OBJECTIVE OF ALL FIVES: Make the open ends add up to five or a multiple of five.
TYPE OF DOMINOES: Double 6 (most common) or Double 9
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-4 Players
TYPE OF GAME: Dominoes/Scoring
AUDIENCE: All Ages
INTRODUCTION TO ALL FIVES
All Fives is a domino game that is a close relative of Muggins and Sniff. It is not to be confused with the trick-taking card game All Fives which can be found here. All Fives is a well-loved dominoes game which aims to have the open ends of the layout total five or a multiple of five (10, 15, 20, etc).
THE SETUP
Shuffle the dominoes on the table. The player who draws the highest value domino starts first. Tiles are returned to the table and reshuffled. Some sources claim that despite the number of players each player receives five dominoes.
Some sources claim that despite the number of players each player draws five dominoes. However, the vast majority use the following system:
2 players – 7 tiles each
3 players – 5 tiles each
4 players – 5 tiles each
The remaining tiles not drawn from the boneyard or stockpile. These are dominoes that may be drawn when needed.
THE PLAY
Starting the Game
The first player may be randomly determined, they will place the first tile. Subsequent rounds begin with the player who was the first to go out on the previous hand. Unless the hand was blocked, and no player could make a legal move in the previous round and no player ‘went out,’ then the first player may be determined at random again.
The first domino played may be of any value and does NOT need to be a double. The first double played may be played off of all four sides. This is domino is called the spinner. Other doubles may not be played like this, only the first.
Subsequent Turns
The play moves left. Players add dominoes to the open end of the layout if possible. If you can’t make a legal move, players must draw tiles from the boneyard until they are able to. If the boneyard is dry, they must pass. Players are required to play tiles which match an available end on the board. For example, there is two free spots on the layout. One spot beside a tile 3-4, in which the 3 is exposed, the other beside tile 5-5. You may play a tile with a 3-X or 5-X accordingly.
The goal of All Fives is to have the open ends of the set-up (where players add dominoes) add up to five or some multiple of five.
SCORING
The scoring is usually done while the hand is being played. Tiles added to the layout contribute to a player’s running total. If the open ends are a multiple of five, the player receives that number of points. There are usually several ends (up to four) to total.
Doubles count for their total amount of pips. If the spinner has two dominoes on its ends, only those dominoes are counted, the spinner itself is ignored like it is any other domino in the chain.
Tiles that remain in hand are totaled, rounded up to the nearest multiple of five, and subtracted from a player’s total.
The game continues until a player reaches the target score, this is typically between 200 and 300 points, depending on the number of players.
REFERENCES:
http://www.domino-games.com/domino-rules/allfives-rules.html
https://www.thespruce.com/all-fives-dominoes-rules-410908
https://www.dominorules.com/all-fives
- Comprehensive Guide to the Board Game Go (weiqi, baduk) - January 23, 2024
- Are Creative Suites Changing Gaming - October 30, 2023
- How Classic Games Have Been Reimagined for Modern Audiences - October 5, 2023
Can the doubles be played only sideways or can you play the end to end also?
Hi Molly, the only tile not played end to end is the spinner, or the first doubled played. All other doubles are always played end to end.