The goal of Mexican Train Dominoes is to be the first player to play all your dominoes or score the fewest points when the game ends.
What You Need to Play:
A set of double-six dominoes (28 tiles)
Our Mexican Train Hub (a special centerpiece)
Players: 2 to 8 players
Setup is easy as you simply place the Mexican Train Hub in the center of the playing area.
The shuffle the dominoes face down on the table and have each player draw a specific number of dominoes depending on the number of players:
> 2 to 4 players: 15 dominoes each
> 5 to 6 players: 12 dominoes each
> 7 to 8 players: 10 dominoes each
The remaining dominoes form the draw pile, also placed face down.
Each player arranges their drawn dominoes in front of them so that other players can’t see them.
To play the game, the player with the double-12 domino (12-12) goes first. If no one has it, the player with the next highest double (11-11, 10-10, and so on) goes first.
Players take turns clockwise, and on your turn, you must play one domino onto an open end of the Mexican Train Hub or onto your own personal train (if it’s your first move). If you can’t play a domino, you must draw one from the draw pile. If it’s playable, you can play it immediately; otherwise, it’s the next player’s turn.
If you have a domino with the same number of pips as the open end of the Mexican Train Hub, you can play it and say “choo-choo” to indicate that the Mexican Train is now open for other players to add to it.
If a player can’t play a domino on their turn and the draw pile is empty, they must pass their turn.
Whenever you play a double (a domino with the same number of pips on both ends), you can immediately play another domino on it, creating a personal “spur” or train.
If a player’s personal train is blocked (i.e., they can’t play on it), they must start a new personal train with any domino they can legally play.
Special Rules:
If a player plays a double-12 (12-12) as their opening move, the Mexican Train is considered to be closed until someone else can play on it.
The game continues until one player runs out of dominoes or no one can make a legal move. In the latter case, each player adds up the pips on their remaining dominoes, and the player with the fewest points wins the round.
You can choose to play multiple rounds, and the player with the lowest total score after all rounds wins the game.
To win, the player who first runs out of dominoes or has the lowest total score after all rounds is declared the winner.
Tips:
Pay attention to the dominoes played by other players to plan your moves.
Be strategic in blocking opponents’ trains and maximizing your own opportunities.
Enjoy the social aspect of the game, as Mexican Train Dominoes is often played with friends and family.