History of games – Dominoes
Dominoes is an ancient tile-matching game that almost certainly began in China during the Song dynasty, around the 12th century, before spreading west through Italy in the 1700s and on across the rest of Europe. The little black-and-white tiles you tip out onto the kitchen table today are the descendants of a game that has kept families company for the best part of a thousand years. Below you will find where it came from, how it travelled, what the pieces were once carved from, and why it still earns its place in the toy cupboard.
This is part of our series on the games families have loved for generations. If you enjoy this, you might also like the stories behind tiddlywinks and solitaire, two more Victorian favourites. And if you would rather learn the rules first, our guide on how to play dominoes walks you through scoring and strategy step by step.
A game that crosses the generations
Almost anyone can play dominoes, whatever their age. It is one of the few games where a five-year-old and a grandparent can sit at the same table and play on genuinely fair terms. The rules are simple enough to pick up in a single round, yet the game leaves plenty of room for cunning once everyone knows what they are doing. If you are after games that work across the ages, you might also like our piece on garden games for grandparents and grandchildren.
That mix of simplicity and depth is exactly why dominoes has lasted. It needs no batteries, no screen and no instructions longer than a postcard. For families looking to spend an evening away from devices, it sits comfortably alongside our other screen-free favourites and our round-up of screen-free gifts.
Where dominoes came from
The trail leads back to China. The Oxford English Dictionary and most game historians trace the tiles to the Song dynasty, with written references appearing around the 12th century. Chinese dominoes were designed to represent every possible throw of two dice, which is why a traditional Chinese set runs to 32 tiles rather than the 28 in a Western double-six set. You can read a fuller account of the game's roots in the overview of dominoes on Wikipedia and the word's own history in the Merriam-Webster entry for domino.
The word itself has a charming history. "Domino" once meant a hooded winter cloak worn by priests, black on the outside and white within, and that black-and-white contrast is widely thought to have lent its name to the tiles. The tradition of recording games and pastimes is a long one in Britain, and collections held at institutions such as the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum show just how far back our affection for simple table games reaches.
Early tiles were made from bone, wood or ivory, the materials most readily to hand. The bone-and-ebony pieces gave the game its enduring nickname: dominoes are still affectionately called "bones". By the 1700s the game had taken hold in Italy, where it became a fixture in family homes and coffee houses, before travelling north into France, Britain and beyond. By the Victorian era it was a settled part of the British parlour, sitting alongside the other table games we still play today.
The journey of dominoes, in brief
Quietly good for little ones
There is a reason teachers reach for dominoes in the early years. The whole game turns on matching numbers, which means children are counting, comparing and adding without ever feeling that they are doing sums. That kind of playful, hands-on number work is exactly what early-years specialists encourage; the principles set out by Early Education and the government's Early Years Foundation Stage framework place real value on learning through play. The National Association for the Education of Young Children makes much the same case: children learn best when the learning is wrapped inside something they want to do anyway.
Along the way, children practise counting, matching, sorting and simple addition, and they learn to think a move or two ahead. Picking up and placing the tiles is good for small hands too, building the fine-motor control that later helps with holding a pencil. A picture set such as our animal dominoes works beautifully for the very youngest, who can match pictures before they are ready for pips. If you like games that teach without trying too hard, our round-ups of educational gifts and educational toys for five-year-olds are good places to browse.
Dominoes as spectacle
Somewhere along the way, people stopped playing dominoes and started toppling them. The domino rally, where tiles are stood on end and knocked down in a cascade, has become a hobby in its own right, and successive attempts at the largest single-push chain have drawn enormous crowds and television cameras. It is a fine way to show children cause and effect, patience and the satisfaction of a plan coming together, even if the building takes considerably longer than the falling. If your household enjoys that sort of hands-on, no-screen play, our guide to games for ten-year-olds has more in the same spirit.
Choosing a set that lasts
A good set of dominoes is the kind of thing that gets handed down. Solid wood tiles have a weight and a click that plastic never quite manages, and they wear in handsomely over the years. If you are weighing up your options, our guide to the best dominoes sets talks through what to look for, and you can browse the full range in our board games collection. If durability matters to you generally, our piece on how to choose toys that actually get played with is worth a read.
As the world's oldest games company, founded in 1795, we have spent a long time thinking about the games families keep coming back to. Dominoes belongs firmly in that company, alongside the likes of shut the box, a proper set of card games, and the game we are best known for inventing, the Happy Families card game. Our heritage runs through the Staunton chess set of 1849 too, if you fancy a longer read.
Three things you might not know about dominoes
The tiles are nicknamed "bones", after the bone many older sets were carved from.
A Western double-six set has 28 tiles; a traditional Chinese set has 32, because it represents the throws of two dice.
The familiar American pizza chain took its name and its three-spot logo from the game, not the other way around.
Frequently asked questions
Where did dominoes originate?
The game almost certainly began in China during the Song dynasty, with written records appearing around the 12th century. It later spread through Italy in the 1700s and on across Europe.
Why are dominoes called "bones"?
Many older sets were carved from bone, often paired with ebony, and the nickname stuck. You may also hear them called tiles, stones or cards depending on where you are.
How many tiles are in a standard set?
A Western double-six set has 28 tiles. Larger sets exist too: a double-twelve set runs to 91 tiles for games with more players.
Why does a Chinese set have 32 tiles?
Chinese dominoes were designed to show every possible result of throwing two dice, which produces more combinations than the Western double-six arrangement.
How many players can play dominoes?
Two to four is the usual range, though many variations work well with more. It is one of the easier games to scale up for a family gathering.
What does the word "domino" mean?
It once referred to a hooded cloak worn by priests, black outside and white within. That black-and-white contrast is widely thought to have given the tiles their name.
Is dominoes good for children?
Yes. It quietly builds counting, matching and early addition, along with patience and forward planning, all through play rather than worksheets.
What age can children start playing?
Picture dominoes suit children from around three, who match images before pips. Most children manage a standard numbered set comfortably by five or six.
What were dominoes originally made from?
Bone, wood and ivory were the traditional materials. Today solid wood sets are prized for their weight and durability, while inexpensive sets are often plastic.
Did Jaques of London invent dominoes?
No. Dominoes is far older than any company. Jaques of London, founded in 1795, is best known for creating the Staunton chess set in 1849 and for bringing croquet, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, table tennis and
