Workbench · 8 November 2026

Chance forgets every round

Rise & Slide prints the exact chance of finishing on every floor. Those numbers are the same on every round, whatever happened on the last one. That simple fact is the most useful thing to know about any game of chance.

Where the numbers come from

The tower has thirty-six squares, four ladders and four chutes. For each number of throws, the chance of ending on each floor can be worked out square by square: start with the pawn below square 1, spread it over the six possible throws, follow every ladder and chute, and repeat. The game page does exactly that each time it is loaded, and prints the result beside the pay table. Nothing is estimated.

Streaks feel like information

After three rounds that end on the ground floor, it is natural to feel that a good round is due. After three trips to the roof, it is natural to feel that you are on a roll. Neither feeling is true. The die does not know what it showed last time, and the chances printed on the page are the same for the next round as for the first.

Why this matters beyond the tower

The belief that a run of losses must end soon is called the gambler’s fallacy, and it is one of the main reasons people chase losses in real-money gambling. In a game played for facets, chasing costs nothing but time. With money, it is how small losses become large ones. Learning to recognise the feeling here, where it is harmless, is worth something.

Choosing the number of throws

Four throws make the roof hard to reach and pay well for it; eight throws reach it often and pay less. All three choices have about the same long-run return, a little under the stake. The choice changes how bumpy the ride is, not where it ends. Pick the one you enjoy, and keep the pay table in view.

Facets have no cash value. Playing or success in these games does not imply future success at real-money gambling. More guides