tabletoppingboardgames 
Tüfteln is one of those games that almost dares you to underestimate it. You open the box and there’s… not much there. Two dice, a pad of paper, and that’s basically it. No theme to get excited about, no flashy art, no big promise on the cover. Just numbers and boxes.
And honestly, that already tells you exactly what kind of game this is.
Tüfteln is a roll-and-write where everyone uses the same dice rolls and fills in their sheet at the same time. You’ll be writing numbers from one to six into 36 fields, spread over nine small squares. When the sheet is full, each square gets scored on its own using a fixed set of patterns. Add everything up, highest score wins. There are two variants, and the only difference between them is how strict the placement rules are.
And that’s really all there is. No twists hiding later. What you see at the start is what you’ll be doing for the full game. The question is whether that’s enough to keep you interested.
👥 1-15 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 15 minutes
📝 Designers: Reinhard Staupe & Jannik Walter
🎨 Artwork: Martijn Haddering, Oliver Freudenreich & Sandra Freudenreich
🏢 Publisher: KENDi (review copy provided)
Gameplay overview
Everyone gets a scoresheet and a pencil. One player rolls both dice to start, and after each round the dice move clockwise. The game always lasts fifteen rounds, which is enough to complete the entire scoresheet. There’s no early ending and no extra turns. When the sheet is full, you’re done.
In the standard version, variant A, each roll gives you two numbers that you must place. You choose where to write them, following a simple rule that’s just annoying enough to matter. Either you put the numbers in any two free white fields anywhere on the sheet, or you place them in two free blue fields that are directly connected horizontally or vertically. You can put both numbers in the same square, and you can choose which number goes where.
That choice sounds small, but it comes up every single round, and it often messes with whatever plan you had in mind.
Over time, you fill the nine small 2×2 squares on your sheet. Once all fields are filled, scoring starts immediately. Each square is scored separately based on the pattern of numbers inside it.
The scoring categories are always the same. You can score for four different numbers, a single pair, two pairs next to each other, two diagonal pairs, four of a kind, or a straight of four consecutive numbers arranged clockwise. Some things don’t score at all. Three of a kind is worthless, and a diagonal pair on its own doesn’t count. If a square doesn’t match a valid pattern, it scores zero, and that always feels bad.
After scoring all nine squares, there’s one last check. If you’ve managed to score at least once in all six categories across your sheet, you get a seven-point bonus. It’s not huge, but it’s big enough that you’ll keep thinking about it while playing.
Variant B uses the same rules and scoring, but tightens the placement rule. Both numbers from a roll must be written in fields of the same colour. Nothing else changes, but that one restriction makes the puzzle noticeably harsher.
Artwork, components, and visual design
Let’s be honest, this is not a game you buy for the looks.
Inside the box you get two standard white dice, 4 small pencils, and a pad of double-sided scoresheets. That’s it. No boards, no tokens, no extras. Everything happens on the paper.
The scoresheet is clean and very functional. Nine small squares, colour-coded fields, and a scoring table printed on the side. Each scoring category has a small diagram, which helps a lot when you’re still learning the game. Point values are clearly marked, and there’s enough space to write without everything turning into a mess halfway through.
The box is small, the layout is clear, and the whole presentation feels very practical. There’s no real theme, and visually it’s about as exciting as a spreadsheet. It does its job, but it doesn’t try to charm you.
Our experience
Tüfteln plays quickly and smoothly. Because everyone uses the same dice and writes at the same time, there’s almost no downtime, even with more players. Nobody can block you or mess with your sheet, so the focus stays completely on your own decisions.
What you’re doing is always clear. You’re filling nine small squares and trying to match them to a limited set of scoring patterns. There aren’t many rules to remember, and after a few rounds you mostly stop checking the scoring table. That helps keep the game moving.
The interesting part is how often the placement rules force you to compromise. In variant A, you regularly get rolls that don’t fit neatly into what you were setting up. Sometimes you have a good plan, and sometimes the sheet just says no. Those moments, where you’re choosing the least painful option instead of the perfect one, are where most of the tension comes from.
Later in the game, zero-point squares become the main worry. You can see trouble coming a few rounds ahead, and you still can’t always avoid it. The bonus for completing all categories also hangs over the game in a quiet way. It doesn’t dominate your decisions, but it’s always there in the back of your mind, especially if you’re missing just one category near the end.
Straight sequences were easily the hardest thing to pull off in our games. They usually had to be planned early, before the sheet filled up too much. Some players committed early to specific patterns, while others tried to stay flexible for as long as possible. Both approaches worked, but neither felt safe.
Our thoughts
To be fair, Tüfteln doesn’t try to reinvent anything. It’s a very focused roll-and-write built around shared dice and pattern scoring. If you’ve played a few games in this genre, nothing here will surprise you.
What it does well is combine its rules into a tight little puzzle. Every roll forces a decision, and every decision closes off other options. The main question is always whether to keep a square flexible or lock it in for points now. The bonus pushes you to spread your attention instead of chasing the same pattern over and over, which helps the game feel a bit more balanced.
At the same time, the game lives and dies by the dice. You can plan ahead, but sometimes the numbers just don’t show up when you need them. There is skill here, but it’s mostly about adapting rather than executing a perfect plan. If you dislike that kind of uncertainty, Tüfteln probably won’t change your mind.
Variant B makes everything tighter and a bit more frustrating. It’s clearly meant for players who enjoy being boxed in and solving problems with fewer options. For us, it worked best as an occasional change rather than the default way to play.
In the end, Tüfteln feels like a quiet, no-nonsense puzzle. There’s no theme to get lost in and no interaction to create stories at the table. It’s just you, a pencil, and a sheet that slowly fills up whether you like it or not. If that sounds appealing, there’s a lot to enjoy here. If not, this game probably won’t convince you otherwise.
📝 We received a copy of the game from KENDi.
