Wouter & Ymke 
Qwixx has been around for quite a while now, and to celebrate White Goblin Games’ 15th birthday, they’ve released a little gift for fans of their best-known dice game. Qwixx 15 is not a full-blown sequel, but an expansion that adds two fresh variants: Lucky 15 and Connect 15. Each comes with its own themed scorepad of 80 sheets. The game stays true to the fast, familiar roll-and-write format, just with a couple of clever twists to keep things interesting.
👥 2-4 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 15 minutes
📝 Designer: Steffen Benndorf
🎨 Artwork: Oliver Freudenreich
🏢 Publisher: White Goblin Games (review copy provided)
Quick Refresher: How Qwixx Works
If it’s been a while since you’ve played Qwixx, or you’re just discovering it, here’s a quick reminder. Each player has a scorepad with four coloured rows: red, yellow, green and blue. These rows are filled with numbers going up or down, and you cross them off from left to right. Once you skip a number, that’s it. No second chances.
Each turn, one player rolls six dice: two white and four coloured. First, everyone can use the total of the two white dice to mark a number in any row on their own sheet. Then the active player gets a second go by combining one white die with one coloured die and crossing off the matching number in that colour’s row.
The game ends when two coloured rows are locked (by marking the far-right number) or when a player collects four failed throws. At the end, players score based on how many numbers they’ve crossed off in each row. More marks means more points, but any failed throws deduct from the total.
Lucky 15 – A Bit of a Gamble
Lucky 15 adds a new bonus row which contains four special fields with fixed point values: 5, 11, 18 and 36. If the active player rolls exactly 15 using both white dice and one coloured die, they get to choose between playing as usual or skipping their turn to mark the next empty field in the Lucky 15 row.
Only the active player can do this. Everyone else at the table plays the regular way, using the sum of the two white dice.
If the active player doesn’t mark anything at all during their turn, that’s considered a failed throw. But if they manage to mark one of the bonus fields instead, they avoid the penalty.
At the end of the game, you only score the value of the last bonus field you managed to mark. And since you have to fill them from left to right, you’ll need to roll a 15 more than once if you want to reach the higher points. It’s not about skipping ahead to grab the big number, but slowly working your way there. Bit by bit, if you’re lucky. It’s a gentle kind of push-your-luck that fits Qwixx perfectly.
Connect 15 – Eyes on the Dice
Connect 15 plays out a bit more strategically. Each coloured row now includes three connection fields, scattered between the usual numbers. These are bonus spaces that can only be marked if a specific dice combo appears.
The magic combo is a 1 and a 5. It doesn’t matter which dice show those values. It could be the two white dice, one white and one coloured, or even two coloured dice. If that combo turns up during a roll, every player has the chance to perform a bonus action and mark the next available connection field in one of their rows.
Which row depends on the dice used. If it’s a coloured die and a white die, you mark that coloured row. If both dice are coloured, you pick one of those two matching rows. If it’s the two white dice, you’re free to choose any row you like.
You can use this bonus action before or after marking your usual number, or even if you don’t mark any number at all. Just like in the original game, all markings still go from left to right, and skipped spaces can’t be marked later.
When the game ends, the connection fields count toward your total number of marks in that row. And yes, in this variant it’s possible to mark all 15 spaces in a row, which fits the name nicely.
What’s in the Pack?
Let’s be clear: Qwixx 15 is an expansion, not a standalone game. There are no dice, no pencils, and no box. You get two new scorepads, one for each variant, each with 80 sheets. That’s it. It’s simple and compact, just like the original game.
The design sticks to the clean and practical look of Qwixx, but the two new layouts add a few nice touches. The Lucky 15 sheet includes a new orange bonus row that keeps things organised. The Connect 15 sheet has small linked-space icons that help the connection fields stand out, along with a reminder at the bottom about the 1 and 5 combo needed to trigger them.
Our Experience
We’ve played a lot of Qwixx over the years. It’s one of those games that always makes it to the table at the end of a game night. When we’re not quite ready to call it a night but also not in the mood for anything complicated, Qwixx is usually the answer. It’s fast, it’s light, and it always has that one “argh, why did I skip that number” moment.
Qwixx 15 felt familiar from the very first roll. The variants fit nicely into the original rules, and setup was basically nothing. You just swap the scorepad and you’re off.
We started with Lucky 15. It added a small moment of tension for the active player, and whenever someone rolled close to a 15, people started leaning in. The choice between taking a regular turn or going for a bonus felt meaningful, even if the impact was quite small. That little gamble was enough to keep things interesting.
Connect 15 felt a bit more tactical. We noticed people checking the dice more closely, watching for 1s and 5s instead of just looking for useful sums. Some players used the bonus action early as a kind of insurance, while others waited for the perfect moment. It encouraged some smart timing and made turns feel a bit more interactive.
We rotated between the two variants across several sessions. Both added variety without slowing down the game. Even experienced Qwixx players had to rethink their approach a little, which was great to see.
Our Thoughts
Qwixx 15 does exactly what it needs to do. It adds a few new ideas without making the game heavier or more complex. Both variants feel like natural extensions of the original, and while they don’t completely change how Qwixx plays, they’re clever enough to make you want to try them both at least a few times.
Lucky 15 adds a nice bit of risk for the active player, while Connect 15 feels more strategic and gives everyone a bit more to think about. Both keep the pace fast and the decisions light, which is exactly what we want from Qwixx.
Of course, it’s not a game-changer. If you didn’t like Qwixx before, this won’t change your mind. And yes, it’s a pretty bare package. No box, no extras, just two pads of paper. But for fans of the game, especially those who play it often, it’s a solid little upgrade that keeps things feeling fresh.
We’d recommend Qwixx 15 to families, casual game groups, or anyone who wants a few new twists on a game they already enjoy. If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep your collection complete, or you’re looking for more variety without more complexity, this is a no-brainer.
And if nothing else, it gives you a new excuse to roll just one more game. After all, you might hit that perfect 15.
📝 We received a copy of Qwixx 15 from White Goblin Games.
