Snug Nine rules: how to play the daily dice puzzle
Rules in short: nine dice come one at a time, the same for everyone today. Put each one on an empty square of a 3x3 board; it stays there. When the board is full, each row, column and diagonal scores its best pattern: a triple, a run, a sum of ten or a pair.
Quick answers
- How many dice?
- Nine, one per square.
- Can I move a die?
- No. Once placed it stays.
- Can I see the next die?
- Only after you place the current one.
- How many lines score?
- Eight: three rows, three columns, two diagonals.
- How long is a game?
- About two minutes.
Scoring
Each of the eight lines scores only its single best pattern:
| Pattern | What it means | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | All three dice the same, like 4-4-4 | 25 |
| Run | Three numbers in a row, in any order, like 3-5-4 | 15 |
| Sum 10 | The three dice add up to exactly ten, like 6-3-1 | 10 |
| Pair | Two of the three dice match, like 2-5-2 | 3 |
The same die counts in every line it sits in. The center square is part of four lines (its row, its column and both diagonals), each corner is part of three, and each edge square is part of two.
A worked example
- Top row 4-5-6: run, 15. Middle row 4-2-4: sums to 10, which beats the pair, so 10. Bottom row 4-3-1: nothing.
- Left column 4-4-4: triple, 25. Middle column 5-2-3: sum 10, 10. Right column 6-4-1: nothing.
- Diagonals 4-2-1 and 6-2-4: nothing (2-4-6 is not a run).
- Total: 60.
After the last die
You see your score next to the best score today's dice allowed, worked out by trying every possible arrangement. Some days the dice are kinder than others, so compare against that number, not yesterday's. The coach then picks the single move that cost you the most, judging only by the dice you had seen at that moment, and tells you which square was stronger.
Share your result as a small colored square that does not give away the dice: yellow for triples, green for runs, blue for sums of ten. Missing a day never resets your count of days played. After the daily puzzle you can play unlimited practice rounds; they are not counted.
Strategy
- Think about the center first. It sits in four lines. A middle number (3 or 4) can join runs and sums of ten in many directions.
- Corners are the second-best squares. Each one feeds three lines, including a diagonal.
- Keep options open. A line with 2 and 3 can still become a run with a 1 or a 4, or a sum of ten with a 5.
- Do not chase triples. They are worth the most but need two more matching dice. A run or a sum of ten is often the safer plan.
- Dump bad dice on edges. An awkward die does less damage on an edge square, where it only touches two lines.
How the daily dice are made
Today's dice are not chosen by a person and do not depend on what you do. The puzzle seed is the SHA-256 hash of the text snugtable-daily|nine|YYYY-MM-DD with today's date in your time zone. Die number i (counting from 0) is the first byte below 252 of HMAC-SHA256(seed, "die:" + i), mod 6, plus 1. It is the same formula our fair dice checker uses, so anyone can recompute every roll.
Snug Nine FAQ
Does everyone get the same dice?
Yes. Everyone playing on the same date gets the same nine dice in the same order. The puzzle changes at midnight in your time zone.
Can I undo a move?
No. Undo would let you peek at the next die, so every placement is final.
Can I see tomorrow's dice?
The formula is public, so technically yes. There is no leaderboard, so peeking only spoils your own puzzle.
Is a high score always possible?
No. The best possible score changes every day, roughly from 30 to 120. That is why your result is shown next to today's best.
Do I need an account?
No. Your results stay in your browser. There are no ads, no coins and nothing to buy.