The Set

A domino, or bone, has two ends divided by a bar in the middle. Each end has a different number of dots, or pips. The number of pips on an end ranges from zero to six.

The set consists of 28 bones. One for each possible combination of the two ends (i.e. 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, … 1-1, 1-0, 0-0).

A bone with the same number of pips on both ends is referred to as a double. While most bones are placed end to end on the board, doubles are played sideways.

The Deal

At the beginning of the game, each player is dealt a hand of 7 bones. The remaining 14 bones form the boneyard.

Play

There are three rules variants of Domino!, Fives, Draw and Block. Basic play is the same for each variant, but there are some differences.

During the first round of the game, the player with the largest double must play that bone. If neither player has a double, the bone with the highest total number of pips must be played first.

After the first play, each player takes turns playing an eligible bone of their choice onto the board, until one player runs out of bones.

A bone may only be played on a matching bone. That is, one end of the bone you play must have the same number of pips as the exposed end of the bone you play on. The bone is placed with the matching ends adjoining. You may only play on the outermost bone in a branch.

In Fives, the first double played each round is referred to as the spinner. Bones may be played on all four sides of the spinner. This allows for a maximum of four branches on the board. In Draw and Block, there is no spinner, so there are never more than two branches on the board.

In each subsequent round of a game of Fives, the player who played the last bone during the previous round begins the new round with any bone he or she chooses. In Draw and Block, the players take turns starting each round with any bone they choose.

When a player is unable to play in Fives and Draw, they must draw from the boneyard until they have an eligible play. They must play the first eligible bone that they draw.

If a player cannot play in Fives or Draw, and the boneyard is empty, they pass the turn back to their opponent. In Block, there is no boneyard, so players never draw, and a player passes whenever they cannot play.

In the event neither player can play, the board is considered locked, and the round is over. If you are playing Fives, the round following a locked round starts the same way a new game does, with the player with the highest double or highest total value. In Draw or Block, the players continue taking turns.

Scoring

When one player plays the last bone in their hand, they domino. This means that the round is over.

The player that dominoed is awarded points based on what remains in their opponent’s hand. In Draw or Block, one scores a point for every pip left in their opponent’s hand. In Fives, one scores points for each pip left in their opponent’s hand, rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. Rounding works as follows: 3 rounds up to 5, and 2 rounds down to 0. For example, 18 pips becomes 20 points, while 17 pips becomes 15 points.

When the board is locked, the total remaining pips in each player’s hand is compared and points are awarded to the player holding the fewest pips. In Draw or Block, that player scores the difference between the two hands. In Fives, they score the difference rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.

In Fives, points are also scored during the hand. When a player plays a bone so that the ends of the board add up to a multiple of 5, that player scores points equal to that total. For example, if there is a 6 on one end of the board and a 4 on another, the player scores 10 points. For doubles, the value of both ends determines the value. For example, if the spinner is the double 5 and the other end is a 0, the player scores 10 points.

The sum of the ends of the board is referred to as the board count.

Play continues until one player earns a number of points equal to the win score for that game.

Good luck!