Luck and yet more strategy come in with the red “wild” dice. Most cards require specifically blue or orange dice, and the red dice act as either color. Players may take a red die, but they also take a red “minus” chip, which gives them a negative one on the final score. This facet of the game provides for yet more calculations as players must determine whether completing a combination is worth the deduction.
The round continues until all dice are taken from the table. Players may choose to pass, but once they have passed, they can no longer pick up dice for that round, even if another player happens to reroll something they need (yet another strategic gamble). When the round is over, players tally up the points from cards they have completed and take deductions for each die picked up but not used in completing a card. It makes for a double whammy when a strategy is broken by another player, leaving no points gained for the card and more lost from now-useless dice.
TIoLI is an intense game. It is rated for players eight and up, and younger players most likely will not enjoy the depth of thinking that makes the game so great for adults. Games usually take about twenty minutes with each round requiring only a few minutes to play, giving TIoLI a fast-paced feeling. The rules have variations on the amount of dice used for two, three, four, and five players, fun for any number of players but a very different game for each. The more players, the more luck required. The fewer players, the more it seems a forehead-rubbing, thought-provoked chess match.
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