Combining the Art of Knot Dice and Knot Dice: Squared

Create intricate designs and work through a variety of unique puzzles with the complete collection of Knot Dice.
Not every solo board game fits within a specific set of criteria, and I was glad to get Knot Dice back to my table! The base set includes dice that create swirls of patterns reminiscent of Celtic designs. With the arrival of Knot Dice: Squared, those patterns could get even more in-depth. I eagerly dumped them all out to try out some of the included games!
Game Overview
Game Name: Knot Dice
Publication Year: 2016
Designer: Matthew O’Malley
Artist: Uncredited
Publisher: Black Oak Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
I may have stocked up on a few too many sets of dice! The traditional green made it to my table today, but I also have tons of the beautiful, bright blue dice. Such lovely patterns! There are a variety of puzzles and games to make the most of these, my favorite being Kells: The Book.
First Play
June 18, 2018
Complexity
1
Latest Play
February 14, 2022
Expansions
1
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
70
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
20" x 12"
Low Score
N/A
A Mountain of Dice
So many lovely dice! With the expansion, various sets were introduced to connect back to the base game.
Although I knew what the dice would look like, I was a little surprised by how different they looked with lots of straight lines and corners. Still… All the dice!
Part of the reason why I picked up so many sets was to combine them, yet the rules stated that mixing them was ill-advised with the way the new dice worked.
It was a little bit of an early disappointment as I set out the required dice and looked on at my unused sets.
By Design
One of the most important things about these dice is the way they can fit together. There is even a game to build a vertical wall with the patterns connected together!
I loved the original dice because the designs were simple to understand. Either an edge ended the pattern, or continued it into another die. Very easy to see!
Take this example: Some of the patterns look complex, but the edges define what gets connected. Lines, or no lines.
My brain was always able to comprehend what was going on, and as I played, I had fun creating these patterns!
Into a New Set of Books
The cover images should have told me everything I needed to know. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around these designs, and they didn’t flow as easily as the originals.
Perhaps I should have worked on the various puzzles, which often have single solutions. Of course, I simply couldn’t avoid my favorite game, Kells: The Book!
Once all the dice are used, all of the ones in completed designs may be used for the next round in a campaign.
My trouble was trying to complete a set of the dice! I found myself mainly using the original dice in my designs.
Circuit Board Imagery
Try as I might, every expansion die required me to rotate it around and try it in all sorts of spots. I just couldn’t quite “see” the design and how everything connected.
This went from a delightful, Celtic-inspired experience to one that reminded me of a complicated circuit board.
Even now, I keep looking at this design to see if I made any incorrect placements. It certainly looks neat, but putting it together was more frustrating than fun. Such a shame.
I think it all boils down to how I process these patterns, though. These designs likely work well for others!
Considering Alternatives to Rolling Dice
With so many leftover sets, I started thinking about what I might do with them. There are always the puzzles to try out, which might feel like less of a mental overload with more controlled setup variables. Then again, that still gets to the issue of these dice having a fairly limited lifespan with me. So… What to do? Re-home them, or something else?
I’m actually thinking of trying to do something with most of them to create some neat dice artwork. Maybe create my own patterns to put on display! That certainly takes away the frustration of using them as playing pieces. They might even work as replacement dice for use in actual games, although I know I would struggle to remember the values.
Although this overall assessment may sound quite negative, the prospect of using these to create some artwork is actually very appealing! I don’t feel like I’ve wasted anything, and in the absolute worst case, I have some fancy gifts for those who enjoy collecting unique dice. Hopefully, I’ll find a creative solution to display the dice in no time!
Session Overview
Play Number: 69 and 70
Expansion: Knot Dice: Squared
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Kells: The Book
Outcome: 32 / 2 Pages and 26 / 2 Pages (2 Losses)
As expected, my completed designs were few and far between. A lot of them ended up looking like this… Not the most exciting sort of design as I desperately tried to close off open ends! There was still a good bit of fun, though, and I hope to find a use for these dice so I can appreciate their unique beauty… Especially the blue ones!
%
70 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- The dice are well-constructed and almost shimmer up close in either green or blue, depending on the set.
- Almost all of the games are cross-compatible with the expansion dice by adding a few rules or adjustments.
- Various puzzles provide another way to use the dice and work through scenarios of different difficulty levels.
- Nearly every game or puzzle requires a small amount of table space and designs can easily be moved around.
- Play time flies by and is a generally relaxing experience with the way the intricate patterns come to life.
- All of the original dice fit together neatly and require little effort to see how to fit the different faces together.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The expansion dice patterns are rather complex and move away from the original Celtic inspiration a bit.
- Most of the puzzles are single-use with fixed solutions, making the games the more appealing long-term option.
- Only a handful of the interesting games are designed for solo, which can make the overall offering limited.
- Some of the patterns are difficult to visualize, adding some frustration to figuring out legal dice placements.
Victory Conditions
Meet the Game or Puzzle Goal
- Overall Goal Progress 75%
Goals and Milestones
Complete 5 pages in at least 1 game of Kells: The Book.
Complete 5 walls in at least 1 game of Kells: The Abbey.
Complete 10 pages in at least 1 game of Kells: The Book.
Complete 10 walls in at least 1 game of Kells: The Abbey.
Continue the Conversation
What are your thoughts about Knot Dice? Do you have a favorite solo game from the booklet you enjoy, or another one entirely? I still love the original dice, but may end up doing something else with those included with Knot Dice: Squared. The possibilities are there, and I adore the concept behind these unique dice. So much fun to create these designs!
I remember seeing these when I had time to read SGOYT regularly. It’s interesting how some games drill down to very specific bits of, say, spatial reasoning, and people’s performance at them can be quite consistent, but completely unrelated to more general intelligence or anything else one notices. (This was very noticeable when I was demoing The Stars Are Right for SJGames; the best player I ever met was a girl of about ten.)
Some of the new patterns remind me of Tsuro…
Very good point about spatial reasoning! I sometimes struggle with certain types of patterns in puzzles or even games in general, yet I also enjoy some very heavyweight titles that I can win… Sometimes. Ha! I agree with you that it seems that our brains are wired a little differently so that some games are easier to learn and play for some, while others find them frustrating. Love how this leads to so many diverse options with this hobby, though!