The best Bunco and dice set reviews for
We've reviewed the best dice game sets for weight, size, visibility, and feel-in-the-hand
We love Bunco and fun dice games like Yahtzee, Farkle, Liar's Dice, and a zillion others. But a lot of the Bunco game kit sets you find online feel cheap, like you might as well be rolling fuzzy dice instead of real, high-quality, well-crafted dice.
Best dice sets for a Bunco game night or Bunco party
There are Bunco dice sets that are explicitly branded for Bunco. These sets ship with enough dice for a typical setup of 3 tables of four players, a bell to ring, instructions, score sheets, and sometimes cups to roll the dice in.
At the time of this publication, Amazon has only one set for $15 with three cups and nice dice. It's branded as a "retro ladies' night" set, and while the colors are a little garish, it's not nearly as opinionated in its theme as some that Walmart sells, including this Bunco game night kit that comes in a metal tin with a hot pink bell, or this kit that's unique in including a set of fuzzy dice for $30. Wal-Mart also sells basically the same kit as Amazon's under different brand names with slightly different color schemes.
These kits are fine if you're ready to start playing Bunco specifically, but if you like playing other dice games, these kits are overkill. You won't need the bell for Yahtzee or the score sheets for any other game. If you like to play other dice games, purchase a nicer individual set depending on your budget and use our free printable Bunco table tallies. If you really want a bell and some fuzzy dice, head over to your local supermarket's automotive and office supply section.
Best dice sets for Bunco and Yahtzee players on a budget
Bunco table tallies are easy to do on just about any sheet of paper, though Yahtzee players might want Yahtzee-specific score sheets since that game has a lot of different combinations to roll through. But assuming you've got sheets from elsewhere, you can't beat this Bicycle brand of dice for $5 at Amazon. It comes in a pack of 10, so for Bunco, you can just put one aside if you have a standard Bunco group.
Like we covered in our story on trick dice-making, dice are virtually identical thanks to modern machining and mass production techniques. So these standard six-sided (D6) dice are perfect for the occasional dice game.
There are other budget-friendly dice sets, like this Koplow Games kit with multi-colored pips. But unlike the Bicycle brand, the multiple colors can be a little more challenging to see quickly. They have a sort of gradient effect to them that looks neat, but might be cumbersome for older eyes or colorblind players.
If you need to buy a bunch of dice on a budget, like for a classroom or senior center where dozens of people are playing a game at once, this 50-piece set for $6 is our top pick if you can find it on sale. If not, you can get 100 for $8, too, that comes in a plastic tray holder. They're colorful, which may be handy for kids, but the pips are large and solid white against slightly darker colors than some other big dice sets so older players can read them. These are the easiest to see at a glance of the colorful sets. And you can always tell which table is missing a dice based on the colors, too.
Best dice sets to splurge on
We found no ideal dice set perfect for a big Bunco game night or more than a single table of players. The closest "all in one" kit is this $9 set of six dice and a felt-lined shuffle cup. The felt cup is the real star here, since it reduces the noise and clanging of the plastic dice significantly. A room full of dozens of tables or players all tossing plastic dice clinking around against plastic or metal gets loud. The felt looks nice and it’s functional. But it only comes with a set of 6, so if you're hosting a traditional Bunco party you'll need to buy two and still have a set leftover.
Instead, you're better off buying individual pieces:
- Buy this dice rolling tray for $22. It's designed for D&D games, but it's felt, looks nice, dampens noise on wood or vinyl tables, and keeps dice from rolling onto the floor.
- You can get 50 dice for $7, and they come with a nice felt bag. If you just don't need that many, turn to our recommendation for this Bicycle brand pack of 10.
- You can get six felt-lined shaker cups for $16. Six may seem like a lot, but if you have a typical two or four players for any dice game, each player can have their own cup. It reduces the surface area for transmitting germs and bacteria, particularly if players eat or drink as they play. And they're quieter.
- Buy separate Bunco score sheets for $8, at about .08 cents a sheet (or print ours for free). Yahtzee players, in particular, might like these jumbo, large-print score sheets since even the sharpest eyes can struggle with the teeny score boxes the game typically comes with.
The total for all this is still pretty cheap, at just over $50. Shipping is likely free, too, and they make nice stocking stuffers for Christmas or gifts.
Best jumbo dice sets for seniors or folks with mobility issues
If you're playing a dice or Bunco game with friends who have limited mobility in their hands, or serious vision impairment, this jumbo set of dice for $12 is perfect. They're standard D6 dice with black pips on white at 100% contrast. But they're about 60% larger than ordinary dice. Small hands will struggle to hold all three at once, but if you have a cup to toss them in they're the largest, easiest-to-read dice of any set we've seen.
Best dice sets for kids
If you're hosting a Bunco night with kids, consider these numbered dice for $4. They come in a set of 12 and use numerals instead of dots for pips. They're also colorful!
Best dice set overall for Bunco or any dice game
The best Bunco night or dice game is all about your friends. These are social games, so the joy comes in being around people you care about. If you played any dice game with any of these recommendations, you wouldn't go wrong. But the overall top sellers here are the same for our budget pick: this Bicycle brand of dice for $5. They're precisely what you expect from a dice game without a lot of extra fluff, garish colors, or consumable add-ons you might not need for the occasional game.