You've filled your bookshelf with plants, games, books, awards, and cats! Now that each item has its place, will you be able to find it before the others? In My Shelfie: The Dice Game, players try to create dice combinations to fill up the spaces in their bookcase. If you manage to fill up a shelf or a column, you block that section to all other players. At game's end, only the sections with at least three spaces filled will be worth points! Do you like nice plants, or do you prefer cute cats? Will you focus your attention on completing columns, or will you try to run for the shelves? —description from the publisher
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1. Each player takes 1 board and 1 marker, placing the board face-up in front of them. 2. Each player writes their name in the space provided at the top of their board. 3. Place all 6 dice in the center of the table, accessible to all players. 4. Randomly determine the first player. 5. The first player marks the designated box at the top of their board with an X to indicate they go first.
Play proceeds clockwise starting with the first player. Each turn has exactly two phases performed in order: Phase 1 – Roll the Dice: The active player rolls all 6 dice. They then have up to 2 optional re-rolls. On each re-roll they may keep any number of dice and re-roll the rest. Dice set aside on an earlier re-roll may be picked back up and re-rolled on a later re-roll. After the initial roll plus up to 2 re-rolls, the player must keep the final result. Phase 2 – Mark the Items: Using the final dice result, the active player forms up to 3 combinations to mark items on their Bookshelf board. Each die may be used in only one combination. Not all dice need to be used. Items are marked by circling the space (keeping the number visible). If no markable item exists (all reachable items are already marked or eliminated), the player suffers a Failed Result penalty instead.
After the game ends, each player sums the point values of marked items in every shelf with ≥3 marked items and every column with ≥3 marked items. The player with the highest total wins. Ties are shared victories. Scoring sources: Marked items on shelves with at least 3 marked items (sum of printed point values), Marked items in columns with at least 3 marked items (sum of printed point values)
Source: Rulebook
The most useful rules for getting a first game right.
Beginning with the first player, turns proceed clockwise. Each player must complete both phases of their turn (Roll the Dice, then Mark the Items) before the next player takes their turn.
At the start of Phase 1, the active player rolls all 6 dice. After the initial roll, they may perform up to 2 re-rolls. Before each re-roll, the player chooses which dice to keep and which to re-roll (any number). Dice held back on the first re-roll may still be re-rolled on the second re-roll. The player may also stop early and keep the result before using all re-rolls. After the initial roll and up to 2 re-rolls, the final result is locked in.
After locking in the final dice result, the active player forms combinations from those dice to mark items on their Bookshelf board. A marked item is circled in its space (the number must remain visible). A maximum of 3 items may be marked in one turn. Any number of dice from 1 to 6 may be used; unused dice are simply set aside. Each die may appear in only one combination per turn.
Every item on the Bookshelf is located at the intersection of a shelf (row) and a column. The icons on the left side of the board indicate which die face(s) are required to mark any item on that shelf. The number above each column indicates how many dice showing the same face are required to mark any item in that column. To mark a specific item, the player's combination must satisfy BOTH the shelf's icon requirement AND the column's count requirement at the same time using the same group of dice.
Once a die is assigned to a combination to mark one item, it cannot also be used in a different combination in the same turn. Players must divide their dice across their chosen combinations, and any die used in one combination is unavailable for others that turn.
Regardless of how many valid combinations a player can form with their final dice result, they may mark no more than 3 items during a single turn.
A die showing the Joker face can replace any icon in a combination. Restrictions: (1) Only 1 Joker may be used per combination — a combination cannot use 2 or more Jokers. (2) A Joker cannot form a combination by itself; it must be paired with at least one non-Joker die. Exception: If the entire final dice result consists only of Jokers (all 6 dice show Jokers), the player may mark any single item on their Bookshelf that has not yet been marked or eliminated.
In the rare case where the final dice result is all Jokers, the normal Joker restriction (cannot be used alone) is waived. The player may choose any one item on their Bookshelf that has not been marked or eliminated and mark it, ignoring all shelf and column requirements.
Because shelves and columns only score if they have at least 3 marked items, spreading marks thinly across many rows and columns yields nothing. Focus dice combinations on advancing a small number of rows and columns past the 3-item threshold before diversifying.
Completing all 5 items on a shelf or column forces opponents to eliminate their unmarked items in that line. Target rows or columns where your opponents have many unmarked, high-value items to deny them points. Conversely, be cautious about leaving yourself vulnerable — try to mark items in important rows before opponents can complete them.
With only 2 re-rolls, committing to a specific target combination early lets you focus re-rolls on the dice you need. However, holding dice that form one valid combination while re-rolling for a better second or third combination risks ending up with a failed result if the re-rolls don't cooperate.
A failed result forces you to eliminate all unmarked items on one of your own shelves, potentially destroying scoring potential in that row. Always ensure you have at least one valid combination available before committing to speculative re-rolls.
High-value items often sit in columns requiring many matching dice (e.g., 3 or 4 of the same face). A Joker can substitute for one of those dice, making otherwise unreachable combinations viable. Save Joker usage for high-value items or to secure a 3rd mark in a scoring row/column.
The game ends when any player has 2 shelves fully depleted (marked or eliminated). Keep track of opponents' boards — if someone is close to triggering the end, prioritize reaching the 3-item threshold on your most valuable incomplete rows and columns before time runs out.
Normally, a Joker cannot be used alone — it must be paired with at least one non-Joker die. However, if the entire final dice result is all Jokers, this restriction is lifted and the player may mark any one unmarked, uneliminated item on their Bookshelf.
No. Only 1 Joker may be used per combination, regardless of how many Joker dice appear in the final result.
No. Only items that are NOT yet marked get eliminated (crossed out). Items already marked on that shelf or column are unaffected and will still score normally.
Yes. The failed result applies whenever the final dice result cannot be used to mark even one new item — whether because the matching items are already marked or have been eliminated. The player must choose a shelf with at least one unmarked item and eliminate all remaining unmarked items on it.
No. The failed result penalty only applies to shelves (horizontal rows). The player must choose a shelf — not a column — that still has at least one unmarked item.
The game ends immediately after that player's turn, since they are the last player to act in the round and everyone has already had equal turns.
No. A shelf or column must have at least 3 marked items to score any points. Shelves and columns with only 1 or 2 marked items score 0 points, even if those items have high point values.
Both completions take effect. All opponents must eliminate all unmarked items on that shelf AND all unmarked items on that column of their own Bookshelf. Items already marked in either are unaffected.
No. Regardless of how many valid combinations are available, a player may mark a maximum of 3 items per turn.
Both count. A shelf with 'no available items' means all 5 items are either marked (circled) or eliminated (crossed), regardless of the mix. Any combination of marked and eliminated items that leaves 0 available items on a shelf counts toward the 2-shelf threshold.
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