Domino Games
Dominoes is an extremely popular family of marble-based games, most commonly recognized as domino tiles. Each domino is actually a flat, rectangular tile with a diagonal line dividing it into two square corners. Each side is normally colored and has at least one empty spot or number of spaces on it. Dominoes are available in many different board game styles, though the most common are those played on a table.
Dominoes can be played using two domino sets, which consist of thirty two tiles each. Alternately, there are single domino sets, which have twenty two tiles. The rules for playing with these sets are the same as those used for traditional dominoes, except that the tiles are colored. When a tile is rolled up into the empty square area, it will leave one end open, or “dominoed”, while the adjacent tiles will likewise all become “broken” and become part of the next domino in the sequence. This is the first domino in the sequence. The last domino in the sequence is “perfect”, and will be a complete straight line when it is finished.
Dominoes are not only played on a table top, but also via a domino system board. In this version of the game, a domino is laid out onto a standard game board, and a single domino is inserted into the center. If any tiles roll off the domino, they will no longer form part of the sequence and will instead drop to the floor. This makes it possible for a player to easily see which tiles are still in their rightful place, and which tiles are on the ground. Using this type of board is particularly popular for children because of the visual aspect that domino sets present.
Another variation of these domino games are those where a set number of domino pieces are laid out face down (so each player receives three domino pieces). The object of the game is still to roll all of the domino pieces towards the middle, but there is also a timer for each piece. Once all of the domino pieces have reached the middle of the board, the timer will end, and the domino pieces can now be discarded. There are generally two types of timers in domino games: double-sided, which means that each player receives two turns making it possible for them to switch places with another player, and single-sided, which requires only one turn to complete.
The most common variation of domino set for the board are the domino sets with larger sets of tiles. These sets usually contain sixteen tiles, and it is common to find domino tiles of forty, sixty, or eighty tiles. It is common in these sets to find tiles of one color on all four edges of each piece. Domino tiles are laid face down across the middle of the board, but can be easily flipped over when the time comes to flip the domino tiles. Players will alternate playing rows of domino tiles, covering their opponent’s field tile row.
The more elaborate forms of the game include “mini domino” sets that contain a larger number of tiles than would a domino set with larger tiles. A mini domino set typically consists of ninety dominoes, but can be as high as a hundred dominoes depending on the set and the manufacturer. Most mini domino sets have domino tiles that are laid horizontally with alternating colored stripes. The tiles may also have a “saddle,” which is either a thin string of plastic or felt that enables the tiles to stick to one another. These can be mixed up with regular tiles, making it even more fun to play. Mini domino sets can be used as a children’s party game by laying out a layer of regular domino tiles on a larger board and having kids scatter the domino tiles onto their laps by holding them above their heads.