A domino is a flat thumb-sized rectangular block the face of which is divided, visually or by a line or ridge, into two squares each bearing an arrangement of dots or pips, similar to the spots on a die. Each domino has a value based on the number of pips on each end. Traditionally, 28 unique dominoes make up a set. The domino is used to play a variety of games, both competitive and noncompetitive. The dominoes are usually played by matching the ends of pieces, and then laying them down in lines and angular patterns.
Dominoes are a popular party game for all ages, but they can also be used to create art. Artists like Hevesh, a New York City–based artist who helped establish the Guinness World Record for most dominoes toppled in a circular arrangement, use the pieces to create 3-D structures, such as pyramids and towers. She starts each project by considering the theme or purpose of the display, then brainstorms images and words that she wants to incorporate. Hevesh makes test versions of each section and films them in slow motion so she can adjust the design if needed.
Whether you compose your novel on the fly or with a careful outline, plotting a story is all about reaction. The first domino, or scene, in your novel is the triggering event; the rest of the story is a chain reaction that unfolds as it should. But do the last scenes in your manuscript logically connect with the scene before them? And do they reverberate and change as your character shifts through emotional beats?
Most domino games are played in turns, with each player taking it in turn to place a domino on the table. When a player is unable to play a tile, he or she knocks the table and play passes to the next person. The winner is the player whose combined total of all the pips on his or her remaining dominoes is lowest at the end of the game.
There are many different rules of play for domino, but the majority of them fit into four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games. Each category has its own special rules, and some games are hybrids of several types.
When a player draws a hand of tiles, the player may buy any tiles not already in his or her dominoes. If a player draws more than he or she is permitted to take, the excess tiles are returned to the stock before the next hand is drawn.
The player must also be careful not to misplay. When a player plays a tile that causes one or both ends of the resulting chain to show a number not useful for that particular player, he or she is said to have “stitched up” the ends. This is a disqualification in most games and must be remedied before the next round of play.