Dominoes

Goal

Empty your hand first, or hold the lowest pip total if play becomes blocked.

Match tiles to open ends

Choose a tile from your hand, then choose its listed end or train. Click, tap, or use Tab and Enter. Start with Draw Dominoes: two players, seven tiles each, and a double-six set. The rest form the boneyard.

Open with the highest double

Practice example: Play the double two to open this chain. The double outranked the non-double tile. The player with the strongest opening tile starts and must play their strongest tile.

Opening without a double

If neither hand contains a double, the greatest pip total starts. A tie is broken by the larger numbered half. After opening, doubles behave like ordinary matching tiles in Draw and Block.

Match the left end

Practice example: Play the 3–6 tile on the chain’s left end, which shows three. The engine turned the tile so its three touched the chain’s three, leaving six as the new left end.

Draw when no tile fits

Practice example: Draw from the boneyard, then play the matching tile on the left. Your original tile could not match either end. The drawn 3–6 did fit and could be played in the same turn.

Pass only when blocked

In Draw, you cannot pass while a tile fits or while the boneyard still has tiles to draw. With no legal play and no tiles left to draw, Pass ends your turn.

Now use Block Dominoes

Block uses the same double-six chain and seven-tile hands, but you never draw. If no tile fits, pass even while unused tiles remain. Here the opponent has already passed.

End a blocked round

Practice example: Pass because your 1–2 tile matches neither chain end. Two consecutive passes blocked the round. You had three pips left and your opponent had one, so your opponent won; the unused boneyard stayed untouched.

Empty hand or lowest pips

Playing your last tile wins immediately. A blocked round goes to the lower remaining pip total, with equal totals a draw. A successful play resets consecutive passes. This app plays one round without an accumulated match score.

Go out

Practice example: Play your last tile on the left end. Your hand became empty, ending the round immediately.

Now use Mexican Train

This shipped variant uses two players and a double-nine set. The 9–9 engine is already placed, each player receives eight tiles, and the starting player is chosen from the deal seed. Start your own train before using other trains.

Start your own train

Practice example: Play 6–9 on your train. Nine matched the engine. Your train now ends in six and counts as started.

Three places may be available

After starting, you may use your own train or the shared Mexican Train. An opponent’s train is available only while marked Open to everyone. You play one tile per normal turn; this version has no unlimited opening train.

Use the shared train

Practice example: Play 6–9 on the Mexican Train. The shared train is open to everyone, so any player who has started may extend it with a matching tile.

Use an opponent’s open train

Practice example: Play 6–9 on the opponent’s train, which is marked Open to everyone. The Open to everyone marker allowed your tile onto the opponent’s train. Playing there did not remove the opponent’s marker.

Draw once, then open your train to everyone

Practice example: Draw one tile. When it still does not fit, pass. Mexican Train permits one draw on a blocked turn. Passing made your train open to everyone for later turns.

Close your open train

Practice example: Play 6–9 on your own train. Playing on your own marked train changed its label back to Owner only. Opponents can no longer use it unless you pass again.

Cover a double

Practice example: Play double six on your train, then cover it with 2–6. The double kept your turn and required a tile on that same train. The non-double cover cleared the obligation and passed the turn.

When a double cannot be covered

Draw one tile if no cover fits; if it still fails, pass. The obligation stays for the next player. Another double keeps a cover obligation. A final tile wins immediately even if it is a double. Two passes block the trains only when the boneyard is empty.

Choose a round in normal play

Normal play lets you choose Draw, Block or Mexican Train and a computer or local opponent. Tile appearance changes do not change rules. Difficulty affects assistance and computer choices.