Cult of the Lamb – How to Win Knucklebones

This guide aims to help players to win at the mini-game Knucklebones which is required for some achievements and can also be used for moneymaking.

Guide to Win Knucklebones

All credit goes to Athrek!

Intro

So in this guide I’ll be explaining how to win at Knucklebones. The game gives you the instructions but no actual strategies so it can be really easy to fall into certain traps in the game and end up losing right at the end. For now I will do my best to explain using the table below, but I may attempt to use screenshots at a later time. I hope this guide helps and if there are any questions or suggestions, let me know

X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X

The Very Basics

So essentially the way the game works is that either you or the opponent roll and then pick a column to drop your dice in.

If the number placed matches a number in the same column on your side, then the numbers add together then double. If you stack 3 of the same number, then the numbers add together and then triple. So double 6’s would be 24 instead of 12 and triple 6’s would be 54 instead of 18. This is THE most important aspect to winning Knucklebones regularly.

Double Points

X 5 X
X 5 X
X X X
6 X X
6 X X
X X X

Triple Points

X 5 X
X 5 X
X 5 X
6 X X
6 X X
6 X X

If the number placed matches a number in a column on the opponents side, then that number is removed from the opponents side. If the opponent has multiple of the same number in the same column and this is done, they lose all of that number and the column empties. This is important to prevent the opponent from getting high double or triple scores that could threaten your win.

Both of the previous rules work in reverse as well so the opponent is completely capable of ruining your double triple point columns.

Enemy Removing Your Triple Points

6 5 X
X 5 X
X 5 X
X X X
X X X
X X X

The game will continue until one side has their board completely filled up regardless of whether the opponent has anything on their board at all.

Enemy Winning the Game

6 5 4
6 5 4
6 5 4
X X X
X X X
X X X

So with the basics out of the way, it’s time to use those basics to win the game.

Strategy

So the strategy for Knucklebones can be narrowed down to 2 goals, removing enemies high point values while letting them keep their low point values and keeping the enemy from removing your high point combos. Both of these need to be done at the same time so this strategy aims to do both at the same time with very little effort.

So the way this strategy works is that you base your move entirely on your opponents move. In the first few moves, if they roll low in a column, place a high number there. This makes them either settle for a low point combo or waste a column’s ability to combo for extra points. If the enemy column is filled, they can’t stop your combo points so focus on putting high roll combos there.

Enemy Rolled Low and You Rolled High

1 X X
X X X
X X X
6 X X
X X X
X X X

Enemy Rolled Low and You Rolled Low

1 X X
X X X
X X X
X 1 X
X X X
X X X

If your opponent rolled high early, then ignore the column for now unless you can immediately remove the high roll. If they waste the rolls combo potential then the column can be safely ignored but if they start stacking a double or triple with the high roll, then you focus on removing it.

Enemy Rolled High and You Didn’t Roll Same Number

6 X X
X X X
X X X
X 5 X
X X X
X X X

Enemy Rolled High and You Rolled Same Number

X X X
X X X
X X X
6 X X
X X X
X X X

After that, focus on getting and protecting a high point combo while preventing the opponent’s combo. Focus your high rolls into columns where the opponent has already placed non-combo dice and follow the old rule, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” If the enemy is filling a column with low numbers, let them and don’t remove the low rolls. If you remove the low rolls, then they have chance to get higher rolls in there.

After the first few moves are made, the priorities go as follows

1. Getting your high point combo.
2. Removing opponent’s high point combo.
3. Avoiding removing opponents low point dice.
4. Getting a low point combo.
5. Removing opponent’s low point combo.

And by the end of it all you should be winning any game that doesn’t kill you with bad rng. You can do everything right and still lose, just how life works sometimes but doing things right will help you win more often than not.