dominoes, game played with a set of rectangular pieces (usually 28 in number) called dominoes. Each piece (made of wood, bone, ivory, plastic, or other material) has one blank face and one face marked with pips, or dots. The marked faces are divided into halves, each half containing (in a 28-piece set) from 0 to 6 pips in every possible combination—0-0, 1-1, 1-0, and so on. The most common version of dominoes is the draw game wherein two to four players pick a specified number of face-down dominoes. The object of the game is to match the number on one domino half to that of the half already played on the table. The first to dispose of all his or her dominoes wins. The game has been traced as far back as 18th cent. Italy where it enjoyed great popularity among the idle courtiers of Venice.

Game of several variations played with a set of flat rectangular blocks (dominoes) whose faces are divided into two equal parts that are blank or bear from one to six dots arranged as on dice faces. The usual set consists of 28 pieces. Dominoes in China may date to the 12th century AD; the Eskimos have also long played a domino-like game. There is no record of dominoes in Europe before the mid-18th century. The principle in nearly all modern dominoes games is to match one end of a piece to another that is identically or reciprocally numbered. The game may be set at 50 or 100 points.

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