How to Play Petals Around the Rose Game and Crack Its Secret

“Petals Around the Rose” is a classic puzzle disguised as a simple dice game. With nothing more than five dice and a bit of curiosity, this game has puzzled and delighted players for decades. The secret behind it is not mathematical complexity, but rather a clever connection between the dice’s design and an abstract phrase. Once you know the secret, you’ll never see the dice the same way again.

The Origins of the Game

Although the exact origin of Petals Around the Rose is uncertain, the game gained fame in the 1970s when Bill Gates encountered it during his early Microsoft days. The story goes that Gates became obsessed with cracking the mystery, staying up late at night until he finally solved it. Once he did, he made a rule: he would never reveal the secret to anyone — they would have to discover it themselves. That spirit of discovery remains at the heart of the game today.

What You Need to Play

To play Petals Around the Rose, all you need is:

Five standard six-sided dice
A flat surface to roll on
A curious mind

The game is best played with at least two people — one who knows the secret (the “Keeper of the Rose”) and one or more players trying to solve it.

Setting Up the Game

Start with the Keeper of the Rose. This person will explain only the name of the game: “The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose, and the name is significant.”
Then, the Keeper rolls the five dice and announces a number — the result. The observers’ challenge is to figure out how that number is determined based on the dice.

Players can take turns rolling, guessing, and thinking aloud. The Keeper will only tell them if their guess for the total is right or wrong — never why.

The Rules of the Game

Here are the simple rules everyone follows:

Five dice are rolled.
The Keeper announces the total “number of petals around the rose.”
Players may guess the total and test theories.
The Keeper confirms if the guess is correct or not.
The Keeper never explains the reasoning.

That’s it. The simplicity of the rules makes the puzzle intriguing — everything depends on the players’ ability to notice patterns and think abstractly.

The Hidden Secret (Without Spoilers Yet)

The beauty of Petals Around the Rose lies in how the answer is obvious once you see it but invisible until you make the connection. The game encourages pattern recognition and logical deduction. Players often look for mathematical relationships, addition rules, or hidden arithmetic tricks. However, the answer is not found in math—it’s found in the name itself.

Before we reveal the secret, here’s a small hint: focus on the dots (pips) on the dice faces and think about what could be considered “petals” and what could be the “rose.”

How to Find the Secret Yourself

If you want the satisfaction of discovering the answer on your own, here’s a methodical approach:

Step 1: Record several rolls and their announced totals.
Step 2: Compare dice patterns on rolls that give the same result.
Step 3: Notice which dice faces matter and which do not.
Step 4: Pay attention to the dice that seem to “surround” something.

Soon, you’ll realize that only certain dice faces contribute to the total. Once you identify which ones matter, the rest falls into place naturally.

Revealing the Secret (Spoiler Alert)

If you’re ready for the revelation, here it is:
The total “petals around the rose” comes from the dots surrounding the center dot on specific dice faces. The only dice faces with a center dot are 3, 5, and 1.

The one has a single center dot — no petals around it.
The three has two dots around the center — two petals.
The five has four dots around the center — four petals.

The two, four, and six have no center dot, so they add nothing to the total.

To find the total, count the petals (dots around the center) on all five dice. For example:

Roll: 3, 5, 2, 5, 1
- 3 → 2 petals
- 5 → 4 petals
- 2 → 0 petals
- 5 → 4 petals
- 1 → 0 petals
  Total = 10 petals around the rose.

Once you understand this, every roll becomes easy to calculate — yet mysterious to those still searching.

Why the Game Is So Effective

Petals Around the Rose is a brilliant example of how language and perception shape our understanding. Players often overcomplicate the puzzle, assuming there must be a deep mathematical or probabilistic formula. In truth, the key is lateral thinking — linking the poetic name to the physical pattern on the dice.

It’s an excellent exercise in problem-solving, critical thinking, and patience. It teaches that sometimes the simplest explanation, when viewed from the right perspective, is the correct one.

How to Use Petals Around the Rose for Learning

Educators, parents, and trainers use this game to teach reasoning and creativity. Here are a few ways it helps:

Encourages observation: Players must look closely at the dice and notice subtle details.
Promotes hypothesis testing: Players test and refine theories like real scientists.
Teaches persistence: It can take several rounds before the pattern reveals itself.
Demonstrates lateral thinking: The solution relies on interpreting a phrase symbolically.

In classrooms or team-building workshops, it fosters communication and intellectual curiosity — especially when players are told that once you know the secret, you must not tell anyone else.

Conclusion

Petals Around the Rose is more than a dice game — it’s a lesson in patience, perspective, and the joy of discovery. Its simplicity hides a clever secret that reveals how we think, reason, and interpret patterns. Once you uncover the secret, you’ll understand why so many people, including Bill Gates, have called it one of the most intriguing puzzles they’ve ever faced.

So, gather some dice, become the Keeper of the Rose, and challenge your friends to unravel the mystery. Remember: the name of the game is important — and now, you know why.

FAQs

1. Who invented Petals Around the Rose?

The exact creator is unknown, but the game became famous in the 1970s when Bill Gates encountered it. He helped popularize it among mathematicians and computer enthusiasts.

2. Why is it called “Petals Around the Rose”?

The name refers to the dice faces with a central dot — the “rose” — surrounded by “petals,” the other dots. The total count of those petals forms the answer.

3. Can the total number of petals be odd?

No. Because each contributing face adds an even number (2 or 4 petals), the total will always be an even number.

4. Is there a mathematical formula for it?

While you can describe it mathematically, the puzzle is based on visual patterns rather than arithmetic equations. Recognizing the pattern is the key.