What is the point of playing dominoes?
Dominoes as a board game are widely known throughout the world. In the Netherlands, they even celebrate Domino Day every year. So what is the essence of this exciting game?! It's simple. The idea is to place the dominoes with the symbols on them so that they touch the same symbols. Each of which has a numerical value. Each game has its own essence. So, for example, the goal of the game “Goat” is to discard all the dominoes, or to remain with a minimum amount of points.
Dominoes game for couples
Classic dominoes can be played by up to 4 people. The domino stones are shuffled face down and then dealt out. If there are two people playing, then 7 stones are taken, and if there are more, 5 stones each. The remainder face down forms a reserve or “bazaar”.
The one who has a double of sixes in his hands goes first. The move then proceeds counterclockwise. They place stones with the same meanings. If the player does not have the necessary stones in his hands, then he gets the stone at the “bazaar”.
If at the start of the game there is no double of sixes, then you can start with a double of fives, etc. If no one has duplicates, then the game starts with the highest quantitative value on the players’ stones. The game ends when one of the players is left without dice. It is also possible to end the game with a fish.
In the current version of the game, the winner gets the sum of all the losers' points. When there is a “fish”, the one with the minimum number of points left wins. The game continues until the agreed amount is reached.
Such a variety of dominoes. Part 1
Let me guess what game you have at home? DO-MI-NO!
I counted 8 sets here. I think that you have at least one, and at most...
I’m even afraid to guess this number after I decided to study the variety of domino sets. After immersing myself in the topic, my review had to be divided into three parts, otherwise it would have been a looooong post!)) And I haven’t yet considered ordinary dominoes, by which I mean dominoes with dots from “empty” to six and dominoes with various popular pictures ( toys, vehicles, etc.), which are played according to the classical scheme.
Today we bring to your attention a selection of NON-STANDARD dominoes. Unusual form, intellectual content or other rules of the game with the same dominoes.
I invite Domina to the exhibition! Pictures from the Internet. Links to those items that are on sale are attached.
Part one. Unusual shape and versatile focus
In fact, there are very few non-rectangular dominoes. Therefore, I will be content with what I have (I think I have collected all the options))
First on our list is the six-legged domino “Ant Path”
(Think Fun)
. The game includes 40 ant chips, a flag, a bag for transportation and storage, and game rules in Russian. The game is designed for a company of 2-6 players. The winner is the one who gets rid of his insects faster.
Children who are naturalists should like this domino. Look at the ants, not only the colors of their legs are different, but their faces are also different. I just don’t understand why they are green? I didn’t find green ants on Wikipedia, but I learned that the Asian tailor ant is adapted to living in trees. Maybe this is a future Asian ant, which in the course of evolution will also acquire camouflage?))
Labyrinth//My-shop//Ozone
Bendomino
(Blue Orange)
- a twisting domino. Everything is like in an ordinary domino with one “but”: the game can end not only with “fish”, but also with the dominoes spinning in the wrong direction)))
Almost impossible to find on sale((
Game expert
Another Snake Domino
, which can be bought at the Svetoch store (Samara)
And here is the domino Fundomino (Blue Orange)
can’t buy it now, but it’s so cool!
In addition to dominoes with multi-colored numbers, the game has dominoes with unusual designations: “plus” (the next player before a move takes an additional domino from the bazaar; if the bazaar is empty, he draws any of the dominoes of the player who placed the “plus”), “circular arrow” (the player can make another move, if he does not have a matching domino - he must draw from the bazaar until he draws a suitable one, if the bazaar is empty - the move goes to the next player), “star” (the next domino can have any color and value). Additionally, the dominoes are semicircular in shape, which adds complexity and, depending on the shape of the resulting chain, may limit your options for adding more dominoes.
If you really liked the shape of a semicircular domino, then there is an option. Not a full semicircle, but still not a straight knuckle. You can put all the cards in a circle. This is me about the floor domino from Step-Puzzle
.
