When you say Dominoes to many Americans who grew up in the 1980′s, only one thing comes to mind: Domino Rally, the came in which you set up the dominoes so that when the first one is tipped over, it knocks into the next, and so on, often creating an elaborate pattern.  Although that would be a great game for Real Dice to develop sometime down the road, Real Dice Dominoes actually refers to the more traditional form of dominoes, which may be the most popular board game in the world.  I have seen it played with such fierce competition that the tiles practically flew through the air, glimpses of white glistening through gnarled fingers, like the teeth of a fighter about to be knocked through the air.  When played right, it can become an almost hypnotic dance.  As with most games, the rules are simple.  All you have to do is match the numbers on your dominoes with one that has already been played.  Sounds easy enough…

[Note: Before reading on, you should read my review of Real Dice World Launcher, which will give you an overview of the environment in which this game exists.]

Installation and Registration: There are two ways to download the game. First, if you have subscribed to the full Real Dice Service, then you can download it over the air using the Real Dice Launcher. Additionally, you can download the desktop installer and install it via ActiveSync. If you are not a Real Dice member yet, there is a limited trial which you can use to test out the game.

Dominoes Overview: The game begins with each player being dealt seven dominoes (commonly referred to as Bones).  In most variations of the game, the remaining bones will be placed in a pile called the boneyard.  Both players then examine their bones, looking for the highest double (a domino with the same number of dots on both sides).  The player with the highest double (called a spinner) places it in the center of the playing surface, and the game is afoot.  If neither player has any spinners, then all of the bones are returned to the boneyard where they are shuffled and redrawn.

Players then alternate taking turns by placing a domino on the table next to a matching end.  Each domino has two ends containing a number of dots (either 0-6, or 0-9).  In order to play, you must match one end of your domino with an open end on the table.  The first player to go out wins the match.  The winner earns points equivalent to the value of the dominoes remaining in the opponent’s hand.  The first player to reach the point limit wins the game.

Game Variations: There are several different variations of dominoes, all of which can be accessed in the Real Dice game.  These can be categorized as: type, set type, score, and players.

• Type: There are two types of games: draw and block.  Game type controls what will happen when you have no moves remaining in your hand.  In Draw, if you run out of moves, then you must draw more dominoes from the boneyard.  Continue drawing until you find one that will allow you to make a move.  In Block, if you have no moves, then you do not draw, and your turn will simply end with a pass.
• Set Type: This controls the number of dominoes in the set.  Again, there are two variations: 6×6 and 9×9.  The 6×6 variation includes 28 dominoes with dots ranging from 0×0 (blank on both sides) to 6×6 (sixes on both sides).  The 9×9 variation includes 55 dominoes and goes all the way up to 9×9.
• Scoring: Depending upon the number of players and length of game you are interested in playing, you can set the winning total score to 100, 250, or 500.
• Players: Dominoes can be played with two, three, or four players.

Single Player Game: In the single player game, it is you against the computer.  Mano-a-computer (or a-computer-a-computer depending upon how many people you add to the game.  I thought the game played extremely well and really found it to be one of the best, and most addictive Real Dice games available. 

I do, however, wish the graphics had been enlarged slightly.  What was presented was extremely well drawn, and the animation remained smooth, however, the dominoes themselves were simply too small.  This made it extremely difficult to identify the values of the dominoes, especially on a QVGA screen.  This was particularly true in 9×9, where the dots on each side of the domino seemed to run together.  In order to make this game the best it could possibly be, the dominoes need to be more visible.  This means either increasing their size, or adding a magnify option to view individual dominoes.

Nonetheless, the gameplay itself is superb.   One of the most important aspects of a game like this is the artificial intelligence.  The computer was a difficult opponent, however, unlike many board games, did not seem to always get exactly what it needed for its next turn.  This made the competition more realistic and challenging without become frustratingly hard.  Of course, if you find the competition to be too easy or too hard, just tap options to change the difficulty level.   One final point I noticed, however, was the lack of an indication of the size of the boneyard.  There should have been simply a number or other graphical indication on the boneyard so you could quickly determine how many bones remain to be drawn. 

Internet Game: The Internet game is played exactly like the single player game.  Since there is no betting or gambling in dominoes, your profile earnings will not be affected.  In order to keep with the theme of Real Dice, however, I think there should be an option to set an entry fee for each game so that you can earn (or lose) money from the game.

In order to play, simply enter the game lobby and review the available games. Each game listing will tell you all of the information about the games (type, set type, number of players, and winning score).  Simply select a game and enter to begin playing.

You can also create your own game, in which you will select all of the gameplay options.  Just tap create, set up the game and wait for another player to wander past.

The most important component of the Internet game, of course, is the participation of the community.  I found that Dominoes offered one of the most lively communities of any Real Dice games I have played thus far.  Every time I wandered through the game lobby, I found at least three active and ongoing games.  This significantly enhanced the experience of the game.

Saving: Saving can be critical in Dominoes, as the game can run fairly long.  If you have a two player game to 500, you could spend hours playing match after match without declaring a winner.  So, how do you save?  Simple.  Just quit the game.  The next time you restart, you will be given the option of starting a new game or continuing the existing game.  Just select continue and you are on your way.

Conclusion: Dominoes is probably the most popular board game in the world, and this popularity is easily reflected by the lively online community.  It features quick and smooth gameplay and a host of features which add a sense of realism to the game.  The Internet game sports an active community, so there is always at least one or more games ready for you to join.  I do wish the Domino graphics had been larger in order to make them easier to see on my QVGA screen, but this did not significantly affect my enjoyment of the game.  So, grab your Pocket PC, head on over to the nearest public park and get ready to visit the Boneyard.

Vital Statistics:

Name: Real Dice Dominoes

Platform: WM 2003 SE, WM6

Also Available: WM5, Palm OS, Blackberry, Symbian, PC, Windows Mobile Smartphone,and more… 

Developer: Real Dice

Price: $14.95, or free with a subscription to Real Dice World

Available From: Real Dice

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