Dominoes are small rectangular blocks that can be stacked on end in long lines. When the first domino is tipped over, it triggers a chain reaction that eventually knocks down the rest. This is the famous Domino Effect.
Hevesh creates mind-blowing domino setups for movies and events. She follows a version of the engineering-design process to design her creations.
Origins
Dominoes were probably invented in China, though there are a number of different accounts, none of which can be considered a certainty. The game spread to Europe in the 18th century, achieving popularity as a cafe and pub game.
Dominos bear an unmistakable resemblance to standard ordinary spotted dice, so it’s easy to assume that one inspired the other. The numbered clay tiles that were used by Babylonians for business accounting may also have been the forerunners of dominoes.
Kingdomino Origins adds two new ways to play, including the use of lava projections from erupting volcanoes, which give players a lot more control over their kingdoms. The other new mode of play, ‘Totem Mode’, has resource tokens (mammoths, fish, flint, mushrooms) that are collected on the squares where they land when placed.
Rules
Depending on the game variant, there are various rules that must be followed. First, the tiles are shuffled before players draw their hands. The player who draws the highest double or a domino with a higher scoring value goes first. Then, each player draws the number of tiles for their hand that are permitted under the game’s rules.
Then, the players play their tiles on the line of play. Some games require the player to match all exposed ends of their tile to a domino in the line. Other games allow a double to be played as a spinner, which can be played on all four sides. When all exposed ends are matched, the player scores the difference in points between their opponent’s and own unplaced pieces.
Variations
Dominoes can be played with many different rules. Some are simple variations of classic domino gameplay, while others change the game’s rules or scoring methods. The game’s basic mechanic is the same for all variants, however. Players take turns extending matching dominoes (or trains) with one tile added to each end. The first player to reach a certain number of points wins the round.
Each standard non-double domino has two exposed ends – the bigger end is called the Six and the smaller is known as the Three. Each player’s goal is to connect the open ends of their dominoes to a new board count (BC) that is a multiple of five.
The winning team of a hand usually plays first in the next hand, but this can be changed if a player has a “heavy” domino – one with the most spots on one face.
Materials
Over the years domino has been made from a wide variety of materials. In modern times the most common materials used are plastics, metals and wood.
Dominoes are thumb-sized rectangular blocks with a face divided into two parts, each bearing one to six identifying marks or dots. A domino tile may also be blank or identically patterned on both sides. A set of 28 domino pieces forms a full domino set.
In the 19th century, basic aluminum was popular for use in domino racks and tiles. It was followed closely by Bakelite, which dominated domino manufacture until it was replaced by plastic from petroleum. Some sets of dominoes are made from natural materials such as silver lip ocean oyster shell (mother of pearl), bone or ivory, with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on each. These are often considered works of art and command a high price tag.
Scoring
Players score points by laying dominoes so that their exposed ends total multiples of five. The resulting chain develops in a snake-line shape depending on the whims of the players.
A tile must touch the end of a previous tile in order to be played. This is done by positioning the end of the new domino in one of three ways: touching a previous tile’s side, touching its other side, or being perpendicular to a double.
At the end of a hand, all the player’s remaining dominoes are added up and the winning player is awarded points equal to the value of all the other players’ hands rounded to the nearest multiple of five. This game is also known as Muggins or All Fives.