Dice games - push your luck

So, the idea with a push your luck style dice game is that with every dice roll (that you survive) you potentially reap some rewards.  As your pile of rewards gets bigger and bigger, the possibility of NOT surviving a dice roll (and losing all those goodies) becomes the intangible decision point for the player to decide about every turn.

This is true in lots of dice games - Zombie Dice from Steve Jackson Games is one of the more popular.  You get to keep brains (which score points), up until you roll three shotgun blasts - they you are out for the turn and lose all those juicy brains.  If, however, you choose to stop rolling - you get to keep whatever brains you have scored so far that turn - but you give up the possibility of rolling yet further brains (and further shotgun blasts).

Now, in comparison, take a look at Rollin' Bones - the Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides dice game.  This is an attractive enough game.  Comes in a cloth bag, with a nice color rules folio, and with bones shaped like finger bones.

From Board Game Geek -http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/1632171 

The "bones" have four sides - 1 skull, 1 bone, 1 shovel, 1 sword.  On your turn you roll any "bones" you have accumulated (but not yet buried), including one more from the pool (the bone yard).

If you get 1 skull symbol, your turn is over, and you lose any "bones" you have accumulated, as well as those you picked this turn.  That is a 25%  chance - per dice.  So the more dice you roll, the more chance you have of losing EVERYTHING.  Why would you ever choose to roll more dice than the minimum?

I haven't figured this game out yet - the components are neat enough that a simple rules fix might make it a better game.  Still working on it....