If you have played any mainstream games you have probably played Yahtzee. Although I have run into people that have not heard of this timeless classic, it is probably the most well know roll and write game. Most mechanics are pretty self explanatory, and this is no exception. You are going to roll dice and record things on your sheet of paper. They tend to be small box games, easy to travel with, but not always easy to teach or learn.
In Yatzee, you are simply collecting sets from the die results. The dice are normal 6 sided dice (d6). With these basic dice we can bring things up a notch. Quixx allows players to participate in each person's turn. It also combines simple number writing with a push your luck element. Another game that uses a basic d6 is Welcome to Dino World. In this game you use the die rolled to build dino pens for your dino zoo and pave paths to see them.
Some games use dice with custom sides. In Railroad Ink, for example, the sides of the dice have railroad and street configurations. They are written on your board to create the most efficient transportation system with the most connections.
There are starting to be more variations in this genre. One of our most played games is Welcome To... It is a flip and write game, utilizing cards instead of dice. While it does not use dice it has the same game play feel as a traditional roll and write game.
These games lend can themselves well to large groups and virtual play. If you would like to try out a roll/flip and write game, check out our livestream schedule. We play weekly with our viewers and are always ready to teach and answer questions about the games.
You can start from the beginning or see all the weeks at a glance here.