That’s Pretty Clever! (Ganz Schön Clever)
Pick dice, build color-area combinations and let opponents use the dice you send to the silver platter.
That’s Pretty Clever! is Wolfgang Warsch’s roll-and-write game about selecting colored dice and chaining rewards across five scoring areas. The original German title is Ganz Schön Clever.
This detailed guide covers the silver platter, blue-plus-white dice rule, five different scoring areas, foxes, active and passive players, bonus chains, scoring and strategy.
Why dice selection matters
When you choose a die, every lower-valued die becomes available to the other players. A seemingly powerful roll can therefore sacrifice later options and offer your competitors exactly what they need.
Game at a Glance
1. Roll
Select one die and put lower dice onto the platter.
2. Share
Other players use one platter die.
3. Chain
Trigger extra marks and number bonuses.
4. Score
Total all color areas and activated foxes.
Setup and player counts
Each player receives a score sheet and pen. The game has six dice (yellow, blue, green, orange, purple and white). The standard game lasts six rounds with 1–2 players, five with 3, and four with 4 players. A round ends after everyone has been active player once. Round-track bonuses are applied at the start of rounds as indicated on the sheet.
Active player: the silver platter rule
Roll all six dice and select one for an eligible score-sheet mark. Put the selected die on your first dice space. Move every remaining die showing a strictly lower value to the silver platter. Roll the remaining dice and repeat for up to three selections. After the last selection, put all remaining dice on the platter.
Dice moved to the platter cannot be used by the active player during normal selections. Picking a high die early may leave too few dice for later rolls. A selected die’s color determines its scoring area, except for the wild white die.
Passive players still participate
Once the active player finishes, every other player chooses one silver-platter die and marks their own sheet. Multiple players may choose the same die. If none of the platter dice can legally be used, a passive player may instead use one of the active player’s selected dice. That exception cannot be used merely to avoid a usable platter option.
This is why another player’s turn matters: dice they discard to the platter may complete your own scoring rows or trigger bonus chains.
All five colored scoring areas
| Color | Marking rule | Final score |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Cross the selected number anywhere it appears | Add starred points beneath completed columns |
| Blue | Cross the sum of blue die + white die | Score according to number of boxes marked |
| Green | Mark next left-to-right box if its minimum is met | Star value above the last completed space |
| Orange | Enter next left-to-right value, applying printed multipliers | Sum recorded values |
| Purple | Enter a strictly increasing sequence left to right; reset after 6 | Sum recorded values |
Yellow and blue can be marked in flexible order. Green, orange and purple cannot skip spaces.
Blue die and white die: mandatory combination
Every blue-area mark requires the sum of both the blue and white dice. This is true whether you select the blue die or use white as wild. The other die can be on the platter, selected already or still waiting. You may never use only blue’s face or only white’s face in this area.
Example: blue shows 4 and white shows 3. Either die selected for blue means marking the 7 box, provided it is available. On different selections in one turn, you may be able to mark two blue boxes.
Purple rule: what happens after a six?
The purple row must be completed left to right, and each entry normally has to exceed the previous number. However, after writing a 6, any value from 1 to 6 is legal, restarting the rising sequence.
Legal example: 2 → 4 → 6 → 1 → 5. Illegal example: 3 → 3, because the first 3 does not allow a reset. Every number written in purple adds to that area’s final score.
Rerolls, extra dice, crosses and bonus chains
Completing particular boxes, rows or columns unlocks rewards. A cross bonus immediately marks an allowed square in the specified color; a number bonus enters the shown value into the next eligible orange or purple square. Bonuses can trigger more bonuses, creating chains.
Reroll actions are available only to the active player and reroll the dice currently available from that roll. Already selected and platter dice are not rerolled. An extra-die action lets you select a die again at the end of a turn, even from the platter or a selected dice space, though each physical die can be used through the extra-die action only once per turn.
Unused extra-die actions remain usable at game end; unused rerolls do not.
How foxes score
Each fox you activate is worth as many points as your lowest-scoring colored area. First total all five colored areas separately, then multiply the smallest score by your number of foxes.
Example: yellow 21, blue 28, green 15, orange 34 and purple 18. Two foxes add 2 × 15 = 30 points. If any color has zero points, each fox is worth zero. Building balanced scoring therefore matters even when one area looks particularly profitable.
Game end, final points and tie rules
After all players finish their active turns in the last round, passive selections are resolved and any remaining extra-die actions may be spent. Sum the five color-area scores and fox points. Highest total wins.
For a tie, the player with the higher best single color-area score wins; if that is also tied, the players share victory.
Nine strategy principles
- Be cautious with high dice early. They can move most remaining dice to the platter.
- Look for chain reactions. Completing a row or column can be worth more than the mark itself.
- Use passive turns. Each other player’s platter is an opportunity to progress your sheet.
- Judge blue and white together. Their sum determines blue-area marks.
- Time your purple sixes. Each six permits a fresh sequence of low values.
- Save good orange values for multipliers. A high roll on a doubled or tripled box is valuable.
- Plan green’s minimum requirements. A low die may not qualify for later spaces.
- Improve your weakest area. Every fox multiplies the score of that area.
- Spend extra-die actions tactically. They can complete a valuable column or trigger a final scoring chain.
These ideas are original rules-based editorial analysis rather than claimed personal playtesting.
Frequently asked rules questions
Is Ganz Schön Clever the same game?
Yes. That’s Pretty Clever! is its English title.
Does it support solo play?
Yes, the published game supports one to four players.
How many rounds?
Six for one or two players, five for three, and four for four.
Can passive players choose the same die?
Yes.
Can white be used alone in blue?
No. Blue must always be added to white.
Which rows must proceed left to right?
Green, orange and purple.
Can purple reset?
Yes, after a 6.
Do foxes use the best or worst area?
The worst-scoring colored area.
Can rerolls be used at game end?
No. Only unspent extra-die actions remain usable then.
Sources and editorial scope
Publisher documentation reviewed October 11, 2026. Original explanatory and strategic analysis, without claimed firsthand playtesting. Editorial policy and corrections.