Perudo
Also known as: Liar's Dice, Dudo
Bluff and call bluffs about dice hidden under cups. Last player with dice wins.
What You'll Need
About This Game
Bluff and call bluffs about dice hidden under cups. Last player with dice wins.
How to Play
Setup
- Each player needs 5 dice and a cup
- All players roll secretly under their cups
Gameplay
- First player makes a bid: "X dice showing Y"
Example: "Three 4s" (at least three 4s among ALL dice)
- Next player must either:
- Raise the bid (more dice OR higher face value)
- Call "Liar!" (challenge the previous bid)
- Continue around until someone calls
Wild 1s
- 1s count as ANY number
- "Three 4s" could be: three 4s, two 4s + one 1, etc.
- Once someone bids 1s, they're no longer wild
Challenging
- All players reveal dice
- Count all dice matching the bid (including wilds)
- If bid was met: Challenger loses a die
- If bid was NOT met: Bidder loses a die
Palifico
- When down to 1 die: Special round, 1s not wild
Winning
- Last player with dice wins
History & Background
Perudo (Liar's Dice) originated in South America, possibly with the Inca civilization. Spanish conquistadors encountered the game in Peru and brought it back to Europe, where it spread along maritime trade routes.
The game became popular among sailors, who found it perfect for shipboard entertainment - compact, quick to play, and allowing for gambling. It developed regional names: Perudo, Dudo (Spanish for "I doubt"), Bluff, and Liar's Dice.
Perudo gained worldwide recognition through its prominent appearance in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006), where characters play for their souls. This scene sparked renewed interest and led to increased sales of commercial Perudo sets.
The game combines probability assessment with psychology in a unique way. Players must calculate likely dice distributions while reading opponents' bluffs, making it one of the few dice games where skilled players consistently outperform beginners.