Dominoes

Dominoes is a classic tile-based game that combines skill and strategic planning. It uses a standard ‘double-six’ set consisting of 28 tiles, where each tile represents a unique combination of pips ranging from 0 to 6.

Game Objective

The main objective is to be the first player to play all of their domino tiles, aiming to minimize the points remaining in your hand.

Game Setup

• The set consists of 28 tiles, covering every possible combination of pips from 0 to 6 (e.g., 0/1, 0/2, …, 5/6), including seven ‘doubles’ which have the same number on both ends (0/0, 1/1, …, 6/6).
• At the start of the game with 4 players, each player draws 7 tiles. No tiles are left in the boneyard (draw pile).
• The player holding the highest double tile (e.g., 6/6) starts the game. If no one holds the 6/6, the player with the next highest double starts.

How to Play

1. The first player starts by placing their chosen double tile in the center of the table.
2. On each turn, a player must place a tile so that one of its ends matches an open end of the domino chain on the table. For example, if the chain is 2/4-4/1-1/3, a 3/5 can be played on the right end (matching the 3) to make the chain 2/4-4/1-1/3-3/5, or a 6/2 could be played on the left end (matching the 2) to make the chain 6/2-2/4-4/1-1/3.
3. If a player does not have a playable tile, they must draw one tile from the boneyard. If the drawn tile is playable, they may play it immediately, and their turn ends. If it is not playable, they keep drawing tiles until they find one they can play or the boneyard is empty. If the boneyard becomes empty and they still cannot play, their turn passes to the next player.
4. If a tile can be played on either end of the chain, the player chooses which end to connect it to (left or right).
5. Play proceeds clockwise to the next player.

Scoring, Winning, and Losing

• Winning the Round: When a player plays their last tile, the round ends. That player scores zero points for the round. The other players sum the pip counts on their remaining tiles.
• Blocked Round: If no player can make a legal play and the boneyard is empty, the round ends in a block. Each player calculates the points for the tiles remaining in their hand.
• Calculating Points: Each tile’s point value is the sum of the pips on its two ends (e.g., a 3/5 tile is worth 8 points), except for the double-blank (0/0) tile, which counts as 0 points.
• The overall game continues over several rounds. When a player’s cumulative score reaches a predetermined point limit (default 150 points), they are eliminated from the game. The winner is the last player remaining in the game.

Game Gestures

Important Notes

• Players must ensure the tile they play accurately matches one of the open ends of the chain, as errors can disrupt the game.
• If the boneyard runs out early, the game becomes more challenging. Careful planning of tile usage is recommended.