Sausage Sizzle

A couple of years ago, close friends of mine moved from the Midwest to Queensland, Australia. While catching up after their move, they told me about their first Sausage Sizzle—an Aussie tradition that brings people together over sizzling sausages on the barbie. These community events, often free or held as fundraisers, serve up sausages in bread, offering a warm welcome and a taste of local culture.

In the dice game Sausage Sizzle from 25th Century Games, a group of Aussie critters follow the mouthwatering aroma of sizzling sausages. One by one they sneak in to grab a bite.

Designed by Inka & Markus Brand with artwork by Ian O’Toole, Sausage Sizzle plays with 2-5 players in 15-20 minutes and is suitable for ages 8+.

Setup

Each player takes a set of six different critter tokens, bright side up. One player becomes the scorekeeper and grabs the scorepad and pencil. The start player takes the four critter dice and four food dice.

Gameplay

Sausage Sizzle plays over six rounds, with players taking turns in clockwise order. On your turn, roll all the dice, then lock at least one die—either a critter or food. Try to roll as many matching critter faces as possible while keeping high numbers on the food dice. Set aside locked dice and re-roll the rest. Keep locking and re-rolling until all dice are locked. 

Scoring

Once all dice are locked, choose an critter to score, then flip its token (each can only be scored once per game). Count the matching critter dice and multiply by the lowest number rolled on the food dice. Sausages count as one pip on food dice. However, if a player locks all four food dice as Sausages – they’re now worth seven!

Record the total on the matching row of the score sheet. If you rolled any sausages, circle the sausage icon next to your score. Pass the dice to the next player to begin their turn.

Game End

After six rounds, everyone will have scored all animals. Total each player’s scores, and the player with the highest score wins! Sausages circled are used to break ties.

Impressions

Sausage Sizzle is a blast to play! Its simple rules and small footprint make it easy to bring along and play anywhere. If you’re looking for player interaction or take-that mechanics, this might not be the game for you. The excitement comes from the luck of your dice rolls and working what you have to score big.

Sometimes a low-scoring critter or unlucky food die can set you back. Each re-roll is a gamble, forcing you to balance the risk and reward. More often than not, you’ll need to push your luck.

The food dice add an extra layer of strategy. Brown dice have two sides with a five, but only one sausage, while red dice have only one five but two sausages. Deciding when to lock dice or reroll creates a fun push-your-luck element that keeps every turn exciting. Food dice can make or break a turn, but nothing beats rolling four sausages!

Sizzling Family Fun

The critter artwork from Ian O’Toole is one of the most charming parts of the game. Crocodiles, echidnas, kangaroos, platypuses, quokkas, and tiger snakes all make an appearance, highlighting native Australian wildlife.

25th Century Games even included an educational snippet in the rulebook with animal fun facts. To be honest, I had no clue what a quokka was—now I’m glad I do!

Sausage Sizzle is a banger of a family game that plays fantastically across generations. While it’s labeled for ages 8+, younger kids can join in with help from a sibling or parent for simple multiplication and score keeping. Our family had a great time playing and it was a hit with grandparents.

We love dice games that are quick to learn and since there’s no direct player conflict no one leaves the table upset. I do wish it had a solo mode. It would make for some relaxing lunch hour gaming.

Sausage Sizzle is certainly giftable for any gamer you know that loves animals, grilling, or charming dice games. Ready to host your own Sausage Sizzle? Pick up a copy from 25th Century Games, your friendly local game store, or on Amazon.

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The Family Gamers received a copy of Sausage Sizzle from 25th Century Games for this review.

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