Remember dominoes? If you were anything like me, it enthralled you as a kid, with rows and columns of spotted tiles growing out every-which-way. Every game had new rules--the only thing you were sure of was that the first kid to run out of dominoes was the winner.
But Dominoes is basically a sophisticated adult game in which strategy and luck are rewarded with high scores. Each of the rectangular dominoes is divided into two squares, with 0-6 dots on each square. Dominoes 128 uses a set of 28 dominoes, with one tile for each possible combination, including doubles, from 0/0 to 6/6.
The Rules
The object of the game is to earn points by judiciously connecting dominoes to those that have already been played. You can only play a domino at the end of one of the four lines that grow from the four sides of the starting domino. Adjacent squares on connecting dominoes must contain the same number of dots.
And here is the high-scoring kicker: When a domino you play makes the dots in the four end squares total a multiple of five, you win that amount. And since doubles are placed crosswise, both of their squares count, which means that you can score up to 35 points in a single play.
The Setup
The white part of the Dominoes 128 screen is the playing area. At the bottom of the screen are colored areas showing your options, the score and the number of dominoes left in the computer's hand and in the "woodpile."
Each player starts the game with seven dominoes; the remaining 14 comprise the woodpile. Your dominoes are displayed at the bottom of the playing field. The computer begins the game automatically by playing the highest double held by either player. Turns alternate thereafter.
Your Turn
When it's your turn, select Play, Draw or Pass by pressing the space bar to highlight the option you want, then pressing the return key. When you Play, use the space bar and the return key to select a domino and a location.
If you can't play, or if you want to build up your hand in the hopes of scoring big, select Draw. You may select Pass only when the woodpile is empty and you can't make a play.
The match continues until one player has no dominoes or both players pass. Then the spots on each player's remaining dominoes are totaled. Whoever has the lowest total receives the difference between the two, rounded down to the nearest multiple of five--so be careul when drawing for that high-scoring play! The dominoes are then shuffled and a new match begins. The first player to reach 200 points wins the game. With a little luck and a lot of skill, you'll beat the computer in no time.
