Updated October 6, 2026
For a game night, choose the first decision you want people to make together. Penny Drop asks whether to roll again or pass. Horse Race begins with a die roll and a moving horse. Nine Men's Morris asks where to place a piece and how to form a row of three. Choose by the kind of evening you want: a group following the same board, a pair enjoying a roll of the die, or two players watching each other's next move.
Choose a format for the people at the table
Ask who wants to play and how much teaching they want. A group that wants a shared dice game needs a different format from two people looking for a strategic contest. Leave room for someone to watch a turn before joining. For Penny Drop, set the numbered lid where everyone can see which slots hold pennies; the roll-again choice depends on that shared view.
Consider what the host will do, too. Are you comfortable demonstrating the rules? Do you want to play alongside everyone or help one pair learn? If no one knows a game, have its printed instructions open before explaining it. A familiar-looking wooden board is not a substitute for understanding the particular rules.
| Game | First decision or action | Teaching emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Penny Drop | Roll, place a penny; after a safe roll, roll again or pass. | Show the six and one occupied-slot take-back. |
| Horse Race | Roll and move a peg horse along the track. | Show that some holes drop a horse into the box. |
| Nine Men's Morris | Place pieces; form a mill of three. | Demonstrate a mill and explain the move phase after placement. |
These examples differ in player count and in what drives a turn. Creative Crafthouse recommends Original Penny Drop for 2 to 10 players; its printed rules allow two or more. Horse Race and Nine Men's Morris are two-player games. Do not choose a two-player board expecting the whole gathering to play a single round at once.
Before guests arrive, make the set complete
For Original Penny Drop, supply twelve pennies per player. Original Penny Drop includes its board and box, die and printed instructions; players supply the pennies. Four players need forty-eight pennies. Keep those coins beside the game so the first step is counting them out rather than looking through pockets.
Horse Race includes twelve pegs, six of each color, a die and printed rules. The Horse Race board sits on its own box, which receives horses that drop through the track. Nine Men's Morris needs nine pieces of each of two colors, eighteen in all. Count the right pieces before inviting someone to begin.
Read any alternate rules yourself and choose a version for the first round. It is easier to add another version later than explain two sets of rules at the same time. If you use a house rule, say so before starting instead of introducing it after someone has made a move.
A teach-first setup
- Set out the contentsBoard, correct pieces, required extras and printed rules all together.
- Show the goalSay what wins, then show the simplest legal turn.
- Show the surpriseDemonstrate the occupied slot, trap hole or mill before it decides a round.
- Let the first turn happenKeep the instructions nearby and answer the question that comes up.
Penny Drop: teach the consequence before the choice
Say, "We are trying to get rid of all our pennies." Each player starts with twelve. Everyone rolls once to decide who starts; the highest roll goes first, then play moves clockwise. On a turn, the player must roll at least once.
Show an empty numbered slot. A matching roll puts one penny in that slot. Then show the six: it sends one penny into the box and does not leave the number occupied. Finally, put a penny in a slot and explain that rolling its number means collecting every penny currently on the board and ending the turn.
Now the roll-again choice makes sense. After a safe roll, the player can keep going or pass. Each occupied number makes a later roll riskier because that result means a take-back. A six stays safe on repeated rolls. Someone who understands those consequences can make their own decision about when to stop.
For a practice turn, put a penny in slot three and leave the other numbered slots empty. Ask what happens on a three, then on a six. Once everyone sees the difference, clear the demonstration pennies and begin the game with twelve per player. You have taught the surprise that matters without giving a strategy lecture. Our official Penny Drop rules cover the details when you want the full explanation. You can also print the one-page rules and a score sheet from our Penny Drop rules and score sheets page.
Horse Race: show the track and the trap
In the basic Horse Race game, players take turns rolling a die and moving a peg horse. Horse Race has bottomless track holes that drop a horse into the box; a fallen horse is replaced by a fresh one from the start. In Horse Race, the first horse to reach the last hole on an exact roll wins; a player who runs out of horses loses.
Show the physical drop before playing. A guest should know that a disappearing horse is part of the game, not a damaged board. Keep the box beneath the track so the pegs land where they belong.
The basic game makes the die central to the result. That can fit people who want to follow a turn and see what happens. The alternate Horse Race version allows more than one horse on the track and adds rules about legal moves and occupied holes. Save that explanation for people who want another version after learning the basic one.
Nine Men's Morris: separate the two phases
Nine Men's Morris begins with an empty board. Players alternate placing their pieces on unoccupied points. A mill is a row of three along a line. Forming one lets the player remove an opponent's piece, subject to the printed rule about pieces already in a mill.
In Nine Men's Morris, once all eighteen pieces have been placed, turns change to moving a piece along a line to an adjacent point. Show the difference between a point and a line, and demonstrate the legal movement before reaching that phase. Nine Men's Morris ends when a player has fewer than three pieces or cannot make a move.
This format asks players to plan around an opponent's placements. Choose it when that is the kind of play the pair wants, rather than expecting it to serve the same casual group job as Penny Drop.
Help a new player join without taking over
Point out what is legal, then let the player choose. Explaining a consequence is different from choosing their move for them. You can agree to a practice turn if both players want one; reset the board before beginning the scored game.
If the group wants another format, it is fine to change games. A host does not need to make every object earn a full evening. Keep incomplete sets out of play and put components away together so the next session can start with the same clear setup.
For a rental where guests teach themselves, our vacation-rental setup guide adds the turnover job. For gifts, our wooden game gift comparison lists what to include before wrapping. Browse our wooden games once you know the format you want.
Questions for a first game night
Which game serves a group?
Creative Crafthouse recommends Original Penny Drop for 2 to 10 players, making it the group option here. The printed Penny Drop rules allow two or more. Horse Race and Nine Men's Morris are for two players.
Which should I teach first?
Choose by the players' interest in dice outcomes, roll-again decisions or placement strategy. Demonstrate that game's central turn before its alternatives.
Does Original Penny Drop include pennies?
No. Supply twelve per player alongside the board, die and printed instructions.
What if some guests prefer to watch?
Keep the board visible and explain a turn as it happens. Invite them to join the next round if they want, without making participation a condition of being at the table.
