Domino is a simple but enjoyable game that does not require players to be highly skilled, allowing you to simply enjoy yourself. To play, however, you must first understand the game’s rules. That is precisely what you are invited to read about in this article.
Rules of the Game Domino
The most common type of domino game has two players competing against each other, but the game can also be played with three or four players. When four players play together, teams can be formed, resulting in two players against two.
The main goal of the game is to fill the chain with your drawn domino tiles before your opponent and be left with no tiles. If neither player has any valid moves left, the player with the lowest sum of points from the tiles in their hands wins.
A domino tile consists of a rectangle divided into two parts, each side containing from 0 to 6 domino dots.
To better understand the rules of the game, let’s go through the gameplay. A complete set of domino game consists of 28 tiles. Players lay out all the tiles on the table, flip them, and each player draws 7 tiles as their starting tiles.
To determine the starting player, both players draw a tile and calculate the total number of dots on it. The player with the higher number starts the game.
The game begins with the first tile being placed on the table. Each player must then extend the chain of tiles by placing a tile that matches the side of the chain. The matching side in this case is the one with the same number of dots as the active tile on the table.
If a player does not have a matching tile in their hand, they draw another tile from the pile. If they still don’t have a valid tile, they keep drawing until they do. The turn then shifts to the opponent. If the opponent also doesn’t have a valid tile, the process repeats.
The game ends when one of the players has no more tiles in their hand. It’s also possible that both players have tiles but no valid moves. In this case, the points on their remaining tiles are added up, and the player with the fewest points wins the round.
Different Variations of Domino Rules
The game of dominoes has several variations, and the rules should be agreed upon by all players before the game begins. The gameplay remains consistent across all variations, with the exception of the ending:
Method 1: As mentioned earlier, at the end of the game, players draw tiles until they find a valid match. If they do not get a match, points are counted and the player with the lowest number of points wins.
Method 2: The game may end if none of the players have valid moves. In this case, the points on the tiles in their hands are ignored. The winner is the player who made the last move.
Method 3: The game is played up to a score of 100 points. The winner of a round calculates points by taking the remaining tiles of their opponent(s) and totaling the amount, which is added to the winner’s account. If the game ends with opponents still holding tiles but no valid moves, their points are counted, and the player with fewer points wins. The player who wins takes their opponent’s tiles and adds their point total to their own.
Learn more about board games
If you enjoy playing dominoes, you might also like other board games. We invite you to read and learn about the rules of chess, Texas Hold’em poker, and checkers.
FAQs
How do you play dominoes?
Dominoes is a straightforward and enjoyable game. To play, you’ll need 28 tiles and at least two people who want to play.
How many people can play dominoes?
The minimum number is two, but the game can also be played with three or four people. However, the number of tiles drawn prior to the game varies. In a four-player game, the initial draw is reduced from 7 to 5 tiles.
Who starts a game of dominoes?
The game of dominoes is started by the player whose drawn tile has the higher sum of dots.
How are double domino tiles placed?
When you have a “double” tile (the same number of dots on both sides), it is placed perpendicularly instead of lengthwise, opening up additional ways.