Dominoes on a double-six set is a game of matching numbers: each tile has two halves, and you play a tile whose half matches an open end of the line. Go out first, or leave your rivals stuck with the most pips, and you take the points. Play three classic ways: Draw, where you take tiles from the boneyard when you are stuck; Block, where you simply pass; and All Fives, where you also score whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of five. Play here against the computer, or online with friends for up to four players, each on their own screen.
Dominoes rules used here
- The set has 28 tiles, every pair of numbers from 0-0 to 6-6 once. A double, such as 4-4, has the same number on both halves.
- With two players each takes 7 tiles. In Draw and All Fives, three or four players take 5 each. In Block everyone takes 7, which is why two or three players leave some tiles set aside and four players use them all.
- The first round opens with the highest double held, or if nobody has a double the heaviest tile. After that the winner of the last round leads with any tile.
- On your turn, play one tile whose half matches an open end. Doubles are laid across the line. If you cannot play: in Draw and All Fives draw from the boneyard until you can, or pass once it is empty; in Block just pass.
- A round ends when someone plays their last tile, or when the game is blocked and nobody can move.
- Going out scores the total pips left in the other hands. In a blocked round, the lowest hand wins and scores the others’ pips minus its own. If the lowest hands tie, nobody scores and the next player leads.
- In All Fives the first double played becomes the spinner, drawn in yellow. It can be played on from both long sides and, once both are covered, its two short sides as well. Whenever your play makes the open ends add up to a multiple of 5, you score that many points on the spot. The spinner counts both its halves while one long side is still open.
- The first player to reach the target wins the match. In All Fives, reaching it on a play ends the match at once. Going out or winning a blocked round in All Fives is rounded to the nearest 5.
How to play on this page
- Open Setup to choose Draw, Block or All Fives, the number of players, the target and the computer’s level.
- Your tiles are at the bottom. Tiles that can be played are lit, and the others are dimmed. Tap a tile to play it. If it fits more than one end, the possible spots appear on the table, and in All Fives a spot shows the points it would score; tap one.
- You can also drag a tile to a spot on the table.
- With a keyboard, move between your tiles with the arrow keys or Tab, press Enter to choose one, and choose an end the same way.
- When you have no move, the main button changes to Draw or Pass. Between rounds it becomes Next round, and everyone’s tiles are shown.
- The top line shows how many tiles each player holds and their score. The line above the table shows the round, the target and how many tiles remain in the boneyard.
- To play online, open Setup, choose "Friend online", set the number of players and send the link. Each friend presses "Join the game". You can start before everyone arrives, and the computer takes the empty seats. Your settings and the match in progress are saved in this browser, so a reload carries on where you were.
Tips for winning
- Get rid of your heaviest tiles early. If someone else goes out, every pip still in your hand counts against you.
- Keep your numbers varied. A hand with several numbers on its tiles can answer almost any end, and a hand of all sixes gets stuck.
- Watch what the others could not play. When a player passes or draws, they did not hold the numbers on the open ends, so leaving those numbers open can block them.
- In All Fives, look at the count first: before you play, work out what each tile would make the ends add up to, and what it leaves for the next player.
- Count tiles. There are only seven of each number, including its double. Once the others have played five of a number, the last ones are either in your hand or almost gone.
About the three ways to play
Draw is the friendliest game: being stuck only costs you tiles, not your turn. Block is shorter and sharper: nobody can draw, so counting tiles and shutting out a number matters most. All Fives adds points during the round, so a good player plays for the count as much as for going out.
Dominoes here is played only for points on the page, with no betting of any kind, and there is nothing to buy or win outside the game.
Questions about dominoes
- How many tiles does each player get?
- Two players take 7 each in every way of playing. In Draw and All Fives, three or four players take 5 each. In Block everyone takes 7.
- Who starts?
- In the first round, whoever holds the highest double plays it first. If nobody has a double, the heaviest tile opens. After that the winner of the last round leads with any tile they like.
- What is a spinner?
- In All Fives the first double played is the spinner. Tiles can be played on all four of its sides once both long sides are covered, so the table can have up to four open ends.
- How does scoring work in All Fives?
- After each play, add up the open ends. A double at an end counts both halves. If the total is a multiple of 5, the player who just played scores that many points at once. Going out or winning a blocked round also scores, rounded to the nearest 5.
- What happens when nobody can move?
- The round is blocked. The player with the fewest pips in hand wins the round and scores the other hands’ pips minus their own. If the lowest hands tie, nobody scores.
- Can I play online with friends?
- Yes. In Setup choose "Friend online" and share the link. Rooms have 2 to 4 seats, the computer can fill empty seats, and the server deals the tiles so each player sees only their own.