Domino is a tile-based game in which players score points by laying down dominoes in a pattern that completes a line or shape. Each domino has a unique number of dots (referred to as pips) that indicate its value. Some sets are colored, and some are even shaped like animals or people! There are many ways to play Domino, but all require some form of planning and calculation.
Dominoes have been made from various natural materials: bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl or MOP), ivory, and a dark hardwood such as ebony. These materials have a more elegant, traditional look, and are usually much heavier in weight than polymer dominoes.
The word “domino” derives from the Latin dominus, meaning “master of the house.” The name may also be derived from the Greek dominos (“piece”) or Arabic al-domino (“the master”). The earliest known dominoes were made of wood. Later, they were made of bone, ivory and metals such as brass and pewter. Today, most dominoes are made of plastic or melamine and are colored to distinguish one set from another.
In most domino games, a single domino is worth 0 points; a double, ten; and a triple, twenty. Each domino has a square or rectangular shape with a line in the middle to visually divide it into two equal parts. The side with the pips is considered the domino’s identity-bearing face, while the other side is blank or identically patterned.
Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide, which makes them easier to re-stack after use. The pips on the domino’s two matching ends are valued according to their arrangement, as indicated by the total of all the pips on each end. A domino with no pips is considered a zero.
A domino chain, or a domino train, is created by placing a domino in such a way that the matching ends touch fully. Each subsequent domino placed must be positioned adjacent to the previous domino and a single domino cannot be played to a double or zero. In most domino chains, each player must add to the overall score of the other players by adding up the value of all their pips in a line of played dominoes.
While domino games are traditionally competitive and skillful, they can also be used for educational purposes. Some teachers use dominoes to help students learn basic arithmetic and counting skills, while others teach concepts such as probability and pattern recognition through the use of these games. Dominoes can also be used for art projects, creating curved lines that form pictures when they fall or stacking them in 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Some domino artists have even designed entire cities and buildings out of them! Domino artist Hevesh5 has a YouTube channel with more than 2 million subscribers and creates elaborate domino setups for movies, TV shows, and events. Some of her most elaborate domino installations take several nail-biting minutes to fall!