Domino is a family of tile-based games played by two or more people. The tiles are usually rectangular in shape, but may be other shapes as well. They feature a line down the middle that divides them visually into two squares, with an arrangement of spots (or “pips”) on one side and blank or identically patterned on the other. The dominoes are typically twice as long as they are wide, making them easy to stack on top of each other in long lines. The first domino to be tipped over in such a line is called a “spinner” and, depending on the rules of the game, may count for more points than its neighbors.
A stacked row of dominoes can be used to create decorative art in the form of straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, or even 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Domino art is also often used as a teaching tool to demonstrate how simple actions can lead to complex consequences, or as a way for children to practice counting and order of operations.
When used in positional games, a player in turn places a domino edge to edge against another in such a manner that the adjacent faces are either identical or form some specified total. Once all the dominoes have been placed, the line of play develops a snake-like shape – the pattern of the line is determined by the rules of the game being played.
There are many different games that can be played using dominoes. Each of these games has specific rules governing how the tiles are laid and how they are scored. Generally, players begin by drawing dominoes from the stock and placing them on the table in front of them. As each domino is played, it adds to the line of play until a point is reached at which no more can be added and the game ends.
A typical scoring system involves adding the numbers of each domino’s ends, or corners, to the sum of all the pips on that domino. This number, known as the score, is the winner’s score. In some games, a player’s score may also be calculated by the total number of pips left in their remaining stock after a win.
Occasionally, someone builds a domino installation that is so large or intricate that an accidental knock or nudge can cause it to collapse and stop the flow of play. When such a display is created, it is often covered with a sheet to protect it from damage. Lily Hevesh, a college student who often works on these installations, uses fractions to help her plan out her projects and determine how many dominoes she will need. She also omits a few dominoes here and there to prevent small accidental topples from throwing off the entire installation. “I’m pretty good at preventing big accidental topples, but they happen in just about every project I work on,” she says.