Dominoes “Animals” Labyrinth//My-shop
Domino “Toys” Labyrinth//My-shop
Domino Tastamino (Beleduc)
made our list thanks to the die-cut cards. The game was not found for sale.
"Merry Domino" (Mosaic Park)
excites us with its wavy shape, round windows and price of under two thousand. The set contains 36 cards. The cards represent puzzle pieces. They can only be connected in a certain way, which makes the game more difficult.
Ozone
Domino Jumbo Texture Food ( GuideCraft)
the usual rectangular shape, but the pictures on it are unusual - cut out and tactile. This is probably the most expensive lotto in our review. Price - 4 thousand rubles.
Description from Ozone: “Textured dominoes are the perfect way to help children develop their tactile and visual senses. Each set contains 28 double-sided dominoes with different textured tactile inserts.”
Ozone
“Logical Domino” (Building a happy childhood together)
We have left from our eldest son. We played it for a long time and with pleasure. I wrote a detailed review about it here. Now I got it for my youngest son. I noticed that some parts fit into each other with some difficulty (you need to put in a little effort) (I don’t remember this with Danya).
Logical dominoes consist of plastic figures that need to be placed one on top of the other. The plastic is very durable.
15 elements My-shop
20 My-shop elements
24 elements My-shop
But the domino “Excellent Student”
(Biplant)
, judging by the picture, differs from our domino in that there are six geometric figures presented against our five. Perhaps there is a difference in quality, after all, a different manufacturer.
There’s a strange number of chips in sets 6 and 12. Twelve was out of the question, but six...
6 May-shop chips
12 May-shop chips
We move from the plane to three-dimensional space.
3D from
. I don’t know if the dominoes are convenient (whether there is a good view of the field due to the way the cards are arranged, how you need to hold the cards so that your opponent doesn’t see them, they are double-sided), but it’s something that will impress children and adults, that’s for sure.
Sold in Ozone: Kolobok, Delicious berries and fruits, Counting, Transport, Learning shapes and colors.
Another another 3D domino from Srart Games
. On sale now are “Toys” and “Bugs”, as well as a set of 4 games. But it’s surprising: a box separately costs about 100 rubles, and a set of four costs 4 thousand!!!))
Toys in My-shop, Bugs in My-shop.
Set in My-shop.
Speaking about the non-standard (rectangular) shape of dominoes, we, of course, could not ignore triangular-shaped dominoes. The difference between this domino is not only in its shape, but also in the fact that the dominoes can be placed on any side. Therefore, the further exhibits of our review are codenamed “On all four sides.”
Triodomino Deluxe Set (Noris Spiele)
consists of 56 dominoes, four coasters, a notepad and rules. I know the rules of this particular game, but the general rules in tridominoes are as follows: “The dominoes must be placed one at a time, one at a time, so that the numbers on the adjacent edges coincide. When placing a domino, the player receives a number of points equal to the sum of the numbers on its vertices. When 6 dominoes are closed into a ring (“hexagon” or “hexagon”), the player is awarded a bonus of 50 points. When placing a domino that is adjacent to 2 edges or two ribs and touches the opposite top of other dominoes (“bridge”), the player is awarded a bonus of 40 points. When purchasing a chip in the bazaar, 5 points are deducted. When getting rid of all the chips, the player is awarded a bonus of 25 points and the sum of all points on the opponents' chips in their hands. The goal of the game is to be the first to reach a predetermined point value, for example, 400.”
My-shop//Ozone
Tridomino variant from Goliath - regular and travel versions.
Original version in My-shop//Ozone, road version in Ozone.
There are many cheap children's versions of the triangle domino. Here are a couple from me, and I hope to hear about your options in the comments.
Popular domino “Baby Mice” (Drofa-Media)
, if you haven’t, then you definitely had to see and hear about it. I wrote a few words about her here.
