Reiner Knizia’s Decathlon: 10 Mini-Events & 8 Rude Dice

Sep 16, 2023 | Sessions | 0 comments

Compete in a series of mini-events with a sports competition filled with dice and decisions in Reiner Knizia’s Decathlon.

In the realm of print-and-play solo games, there is a vast offering out there! Years ago, I remember participating in a group challenge for Reiner Knizia’s Decathlon. It was fun, and it always stuck with me. Finally, I printed out my own sheet to have a little solo fun! With all sorts of mini-events to complete, I was prepared to try my best to score well!

Game Overview

Game Name: Reiner Knizia’s Decathlon
Publication Year:
2003
Designer:
Reiner Knizia
Artist:
None
Publisher: Unpublished (Print-and-Play)
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game

A series of 10 mini-events take place with different rules. Dice are the only required components beyond the scoresheet, and these are used in unique ways to earn scores. It’s all mechanical and easy, yet it’s quite the challenge to achieve a high score in any mini-event!

Getting Ready to Play Reiner Knizia's Decathlon
R

First Play

September 15, 2023

Complexity

1

Latest Play

September 15, 2023

Expansions

0

Setup Time

Almost None

Lifetime Plays

4

Play Time

10 Minutes

:

High Score

240

1

Game Area

14" x 14"

;

Low Score

189

A Literal Pile of Dice

I believe each event tops out at 8 dice, but I still grabbed a few extras just to be prepared! Actually, I should have found even more… These were such rude dice. Ha ha!

Some events count 6s as negative values, and others treat 1s as automatic failures. It was no surprise when these dice didn’t want to cooperate with the rules. So frustrating!

That’s how this game goes, though. It’s quick to play and sometimes offers exciting moments with the right rolls.

Decisions are possible with some mini-events, too, so it’s not simply about depending on each roll. Well, mostly.

The Only Real Component Requirements to Play Reiner Knizia's Decathlon

The Rule of Rules

One of the first files I found looked pretty nice and allowed for a series of plays, which sounded perfect for solo.

However, I had to look elsewhere for exact explanations for some of the mini-events. Not all of these descriptions were particularly intuitive or easy to understand.

I was also thrown off by the maximum number of throws. Oh, a pun! Although accurate, this mixed the required throws and available re-rolls. Not terrible, but confusing.

With a little help from a forum topic, I had all of the rules down and it was time to start rolling, rolling, rolling!

Struggling to Understand Some of the Rules in Reiner Knizia's Decathlon

Contender Status

Although this came down to playing multiple times, I gave each attempt its own color and meeple. Let’s just say these were some very relaxed and creative athletes. Ha ha!

It was interesting to see the different rules that could be applied to these dice. Everything was quite simple, but there were some interesting risk-taking moments.

Some of the mini-events were pretty easy to score well with, while others came down to a lot more luck.

At least I used the same dice for everyone… No one was getting far with this set, which seemed cursed. Ha ha!

A Group of Very Relaxed Contenders in Reiner Knizia's Decathlon

Crowning a Winner

This was pretty neat to play a few times in a row like this. My first attempt looked like the gold standard for a bit, but a better attempt with the final play was the winner!

I learned a little bit along the way that didn’t necessarily involve strategic innovations, yet still gave me a better understanding of when to stop pushing my luck.

Let’s just ignore the dismal attempt of the second play… This was a case where the dice could absolutely be blamed!

There might not be anything amazing to discover here, yet I had a nice time flying through all of these dice rolls.

Having a Bit of Fun Playing Against the Total Scores in Reiner Knizia's Decathlon

Appreciating the Simplicity in Game Designs

Looking at this one, it’s pretty clear that it follows the principle of simplicity! Each mini-event is quick and uses the dice in a no-nonsense sort of way. Does this sort of experience stack up against bigger solo games? Possibly not, but I’m also not one to constantly compare experiences that aren’t really in the same realm. This one is all about the dice!

Yet there is one major positive about this one that might be hidden behind the randomness of the rolls. There is a real sense of excitement when the dice work out nicely. Achieving the perfect score in a mini-event doesn’t just come along, and it’s really neat to see the right numbers come up on the dice over and over again. Simple, yet very memorable.

I sometimes lament about how annoying it can be to roll dice for all sorts of solo games. That’s still true… I don’t let my rude dice escape without a talking to. Ha ha! But with this session, I had the chance to just appreciate the simple fun of getting excited about the right dice values. That’s an element that sometimes gets lost amidst talks of balanced play.

Session Overview

Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 216, 189, 213, 240 (1 Win & 3 Losses)

It was the pole vault that really didn’t cooperate during any of these plays. No matter how many dice I chose to use, 1s were rolled during every attempt at about the 12 or 14 height. Blame those dice! I won’t pretend like this was the most exciting sort of game, yet for a print-and-play, all of the different ways to use dice made for a quick and fun experience. Maybe I’ll need to pretend I’m practicing and actually host a proper Calico Critters decathlon!

An Absolute Struggle with Getting Anywhere with the Pole Vault in Reiner Knizia's Decathlon

%

1 Play

Affordability

Price & Value

9

Functionality

Challenges & Mechanics

10

Originality

Design & Theme

4

Quality

Components & Rules

8

Reusability

Achievement & Enjoyment

6

Variability

Distinctness & Randomness

4

+ Pros (Positives)

  • Play time flies by with practically no downtime, aside from gathering and re-rolling a different number of dice.
  • Each mini-event provides an interesting way to use the dice and make a few decisions about re-rolls.
  • It can be fun to play a few times at once to compare scores and otherwise make solo plays feel like a competition.
  • Once the rules are understood, everything moves quickly as dice are rolled and scores are recorded.
  • There are some exciting moments when the maximum score for a mini-event is close to being achieved.
  • Aside from a scoresheet, which can even be used digitally, the only components required are a set of 8 dice.

– Cons (Negatives)

  • There are some decisions to make, but the outcomes typically boil down to getting lucky with the dice rolls.
  • Some scoresheets may be better suited to including the full rules and details than others, which can be confusing.
  • Achieving a high score is typically the only motivating factor to playing a lot in a short span of time.
  • It can be tricky to keep track of available re-rolls when a lot of the mini-events involve counting dice values.

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Victory Conditions

Score 240+ Points

  • Overall Goal Progress 9% 9%

Goals and Milestones

R

Score at least 240 points.

Q

Achieve the perfect score in all of the mini-events. (0 / 10)

Continue the Conversation

What do you think of Reiner Knizia’s Decathlon? Do you have any memorable moments with your dice or final scores? I had a pleasant enough time flying through some of these plays and seeing all of the different ways that dice can be used. As I mentioned above, it might be about time to host some sort of Calico Critters event to make this more fun!

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