Developer Stefan Brück at alea describes Las Vegas as "an easy, dice-rolling, fun-and-luck game with a lot of interaction and 'schadenfreude'". Who doesn't love schadenfreude? (Well, other than those being schadened, I suppose...)
In more detail, Las Vegas includes six cardboard casino mats, one for each side of a normal six-sided die. For each mat, players draw money cards until at least $50k is showing, but the amount may end up being a lot more, making that casino more desirable.
Each player has eight dice of a different color, which they take turns rolling. When you roll your dice, you can choose to place them on the relevant casino cards; for example, a die showing a 1 will be placed on the casino mat marked "1". You must place at least one die per turn, although you may place more. All players take turns doing this until all the dice have been used. Finally, the player with the most dice on each casino card takes the money associated with it. In case of a tie, the next non-tied player takes the highest-valued money card at that casino.
The Boulevard expansion includes:
- Eight dice in two new colors to allow for up to seven players.
- A purple die for each player that allows you to remove an opponent's or own die when placed (with enough purple dice to have up to eight players).
- A large die in each color, except purple, that counts as two dice when determining who scores at a casino.
- Two white dice to play the basic variant with up to 7 players.
- Rules for playing a solitaire version of the game.
- Rules for playing a variant of the game.
- Bills worth $100,000.
- Bills worth $50,000 for each bill of a specific color you collect.
- One-shot action cards, with each player receiving one such card at the start of each round.
- Special cards of variable random value.
- A new, seventh casino; on a turn, a player can place all the dice he rolled of a single number in this casino, but then no more dice of this number can be placed in this casino by any player.
AWARDS & HONORS
- 2013 Le Lys Grand Public Winner
- 2013 Le Lys Grand Public Finalist
- 2013 Årets Spill Best Family Game Nominee
- 2013 Årets Spel Best Adult Game Winner
- 2012 Spiel des Jahres Nominee
- 2012 Japan Boardgame Prize U-more Award Nominee
- 2012 Golden Geek Best Party Board Game Nominee
- 2012 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
