Dominoes
Lay a tile on one of the two open ends so the numbers match. Play all your tiles before the computer does, or in All Fives, score when the ends add up to a multiple of 5.
How to play Dominoes
How to play
You and the computer get 7 tiles each from a double-six set of 28. Whoever holds the highest double plays it first; if neither of you has a double, the heaviest tile starts. Then take turns putting a tile on one of the two open ends, so the touching halves show the same number. Doubles lie crosswise. Tiles that fit stand raised with a dot under them: tap one, or drag it to an end. If it fits both ends, tap the end you want, or press L or R.
Draw and Block
In Draw, when nothing fits you take tiles from the boneyard one at a time until one fits; once the boneyard is empty you pass. In Block there is no drawing: the 14 spare tiles stay out of play and you simply pass. The first to play their last tile wins. If nobody can play, the game is blocked and the lighter hand, with fewer pips, wins. Equal hands are a draw.
All Fives
Draw rules, plus points. After every play, add up the two open ends: a double lying at an end counts both halves, and the very first tile counts whole. If the total is a multiple of 5, the player who made it scores that many. Going out scores the pips left in the other hand, rounded to the nearest 5; in a blocked hand the lighter hand scores the other hand’s pips the same way. The winner of a hand leads the next one with any tile. The first to 100 wins at once, even in the middle of a hand, usually after three or four hands.
Tips
Play heavy tiles and doubles early, keep a spread of numbers so you can follow, and watch what the computer draws or passes on: it has none of those numbers. The computer plays by the same rules and never sees your tiles or the boneyard, only the table and what you do in the open.
Questions
How do you play dominoes?
Match a number at one open end of the line with a tile from your hand: a 6|4 can go on an open 6 or an open 4, and its other half becomes the new end. Take turns, and the first player to lay their last tile wins the hand.
What is the difference between Draw and Block dominoes?
In the draw game you must take tiles from the boneyard when you can’t play, so a hand can grow. In the block game the leftover tiles are never used and you pass instead, so games are shorter and cutting off your opponent’s numbers matters more.
How does scoring work in All Fives?
After each play the two open ends are added up, counting both halves of a double that lies at an end. A total of 5, 10, 15, 20 and so on scores that many points. Going out scores the pips left in the other hand, rounded to the nearest 5. The first to 100 points wins.
Who goes first in dominoes?
Here the player holding the highest double sets it: 6|6, or 5|5 if nobody has 6|6, and so on down. If neither hand has a double, the heaviest tile starts. In All Fives, the winner of each hand leads the next one with any tile.
Is there a daily dominoes game?
Yes. The daily is a Draw game with the same deal for everyone: the same two hands and the same boneyard order. The computer always makes the same choice in the same position, so if you play like a friend did, you will see the same game.