Beetle Drive Pack Generator
In a beetle drive, players at several tables take turns rolling a die and drawing the part of a beetle the roll gives them; the first to finish a whole beetle calls out and the round stops. Rules vary from one group to the next, so this pack prints one set in full — which number draws which part, how many of each, and what has to be drawn first — and works out from those rules how long a round lasts. It seats the players at random for the first round, and prints a rule card, table cards, a score card for each player and a drawing sheet to copy.
What this generator does
Prints one set of rules with its key, shuffles the players and deals them to tables as evenly as the numbers allow (never a table of one), and prints a table card for each table and a score card for each player showing their first table. It checks that every player is seated exactly once, and works out from the rules how many rolls a beetle takes on average.
How to use this tool
- Type the players' names one to a line, or leave the box empty and choose how many players to number.
- Choose how many to a table and how many rounds the score cards hold, then press Make the pack.
- Print the rule card, the table cards, the score cards and one drawing sheet to copy for each player. Type a seating code to make the same seating again.
Understanding the controls
- Players' names
- Optional, up to 48, one to a line and up to 30 characters each. Two players with the same name are refused, so the cards can be told apart.
- Number of players
- Used when no names are typed: the cards say Player 1, Player 2 and so on.
- Players to a table
- 2 to 6. When the players do not divide exactly, tables differ by one, and a table that would have one player is merged.
- Rounds on the score cards
- 1 to 12 rows, with a circle for each part to tick and a score column.
- Seating code
- Leave empty for a fresh seating from the browser's secure generator; with a code, the same code, names and settings give the same seating again while the generator is unchanged.
Worked examples
- 12 players, 4 to a table
- Three tables of four. With these rules, one player alone takes 44.3 rolls on average to finish a beetle; with 12 players in the room, the first beetle comes after about 26.6 turns, if every table rolls at the same pace.
- 13 players, 4 to a table
- Four tables: one of four and three of three, so nobody waits at a table of one.
Common use cases
- A party, club night or fundraiser with several tables
- A wet-play or end-of-term game for a class
- A family game with one table and a score card each
How this generator works
The rules: 6 draws the body, which has to come first; 5 the head; 4 a leg (six legs); 3 an eye and 2 a feeler (two of each, after the head); 1 the tail. One roll per turn, and a roll you cannot use is lost. A whole beetle is 13 parts, and every part can be reached — checked by walking through all 141 drawings these rules allow. On average one player alone needs about 44.3 rolls to finish, worked out exactly from the rules; with more players the first beetle comes sooner, and the rule card prints the figure for the number of players in the pack.
Randomness and fairness
Only the first-round seating is random: from the browser's secure generator, or a seeded one when you type a code. Codes are deterministic, not cryptographic, and not a secret. The dice are rolled at the table.
For how randomness is produced across the whole site, see how Generate Random works.
Assumptions this tool makes
- Ordinary six-sided dice, one per table.
- Every table plays at about the same pace when the round-length figure is used.
Limitations and good to know
- One set of rules; other groups play with different keys, extra rolls or bonus points, and the round-length figures apply only to the rules printed.
- Seats the first round only: how players move between tables afterwards is for the organiser to agree.
- Not yet tried at a real table with these cards; the timings are worked out from the rules, not observed.
Common mistakes
- Drawing a leg before the body
- Only a 6 starts a beetle; until then every other roll passes.
- Changing the rules halfway
- Agree the key before the first round; the card shows the one this pack uses.
Privacy and your data
Names stay in your browser and are printed only on your cards. With analytics consent, a count records how many players a pack had; the names and any code are not sent.
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