Labyrinth//My-shop//Ozone
For those who are afraid of mice, we offer an option with beavers))
Beaver Corner (Selfie Media)
Now available in Detsky Mir stores
Domino Chromino (Asmodee)
- a variant of a non-triangular domino, but with three domino values. Each Chromino tile is placed next to the previous one in such a way that at least two cells of each adjacent tile match in color. There are 5 chips, each of which depicts the Taoist monad (Yin-Yang symbol) in one cell. This cell replaces any color. All chips are divided equally among all players. The winner is the one who gets rid of all his dominoes first. The space for laying out Chromino is not limited.
Unfortunately, not found for sale ((
But this bright game is called “Quadromino” (Astrel)
. Didn't find it in stock. You can read about it on the Mosigra website.
Series “Smart Dominoes” (Origami)
is also not on sale, but it seems to me that making them yourself will not be difficult. They have a very good idea!
In the Labyrinth “Colorful Highway”, “Magic Square”, “Colorful Shapes”.
Another wonderful version of dominoes is “Pythagoras’s Pentaradowa” (Bustard Media).
I’m giving a link to “Labyrinth”, where you can read about it, but here it seems to be on sale.
Labyrinth
Budget games by Maxim Kolosov
, published by the Rech publishing house, are also dominoes, the cards of which can be attached to any cards on the field, the main thing is that the rule is followed - at least two pictures match.
Colored paths Labyrinth//My-shop
Flower meadow Labyrinth
Friendly fish Labyrinth//My-shop
Easter eggs Labyrinth//My-shop
Bystromino (Piatnik)
is a very fun and dynamic version of dominoes. This you have not seen before! Everyone walks at the same time, there is no queue. You have cards in your hands that need to be laid out on the table. But it's not that simple! After all, not two sides of the card must match, as in a traditional domino, but four! Whoever finds a way to get rid of their cards the fastest wins.
My-shop
And I want to finish the first part of the review about dominoes with beautiful and, judging by the photos, high-quality wooden games by Evgeniy Tikhonov
. I accidentally came across his website. I recommend studying it, you will find a lot of interesting things. There are four games in the photo: one of them is definitely dominoes (it says: on it), the rest may not be (I haven’t studied the rules), but from the outside you can judge from them that you can play according to the rules of dominoes with them.
Website
For now I say goodbye. To be continued…
Game of dominoes sausage
Sausage can be played by a large group at the rate of 1 set of games for 2 people. The dominoes are mixed, placed face down, distributed equally and laid out in a line. Players take turns taking a stone from the left edge and placing it face down on the table. Next, the next stone is taken and if its value is suitable, it is placed next to the first, if not, then it is sent to the end of the row. The drawn take remains on the table. The game is played in 2 horizontal lines. Opponents can separate the sausage. This can be done in the case when the values laid out on the straight lines are equal to the values on the elongated dominoes. In our picture, the top player cut the sausage with a 3:1 domino. The cut-off “part of the sausage” is given to the opponent. The one who remains without dominoes wins.
Domino game Russian goat
The Goat game is perhaps the most famous of all. Our grandfathers often played this game at tables in the courtyards of high-rise buildings. The current game is usually played in pairs. However, you can play with a smaller team. At the beginning of the game, the dice are shuffled and each player takes 7 pieces. If fewer people take part, the remainder of the bones acts as a bazaar.
The game starts with the participant who will have a double of units in his hands. Players move clockwise, placing dice with corresponding values. If a player does not have the required domino, he misses his move. In the case of a three-player game, the player takes it from the market. The game ends when one of the players places the last dice on the table. Participants who have bones left add up the digital values on them. Then the dice are distributed again. The team or person who collects 101 points the fastest loses.
