Block Dominoes in Games by Zaweba, the pub game

With a double-six set and a pub table in mind, Block Dominoes is the simplest way to play dominoes. You match tiles to the open ends of the line, knock when you cannot go, and play on until someone reaches 100. In Games by Zaweba you play against the computer, and the game sits on the Board games shelf.

It is the simplest form of dominoes, with no drawing from the boneyard, and that simplicity is what makes it a good test of planning.

How a hand goes

Each player gets seven tiles. The player with the highest double leads, placing it to start the line.

In turn, each player plays a tile whose number matches one of the two open ends of the line. If the line has a four at one end and a two at the other, you can play any tile with a four or a two on it, joining the matching half to that end.

If you cannot go, you knock and pass. In block dominoes there is no drawing from the boneyard, so a knock simply means your turn is lost.

The hand ends when someone plays out all their tiles, or when everyone is stuck. If everyone is stuck, the player holding the lightest hand, the fewest pips, takes the hand.

Counting the pips

The winner of a hand scores the pips left in the other hands. So going out while your opponent holds plenty of heavy tiles is worth a lot. The first to 100 wins the game.

Glowing tiles and choosing an end

Tiles you can play glow, so you can see your options at a glance. Click a glowing tile to play it. If it fits both ends of the line, click the end you want it to go on.

Playing a better hand

Since there is no drawing, the seven tiles you are dealt are all you get. That makes every play matter. A useful habit is to keep a variety of numbers in your hand. If you play away all your fives early, a line with fives at both ends will leave you knocking.

Play heavy tiles when it is safe to. A tile with lots of pips counts against you if your opponent goes out, so getting rid of it early limits the damage. Doubles can be awkward too, since they only match one number, so do not leave them too late.

Watch what your opponent cannot play. When the computer knocks, it holds nothing that matches either open end. You can use that, keeping those numbers showing to force more knocks.

When you have the choice of which end to play on, think about which numbers you will leave open. Leaving numbers you hold plenty of, and the computer seems short of, keeps the hand going your way.

A quiet game with a long history

Block Dominoes in Games by Zaweba is a calm, thoughtful game for an evening, and it suits people who enjoy counting and planning more than fast reactions. Esc pauses between plays, F1 brings back the rules, and your wins are counted on the game's tile in the library. It sits beside the other traditional games on the Board games shelf, such as Draughts and Mill, each drawn in code and played against the computer.