Double-Six Dominoes FAQ

Help File

Scroll down or use the following quick links:

• How do I exit the game?
• How do I get help while running the game?
• How do I make the game more difficult?
• Does the game keep track of how many times I win or lose?
• OK, so how can I reset those counters?
• How do I make the games last longer?
• How do change the rules of the game?
• How do I change the look of the game?
• Where is the Bone Yard?
• How do I score points?
• How can I tell if I am winning?
• What if I can't play?  Can I 'pass' if I don't want to play?
• What happens if a dominoe goes off the screen?
• Does the computer cheat?

There are several ways to exit the game when the boss walks into your office.  You can press Alt-F4, click on the X in the upper right corner of the window, or you can select "Exit" from any of the game's dialog boxes.

You can access the help screen by clicking the "How to play" link on the New Game screen.  The rules screen looks like this.

When first installed the game starts in Easy Mode.  You may change the difficulty level on the New Game screen.

Due to the random nature of Dominoes, sometimes the Easiest mode may make good plays. But, over the long run, the higher skilled computer opponents will play better than the unskilled players. Version 3.0 includes 4 different opponents each playing at a different skill level.

You can play against me at the highest level or one of my kids at the lower levels. The face images were made with a Face Creator software from Hoyle.

It sure does!  You can view your stats on the New Game screen.

When you select a computer opponent, your win/loss record against that level will be displayed. Under the heading "Computer" the number of games the computer has won will be displayed. Under "Human", the number of games you've won will be displayed.

Scores are kept separately for each skill level.

No problem.  You simply press the "Reset" button located just below the scores. You will be prompted to be sure you didn't press the button by mistake. Once you click the Yes button, both the scores displayed will be set to 0.

You may change the length of games by selecting the game length on the New Game screen.

Game length can be set to 150, 250, or 500 points. The computer opponents do better with longer games.  Your settings will be remembered the next time you run Double-Six Dominoes.

You may change the rules of the game by selecting the Game Type drop down list boxes.

The first one allows you to play with multiple spinners or only a single spinner. Multiple spinners allows for a faster, higher scoring game. Where the single spinner option allows for "hate" play.

The second one allows you to select how each round will start, either by highest double or by the players continuing to take turns.

You may change the look of the dominoes on the New Game screen.  This game ships with 3 different dominoe sets, Black with color dots, Gray with white dots, and White with black dots.

In the middle of the New Game screen, select the desired dominoe set then press the Let's Play button to save your changes.

You may choose your background image. Version 3.0 comes with 9 different images to chose from including green felt and some holiday themed images.

Your settings will be remembered the next time you run Double-Six Dominoes.

To begin play, the dominoes are shuffled face down and each player takes nine dominoes.  The remaining dominoes are placed in the "Bone Yard."  The number of dominoes remaining in the Bone Yard can be seen in the lower right corner of the screen on the Draw button.

During a player's turn that player may draw a dominoe from the Bone Yard by pressing the Draw Button.  If the Bone Yard is empty and you do not have a legal play you must 'pass'.  Pass by pressing the Draw button when the Bone Yard is empty.  Please see the Rules page for more on this.

Even though you are free to draw as many dominoes as you wish, remember that if your opponent "goes out" (runs out of dominoes) your opponent will score 5 points for each dominoe left in your hand!

Points are scored when a player causes all exposed ends of the board to total a multiple of five.  For example, if a player starts with the double six and the opponent plays the six-three, the total of all ends of the board equal 15 and 15 points are scored.  Please see the Rules page for more on this.

The computer's score is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. The human (that's you) player's score is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen.

The scores are generally black in color.  When the score exceeds the Ending Score (set on the New Game screen) it turns Red to indicate to you that the game will end at the conclusion of the current round.

If you can play you must play.  The only exception to this is if you want to draw a dominoe from the Bone Yard.  The only way you can 'pass' without playing is if the Bone Yard is empty.  In this case, to pass simply press the "Draw" button.  If you can play, the system will remind you and not let you pass.

If you can not see the entire "snake" of dominoes you may use the four arrow buttons located at the lower right corner of the playfield.  Or, you may press your keyboard's arrow buttons.

In a word: NO.  The program never looks into your hand when deciding what dominoe it wants to play.  The only time the computer looks into your hand is at the start of each round when determining who has the largest double.  It also looks when you press the Draw button to determine if you can "pass".  In neither of these cases is that information used in the strategy section of the program.