Zilch Lite is a dice game for the Palm Pre. Zilch is a two-player game mixing skill and chance with six dice. You can play against the computer in this lite version for the Pre. The goal is to score 10,000 points before your opponent (the computer in this case). Points are scored based on a predetermined chart. For example, rolling three 6′s will net you 600 points. Out of the six dice, some will fall with a scoring pattern (like the three 6′s) and the rest can fall with no scoring pattern (say two 2′s and a 3). You can either take a “Stand,” which will end your turn with whatever points you have gained so far, or you can re-roll the non-scoring dice. If, on the re-roll, you score zero points, you lose all your point gained on this turn so far – this event is called a “Zilch.”

When played live, I imagine most of the fun comes from anticipating the roll and counting your score against the chart. With this version, since the computer does all the counting, you may find yourself compulsively rolling the dice and moving the game along. The large scores (the minimum increment is a 100) also encourage the user to move along quickly. Most of the skill in this game is reduced to judging whether or not you want to take a Stand or continue rolling. This decision is usually based on how much of a lead you have or are trying to make up. The full version will probably allow playing against a live opponent, which should make the game significantly more fun. For now, Word Ace retains the title of the best game on the Palm Pre smartphone, though Zilch Lite may be quite engaging for those who swear by dice-based games.