Mexican Train Domino

This game is so much fun! This was the game I played on Christmas Day for like 4 hours straight. I know it sounds like a long time, but not when you are having fun.



Below is how to play the game. (Source: Mexican Train)

First turn

The player who has the 12-12 begins the first game by placing it in the center of the table. The second game will be started by the 11-11 and so on downwards to the double blank for the 13th game. If no one has the double required to start, players draw equally from the boneyard until it is found.

Note: Since the process for finding the required double can be tedious, you may prefer to place the required double face up on the table before shuffling. In this case players take turns to start.

Beginning with the player who placed the starting double, and continuing in clockwise order around the table, each player now starts to build a train, which is a single row of dominoes starting from the double in the center and extending towards the player. The ends of adjacent dominoes must match in number and the center facing end of the first domino played must match the centre domino (in the first game, therefore, a 12 is needed). A single train might look like this:

In this first turn only, the player may play as many dominoes as they wish, so long as they form a valid train.

If any player ends the train they form in their first turn with a double, this has no effect on the game until everyone has played their first turn. When the first player takes their second turn, they will have to satisfy the first exposed double, as explained under doubles.

If any player is unable to start their train - having no domino that matches the centre double - they do not draw from the boneyard. They must simply place a marker (penny) in the position where their train would have started. This indicates that, starting with the first player's second turn, any player will be allowed to play a domino in this position, to start the train. Note, however, that no player is allowed to play on another player's train, nor to start the "Mexican train", during their first turn.

Subsequent turns

After everyone has had one turn, in which they started their train if possible, the rules of play change. Now, each player plays just one domino per turn (unless that domino is a double - see below). This domino may normally be played either

1. on the player's own train, or
2. on another player's train, if that train is marked with a penny, to show that its owner was unable to play on it at their last move, or
3. on an extra train, known as the Mexican Train or Caboose, which is always open to all players.

Of course, each domino must be played in such a way that its inward end matches the open end of the domino it touches.

The Mexican Train or Caboose can be started by any player from the second turn onwards, beginning with a single domino which matches the starting double at one end. The nickel is placed on it, to distinguish it from the other trains and show that it is open to all players. The whole layout, with four players' trains and a Mexican train, might look something like this:

I am not going to list the whole game here, but if you happen to pick up a pack of double 12 dominoes, this can be a great game for your next party.


Here are some more websites which list their own variations on the rules.

David Bauguess' Mexican Train Rules are based on the Puremco Mexican Train rules, but rewritten for greater clarity and with some suggested improvements. In this version the first turn is not special - right from the start, only one tile per turn is played. The page also includes a useful section on strategy.

The Domino Plaza also has rules for Mexican Train in which the tiles are played one per turn from the start.

Here is Joe Celko's description of Mexican Train; an earlier version of this appeared as the Game Cabinet Mexican Trains page.

Here is Joe Celko's description of Basic Trains, and an earlier version of his Basic Trains page that appeared on Game Cabinet.