Duels

Dominoes online: the classic tile game for two

Seven tiles each, one line on the table. Match the ends, block your friend and be first to play your last tile. Draw or block rules, one hand or a game to 100. Free.

2 players
About 6 min
Watchable live
Free, no sign-up

A line of cream domino tiles snaking across the table, with a double placed crosswise

The tile game the whole world knows

Dominoes is played on porches in Brazil, in cafés in Spain and Turkey, at kitchen tables in the Caribbean and in parks all over Latin America. The idea is simple: every tile has two halves with zero to six dots. You lay your tiles in one line on the table, and the halves that touch must show the same number. Whoever gets rid of all their tiles first wins the hand.

On BeatMe you play the classic double-six set with a friend, with a link. Send the challenge and play live, or take your turn whenever you like: the line waits on the table. Your tiles stay hidden from your friend until the hand is over, and every tile you play is checked on our server.

How to play Dominoes

Pick the rules and send the link

Draw dominoes (take from the boneyard when you’re stuck) or block dominoes (no drawing, just pass). Play one hand, or to 50 or 100 points. Then send the beatme.link link.

Match an end

The highest double opens the first hand. On your turn, put a tile on either end of the line so the touching halves match. Tiles that fit stand up in your hand.

Stuck? Draw or pass

With draw rules you take tiles from the boneyard until one fits. When the boneyard is empty, or in block dominoes, you pass.

Domino!

Play your last tile to win the hand and score the dots left in your friend’s hand. If nobody can move, the hand is blocked and fewer dots wins.

The rules in short

The set: 28 tiles, every pair from blank-blank to six-six. Each player gets seven; the other fourteen lie face down as the boneyard.
Playing: one tile per turn, on either end of the line, with matching halves. Doubles are placed crosswise.
Draw or block: in draw dominoes you draw until a tile fits; in block dominoes you pass straight away.
Scoring: the winner of a hand scores the dots left in the other hand. In a game to 50 or 100 points, the next hand starts right away and its winner leads.

Tips to win at dominoes

Play your heavy tiles early. Doubles and tiles with many dots cost you points if the hand ends while you still hold them.
Keep your numbers alive. If you hold several tiles with a 4, try to leave a 4 open on the line.
Count the dots. Each number appears on seven tiles. When most fives are already on the table, a five at the end can block your friend.
Watch what they draw. If your friend has to draw, they’re missing that number, so play it again.

Fair tiles

The tiles are shuffled on our server, and your friend’s hand and the boneyard never reach your page, not even in the page code. When a hand is over, both hands are shown, so you can see what your friend was hiding.

Dominoes FAQ

Can I play dominoes online with a friend for free?

Yes. Start a game on this page, send the link, and your friend plays in their browser. Free, no app and no account.

What is the difference between draw and block dominoes?

In draw dominoes you take tiles from the boneyard until one fits. In block dominoes there is no drawing: if you can’t play, you pass. Block games are shorter and more tactical.

Who starts?

In the first hand the player with the highest double opens with it automatically, and the other player moves next. In a game to points, the winner of each hand leads the next one with any tile.

What happens when nobody can play?

The hand is blocked. Both players count the dots left in their hands, and the one with fewer wins the hand and scores the other’s dots.

Do we have to play at the same time?

No. Play live, or take your turn whenever you like. The link stays open 48 hours after the last move.