Domino is a tile-based game that can be used to create complex structures, both flat and 3D. Its simple premise is that one player begins by placing a domino on a line, and then others follow with their own to build upon the first piece. The result can be a long chain that eventually leads to the top of a structure or a spectacular display.
Dominoes are cousins of playing cards and offer a wide range of games that test both skill and patience. Some professional Domino players have won thousands of dollars in contests. Others have created impressive domino sets that are art pieces in their own right. Still, many people play the game simply for the satisfaction of watching a long chain of dominoes tumble down until it all comes to a stop.
A solitary domino can be played with just two players, but most games involve more than that number of participants. Typically, 28 tiles are shuffled and formed into a stock or boneyard; each player draws seven of these for their turn. A domino’s value is determined by the number of pips it has on its surface, and the first player to play a tile wins the round. There are a number of variants for each game, and the rules are often quite complicated.
The most important lesson about domino is that each piece should be firmly placed on the line before adding the next one. If the previous domino is too close to the line, the subsequent ones will be knocked off course. Likewise, if the next domino is too far away from the line, it will never reach its intended destination.
Like domino constructions, story scenes must also be spaced correctly for them to work properly. Too much or too little detail will distract readers from the main point of a scene. Readers will also lose interest in a slow scene that does not move the hero closer or farther from their goal.
In addition to the standard blocks and scoring games, dominoes can be used to play many other types of games, including solitaire and trick-taking games. These are mostly adaptations of card games and were popular in some regions to circumvent religious proscriptions against the playing of cards.
While modern dominoes are made of polymer, they can be made from a variety of natural materials. Traditional European dominoes are usually made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony; these sets often have a more distinctive look and feel to them. They are usually heavier and more expensive than their polymer counterparts. The pips on these sets are inlaid or painted. Some artists have used these to create works of art by drawing a design on paper and then tracing it with a domino set. Other artists have constructed 3D structures, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and even towers and pyramids.
