Twenty-eight tiles, one long line, and a race to empty your hand. Dominoes unblocked brings the familiar draw game to your browser, with computer opponents at three skill levels or real people sharing a single screen.
Christopher Müller wrote it as Domino, part of his free PaperGames set. Along with the classic version, there is a Triangles variant played with three-sided tiles on a grid.
How to play Dominoes
Two players get seven tiles each, while three or four players get five. The leftover tiles form the stock. The highest double starts the line, and turns go around the table from there.
On your turn, pick a tile carrying a number shown at either end of the line, then pick that end. Halves that meet need equal pips. If nothing in your hand fits, draw from the stock until something does, and once the stock is gone, pass.
The first player to lay their last tile wins. If everyone passes in a row and the line is stuck, hands are counted and the lowest pip total takes the round. Each game is a single round, without a running score.
Controls
| To… | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Play a tile | Click a tile in your hand, then the open end it should go on | Tap a tile in your hand, then the open end |
| Draw from the stock | Click "Draw from stock" when nothing fits | Tap "Draw from stock" when nothing fits |
| Pass your turn | Click "Pass" once the stock is empty | Tap "Pass" once the stock is empty |
| Show your hand in a shared-device game | Click "Show my tiles" | Tap "Show my tiles" |
| Set up a new round | Choose mode, players, variant and level, then click "New game" | Choose mode, players, variant and level, then tap "New game" |
Tips
- Play heavy tiles early. A stuck line is decided by the smallest pip total, so dumping a 6-5 before a 1-0 lowers your risk.
- Keep your hand varied. A spread of numbers in hand means more chances to answer whatever ends the others leave open.
- Watch which numbers vanish. If most of the fours have already been played, an open four is hard for anyone to cover. Use that to squeeze opponents.
- Do not rush doubles. A double leaves the same number showing at its end, so it is a good way to keep a number you hold plenty of in play.
- Count the stock. When the stock runs low, a single blocked end can force the other players to draw several tiles.
Dominoes questions
Can friends play together on one computer or tablet?
Yes. Choose the same-device mode and pick how many will play. Every hand is kept face down until its owner taps Show my tiles, so you can pass the device around.
How hard are the computer players?
You can set them to Easy, Medium or Hard before a new game. The level applies to every computer seat at the table.
If I close the tab, is my game lost?
No. An unfinished game is saved in your browser and loads again when you come back on the same device.
