Giant Dominoes Rules

How to Set Up Elakai Giant Dominoes

The Setup

1. Remove all dominoes from the carry bag.
2. Place all dominoes face down and mix them up thoroughly.
3. Get ready to play Giant Dominoes!

Note: This set includes a carry bag and 28 game pieces. The game piece with the Elakai logo on it plays as the “no dot” (blank) piece.

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Giant Dominoes Rules

Block Dominoes (2–4 Players)

1. Draw Your Tiles
   • Each player selects 5 dominoes from the shuffled pile.
   • Keep your dominoes hidden so opponents cannot see them.
2. Create the Draw Pile
   • Place all remaining dominoes in a pile face down. This becomes the draw pile.
3. Who Starts?
   • Each player checks their hand to see if they have any doubles (same number of dots on both ends).
   • The player with the highest double starts the game by placing that domino in the center of the play area.
   • Play then proceeds to the left of the starting player.
   • If no double is drawn by anyone, return all dominoes to the pile, reshuffle, and redraw.
4. Matching Dominoes
   • The next player tries to match one of their dominoes to one of the open ends of the starting double.
   • Only one domino may be played per turn.
5. Playing the Line & Doubles
   • Dominoes are placed in a continuous line of matching ends.
   • When a double is played, it is placed at a right angle (perpendicular) to the line.
   • This allows the next player to play off either end of that double, providing extra play options.
6. Drawing from the Pile
   • If a player cannot match any open end, they must draw one domino from the draw pile.
   • If still unable to play, they continue drawing until:
     • They draw a playable domino, or
     • The draw pile is empty.
   • If the draw pile is empty and the player still cannot play, their turn is forfeited. They may try again on their next turn.
7. Ending the Round
   • Play continues until:
     • One player plays their last domino. That player wins the round, or
     • No player can make a legal move and all players still have dominoes in hand. In this case, the round is blocked.
   • In a blocked round, the player with the lowest total points in hand wins the round.
8. Continuing the Game
   • Rounds continue until one player reaches 100 points.
   • The first player to reach or exceed 100 points is the overall winner.

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Scoring

At the end of each round, scoring is based on the number of dots left in each player’s hand.

• Add up the total dots (pips) on the dominoes in each player’s hand.
• Determine which player wins the round:
  • If someone went out (no dominoes left), they usually have 0 points in hand.
  • In a blocked game, the player with the lowest total wins the round.
• To calculate the winner’s score for that round:
  • For each opponent, subtract the winner’s total from that opponent’s total.
  • Add all positive differences together.
  • The result is the number of points awarded to the winner.

Scoring Example 1

Hands at the end of the round:

• Player 1: 0 points in hand
• Player 2: 9 points in hand
• Player 3: 3 points in hand
• Player 4: 12 points in hand

Player 1 wins the round (lowest total: 0).

• Player 2: 9 − 0 = 9
• Player 3: 3 − 0 = 3
• Player 4: 12 − 0 = 12

Total points for Player 1: 9 + 3 + 12 = 24 points.

Scoring Example 2

Hands at the end of the round:

• Player 1: 4 points in hand
• Player 2: 9 points in hand
• Player 3: 3 points in hand
• Player 4: 12 points in hand

Player 3 wins the round (lowest total: 3).

• Player 1: 4 − 3 = 1
• Player 2: 9 − 3 = 6
• Player 4: 12 − 3 = 9

Total points for Player 3: 1 + 6 + 9 = 16 points.