Two players · dominoes on a grid
How to play Domineering
One player draws dominoes standing up, the other lying down, each covering two empty squares. The first player with no room for a domino loses.
What you need
- A pencil or pen
- Squared paper, or a ruler
- Two players
How to set up
Draw an 8 by 8 grid. One player is Standing, the other Lying. Standing usually starts.
1. Draw a square grid of 8 by 8 squares.
2. One player draws dominoes standing up, the other lying down: one line through two squares.
3. Keep going until someone has no room. That player loses.
How to play
- Standing covers two empty squares, one above the other, with a domino.
- Lying covers two empty squares side by side.
- Squares never hold more than one domino.
How to win
Be the last player able to draw a domino. If you have no room for your kind of domino on your turn, you lose. There are no draws.
Tip Look for places only you can use, and save them for the end.
Variants
- 8 × 8
- The classic board: 64 squares.
- 6 × 6
- A quick game on 36 squares.
Play Domineering in the app
- Play against doodled characters, from beginner to expert.
- Pass and play with a friend on one device.
Every game comes with a step-by-step tutorial and printable sheets.