifty small box game from Playte has you racing to form the longest ascending chains possible. And let me tell you, things get wild once the special die enters the mix!
My sweet spot has always been games that take less than half an hour and are easy to play yet hard to master. Express Cross fits all that criteria, plus it fits in my purse. I warn you now—you won’t be able to play it just once!
⚠️ You won't be able to play this game just once!
What’s in the Box?
Sheets Pad (because who doesn't love marking things down?)
5 regular dice (numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8—nope, that’s not a typo)
1 special die (with quirky numbers like -3, -5, -7, and 2, 4, 8)
Also, the sheets pad has a neat cutout so the dice can fit in the box without needing a bigger one. Super compact, which I love. And while the game doesn’t come with pencils or pens, that’s actually a bonus in my book. Why? Because I’m laminating those sheets, baby! In the meantime, we’re using erasable pens.
The Setup
It’s super simple! Each player grabs a sheet and a pen (I recommend one that makes you feel powerful). Now, here’s a fun rule: the starting player is whoever most recently crossed a street crosswalk. Talk about random, but in a game about numbers and chains, it feels oddly perfect.
Gameplay: The Dice Have Spoken
Express Cross is played over 20 fast paced rounds
Rolling the Dice
In round 1, the starting player rolls one die. Easy peasy. But here’s the kicker: every round, you roll one more die than the last, up to 5 dice. After round 5? Back to rolling 1 die again. The dice are just teasing us at this point.
Fill in the Sheet
Once the dice have been rolled, you’ll take the sum and write it anywhere on your sheet. Pro tip: Think strategically about placement because the name of the game is creating long, ascending chains. You can connect a chain of up to 14 spaces, which sounds oh so tempting, but I haven’t been able to pull it off just yet! Careful, though—getting too greedy with your numbers might bite you. The numbers 5, 9, and 12 will slightly penalize you, as they only give you a fraction of what the next or previous numbers would score.
Variant – The Special Die: Risk It or Play Safe?
Now, if you're feeling daring (or just want to mix things up), there's a variant that lets you roll the special die alongside the regular ones. This die has a personality of its own, with both positive and negative values—so you could either score big or end up with a sum that’s, well… less than 0. 😬 It’s a gamble, but sometimes fortune favors the bold!
End of the Game: Who’s the Master of Chains?
After 20 rounds, it’s time to tally up the points. You’ll look at your sheet, scanning for your longest ascending sequences. Remember, sequences count even if the same number repeats! Check your score sheet for the points breakdown and add them up. Highest score wins, but no need to gloat... okay, maybe just a little.
What I Loved About Express Cross
Quick and Crunchy: With each round only taking a few seconds, this game packs plenty of decision making into a short timeframe. Perfect for weeknights or when you’ve got 15 minutes to spare!
Strategic Simplicity: It may seem like just rolling dice, but the placement of your sums is everything. Your future self will appreciate the planning
The Special Die! Nothing like adding a dash of chaos to a number game. The special die keeps you on your toes and makes you second guess whether you’re truly ready to take the plunge
Compact Design: I absolutely love that this game fits in such a small box! It’s perfect for traveling, and you can bring it anywhere—no bigger box needed. The thoughtfulness in the sheet pad cutout for the dice is a nice touch too
Language independent!
Any Downsides?
Luck of the Dice: If you’re not a fan of relying on dice rolls for strategy, Express Cross might feel a bit too random
Potential for Analysis Paralysis: With the potential to roll multiple dice and figure out the best placement for each sum, the more math inclined might find themselves deep in thought
Final Thoughts
Express Cross is the kind of game that sneaks up on you. At first, it seems simple—roll dice, write down numbers, repeat. With easy to learn rules, fast gameplay, and just enough strategy to keep you coming back, this game is perfect for both families and more competitive gamers.
Oh, and did I mention? Express Cross is one of the newest games from Playte, and it’ll be available at Essen! You can even snag your preorder here . Trust me, once you start playing, you won’t be able to stop.
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