Can’t Stop

Can’t Stop is a push your luck game from 1980s. There isn’t a great theme or fancy rules. It is pure push your luck and I love everything about it. The simplicity is what make this game.

The components are okay. The play mat is nice but the pieces can slide a bit and are really close together so moving them around can be finicky. There’s no real complaint other than that. The game does what it sets out to do, I wish there was a theme to take this over the top but it is fine without.

I like to bring this one out at parties, it plays fast and is easy to pick up. It has a gambling vibe to it because it is all about the luck of the dice. If you like to be in control or planning out your moves, this might not be for you. If you like gambling and taking risks you will definitely enjoy this one.

For replay ability, the game is very much the same thing every time. There are a couple small variations in the instructions. Honestly, the game is so fast and you don’t know what the dice will do, I have yet to get bored of it.

Can’t Stop was designed by Sid Sackson and Eagle Gyrphon Games. It is a 2 to 4 player game that takes about 30 minutes to play.

Components

1 Game Board
4 Red Dice
3 White Runner Markers
44 Player Markers

Set Up

Place the game board in the middle of the table. Each player chooses a colour and takes those pieces. The youngest player also takes the dice and three white markers.

How to Play

To win you will need to be the first players to complete 3 columns. The board has 11 columns representing numbers 2 to 12.

On the player’s turn they will roll the four dice. Then they form two pairs of numbers with the dice. The sums of the two dice will be the columns where you will add white runners. You must add the white runner if you are able to with your dice rolled. You can choose to pair the dice so you are only able to use one marker. Please check the example below. On a players turn there will only be a max of 3 white active runners on the board.

After the white markers are placed the player has a choice to stop or roll and move again. The turn will continue until the player decides to stop or they bust because they can’t move a runner.

If a player chooses to end their turn, they will replace the white runners with their colour pieces. These spots are now locked in and safe. On the next turn if a player rolls a number they already have a piece on, they will place a white runner on the spot above. You can be on the same space as another player, the pieces stack.

If a player busts on their turn they lose the progress of the 3 white markers. They will not add or move any of their colour pieces.

When a player has one of their colour pieces on the numbered square at the top of the column, they win that column. All other players pieces on that column are taken out. That number can no longer be used.

The first player to finish three columns wins the game.