Unusual dominoes: rules of the game for children 3-4 years old
For children aged 3-4 years, there is a lot of entertainment in which you can use a game guide with both dots and pictures. This:
- Cross. The name comes from the cross-shaped shape of the chain being laid out. First you need to divide the chips equally among all participants and determine who will go first. The owner of the double starts - in this the rules of the game of children's dominoes do not differ from the classic adult one. The basic principle is that each player can place any number of stones on his turn, as long as there is an opportunity to continue the chain. Then the clockwise move goes to the opponent. The winner is the one who laid out his chips first.
- Closures. If two people are playing, then each person is given seven dice; in a group of three or four, five dice are given, and the rest are kept in reserve. The dice are laid out in piles, pictures down. The player takes the top chip and places it in the center. The rest take turns opening the top stones and, if possible, continue the chain. If the bone does not fit, it is placed at the bottom of the pile, one is taken from the reserve (if there is one) and, without looking, placed on top. The turn passes to the next participant. When a player has 3 stones left, he has the right to open them and lay them all out at once, if the layout allows. Whoever finishes first is considered the winner.
- Doubles. The distribution of dice and their layout follows the general rules, but the winner will be the one who scores the most points. Thus, one point is awarded for posting a double. If, after the move is completed, the pictures at both ends of the chain match - two points. The one who got rid of the dominoes ahead of everyone else gets one point, and there are no doubles left in his hands - four points. This is a rather complex activity that forces the child not only to post suitable pictures, but also to analyze several methods, choosing the only correct option. Replace points with candies, then the process will become more exciting.
When choosing entertainment, consider the interests and capabilities of the child. If he is not yet able to learn certain rules, simplify them or offer another option. You can read more about the most useful toys for young children in one of our articles.
Dominoes with pictures for children, rules
You can also play dominoes with children. This game expands your child's horizons, develops memory, reaction speed and attentiveness. Children's dominoes are similar in principle to adult dominoes. Instead of dots on the front of the stones, in children's dominoes you can see bright colorful pictures with various images. For very young children (2-3 years old), simple and familiar objects are drawn in the pictures, for example, fruits, animals. For children over three years old, drawings are made in the form of technology, cars, nature, as well as letters and numbers.
The rules of the game for children are very simple and similar to those for adults.
- All players are dealt 6 dice (for the children of chips), and the remaining chips are sent to the reserve or “bank” face down. If there are few participants in the game, then the number of chips distributed is increased to 7.
- The child who has a chip with paired pictures on his hands starts the turn first. The rest of the children take turns placing chips with the same design.
- If there is no chip with the desired design, then the child must take a chip from the reserve. And if the reserve runs out, then the child misses a turn.
- The first one to be left without chips wins.
What are the benefits of the game?
Board game is an excellent option for family leisure, as well as relaxation in the company of friends. Playing dominoes is useful at any age.
The game promotes the development of:
- intelligence;
- memory;
- strategic thinking;
- patience and perseverance;
- communication skills.
Players have to think outside the box to win. Many come up with their own successful strategy. Dominoes give relaxation and help to establish communication in the company of players. Vital energy comes from healthy passion. The game invigorates and helps relieve stress.
Domino strategy
Dominoes are a fun and exciting game in which everyone wants to be a winner. However, winning does not depend on luck, but on game tactics. Here are some strategic tips to increase your chances of coming out on top.
1. In the game, the number of dice of the same suit is 7 (1:1, 1:2, etc.). Knowing these values, you can always calculate how many of one or another stones your opponent has in his hands. Attention and quick calculations are the first step to victory. 2. Try to discard the dice with the highest number of points, as well as the empty double, as quickly as possible. 3. Remember that by definition, whoever made the first move has a greater chance of finishing first. But, this is provided that the opponent does not miss moves. Therefore, try to force your opponent to miss his turn. 4. There is only one way to end the game gracefully when your opponent still has dice in his hands - by placing him a “fish”. In this case, the opponent or opponents will be obliged to count their points, and you will remain at a big advantage.
We wish you a pleasant time and countless victories!
