Play Dominoes online

How to play Dominoes

1. A double-six set (28 tiles). Two players get 7 tiles each, three or four get 5; the rest lie face down in the boneyard. Everyone plays for themselves.
2. The first hand is opened by whoever holds the highest double, who must lay it (with no doubles out, the heaviest tile). Later hands are opened by the last hand's winner, with any tile.
3. Turns go round in order. Lay a tile with a half that matches one of the two open ends.
4. Nothing fits? Draw from the boneyard one tile at a time until one does; with the boneyard empty you pass. In the block game there is no drawing: you pass.
5. Whoever empties their hand first (dominoes) scores the pips left in all the opponents' hands.
6. If nobody can play, the game is blocked: the lowest pip count in hand wins and scores the pips of everyone else. A tie for the lowest scores nothing.
7. The match runs to 100 points (or 50); the first to reach it at the end of a hand wins.

These are the exact rules Hamdor plays by; the app shows them too, under each game's How to play tab.

Dominoes in Hamdor

• Double-six set: 28 tiles. Two players get 7 tiles each, three or four players get 5; the rest stay face down in the boneyard.
• 2, 3 or 4 players: everyone plays for themselves, no teams.
• Draw game: with no tile that fits, draw from the boneyard until one does; when it is empty, you pass.
• Block game: in the two-player block game there is no drawing; no fitting tile means you pass.
• To 100 or 50 points: the full match runs to 100, the quick two-player match to 50. The first to reach it at the end of a hand wins.
• Blocked hands: if nobody can play, the lowest pip count in hand wins the hand.

Dominoes modes in Hamdor

• 2 players, to 100
• 2 players, to 50
• 2 players, block (no drawing)
• 3 players, to 100
• 4 players, to 100

Tips to win at Dominoes

• Shed heavy tiles early. If someone else goes out or the game blocks, the pips in your hand count against you, so don't sit on the double-six.
• Play doubles when you can. A double matches only one number and is the hardest tile to place, so lay it at the first chance.
• Keep a variety of numbers. A hand with many different numbers is less likely to draw or pass.
• Each number appears seven times. Every pip value from zero to six is on seven tiles. Count how many of a number are out to know which end will close soon.
• Remember their passes. If an opponent drew or passed on a number, they don't have it. Keep that number open to squeeze them.
• In the block game, think about closing it. With no drawing, games block quickly; if your hand is light, a blocked game works in your favour.

Dominoes in Hamdor

• Online, ranked: play real opponents and earn a rating. If nobody turns up within a few seconds, a bot takes the seat and is labelled as a bot.
• Private rooms: create a room, send the code to your friends and chat with stickers and reactions while you play.
• Bots: play offline against bots, to practise or when nobody is online.
• Stats and streaks: your win rate, best winning streak and this game's leaderboard.
• Your own look: change how the table and pieces look in the Hamdor shop. It is cosmetic only and never affects who wins.

Dominoes FAQ