How to play dominoes against the computer

To play dominoes against the computer, open Games by Zaweba and choose Block Dominoes from the Board games shelf. It's the pub block game with a double-six set: match the open ends of the line, knock when you can't go, and the first to 100 points wins. It's free and offline, with no adverts.

The block game is the simplest form of dominoes, and one of the most satisfying. There's no drawing from the boneyard, so once the tiles are dealt, the game is about playing your hand well.

Setting up a hand

In the library, look on the Board games shelf or press Ctrl+F and type dominoes. The game opens on a title card that sets out the rules and controls.

To play, click a glowing tile. Only tiles that fit are lit, so you can see your options at a glance. If a tile fits both ends of the line, click the end you want.

The rules of Block Dominoes

Everyone gets seven tiles, and the player with the highest double leads. In turn, play a tile whose number matches one of the two open ends of the line. If you can't go, you knock and pass. There's no drawing from the boneyard.

The hand ends when someone plays out all their tiles, or when everyone is stuck. The winner scores the pips left in the other hands. When everyone is stuck, the lightest hand wins. First to 100 wins the game.

Step by step to better play

Play heavy tiles early. Tiles with a lot of pips, such as the double-six or six-five, count against you if they're left in your hand. Get rid of them while you can, unless you need them to control an end.

Keep a variety of numbers. If all your tiles share the same few numbers, one unlucky end can leave you knocking turn after turn. Try to hold on to tiles that give you options on different numbers.

Watch what the computer knocks on. If it knocks when a five is showing, it probably has no fives. Leaving fives at the ends can keep it stuck while you play on.

Count the tiles. In a double-six set, each number appears on seven tiles. Keeping a rough count of how many of a number have been played tells you how likely it is that anyone can match an end.

Think about the blocked game. If you're holding light tiles and the line looks close to blocking, a blocked finish might suit you, since the lightest hand wins.

Use doubles wisely. A double only adds one number to the line, so it doesn't open new options. Playing it when that number is already at an end is often a neat way to shed it.

Pauses, rules and scores

Esc pauses a game, and it pauses itself when the window loses focus. F1 explains the rules at any point and F11 fills the screen, which makes the pips easier to read. Games by Zaweba keeps your plays, wins and best score on the game's tile, in a file on your PC.

Other games in the same spirit

If you like Block Dominoes, Five Dice and Seed Pits both reward counting and planning. Knock Rummy on the Cards shelf has a similar idea of keeping your hand light, where deadwood counts against you when someone knocks. The Board games shelf has 14 games against the computer in all.