Mexican Train
Build the longest train from the station and empty your hand first.
The domino train game for four, against three computer players. Every round starts from an engine double in the station: the double 12 in the first round, then 11 and on down. On your first turn of a round you build your own train from it, as many tiles as fit in a row; after that you lay one tile a turn, on your own train, on the Mexican train that everyone shares, or on any train that carries a marker. A double must be covered before anything else, and when nothing fits you draw from the boneyard and your train opens to the others. A round ends when someone plays their last tile, and everyone counts the pips left in hand: the lowest total after the last round wins. Easy plays the double-nine set over five rounds; medium plays seven rounds and hard all thirteen, both with the double-twelve set. Every day brings a new match, with the same tiles for everyone.
- Category
- Cards & Board
- Modes
- Easy · Medium · Hard · Daily
- Controls
- Mouse · Touch
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How to play
Tap a raised tile in your hand. If it can go in only one place it goes there; otherwise the trains that take it light up and you tap one. On your first turn of each round you build your own train from the engine: lay as many tiles as you like, each matching the open end, then tap Done. After that you play one tile a turn: on your own train, on the Mexican train (any tile that matches the engine starts it), or on another player's train while a locomotive marker stands on it. Lay a double and you play again, and the next tile must cover it. With nothing to play, tap Draw: if the new tile fits you must play it, otherwise your train gets a marker and stays open to everyone until you play on it again. A round ends when someone plays their last tile, or when nobody can play. Everyone adds the pips left in hand to their total, and a blank counts zero. The lowest total after the last round wins; your score is your total, so lower is better.
What is Mexican Train?
Mexican Train is the domino game of trains: every player runs a line of tiles out of a central station, and a shared train, the Mexican train, belongs to everyone. Here you play it for four, against three computer players, by the rules pagat.com gives for the game, with a double-twelve set of 91 tiles.
Each round starts from an engine double in the station: the double 12 in the first round, then the double 11, and on down. Empty your hand before the others and you add nothing to your total; whatever pips you are left holding count against you. After the last round the lowest total wins the match.
How to play
Each player is dealt 15 tiles (9 from the double-nine set on easy); the rest wait in the boneyard.
- Your first turn. Build your own train from the engine: lay as many tiles as you like, each matching the open end of the one before, then tap Done. If nothing matches the engine, you pass and your train gets a marker.
- Every turn after that. Lay one tile: on your own train, on the Mexican train (any tile that matches the engine starts it), or on another player's train while a little locomotive marker stands on it.
- Doubles. Lay a double and you play again, and the next tile anywhere must cover that double. If you cannot cover it, you draw once; if that fails too, your train gets a marker and the next player must cover it.
- Drawing and markers. With nothing to play, draw one tile. If it fits you must play it; if not, your train gets a marker and stays open to everyone until you play on it again.
- End of a round. A round ends when someone plays their last tile, or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty. Everyone adds the pips left in hand to their total, a blank counting zero. Your score is your total after the last round, so lower is better.
Easy plays five rounds with the double-nine set, medium seven rounds and hard all thirteen, both with the double-twelve set.
Strategy tips
- Plan your first train. Look for the longest chain you can lay from the engine before you tap the first tile. Fifteen tiles often make a train of ten or more.
- Keep your train for yourself. Tiles that belong to your chain can always go on your own train later, while it is closed to others. Spend the other tiles on the Mexican train and on open trains first.
- Close your train again. Once a marker opens your train, the others can spoil it. Playing on it yourself takes the marker off.
- Lay a double only when you can cover it. A double you can follow sheds two tiles in one turn; one you cannot follow costs you a draw and a marker.
- Shed heavy tiles when someone is close. When a player is down to one or two tiles, the round may end any moment: get rid of your twelves and elevens first.
FAQ
Is Mexican Train free to play?
Yes. Like every game on Play, it runs free in your browser, with no download and no account needed.
How long is a match?
A round takes a minute or two. Easy's five short rounds take a few minutes, medium's seven about ten, and hard's thirteen about twenty. A match in progress is kept on your device, so you can close the page and carry on later.
Why must a double be covered first?
That is the rule of the game: after a double, the next tile laid anywhere has to go on it. It keeps doubles from being an easy way to dump tiles and forces everyone to play around them.
What is the daily match?
Every day everyone plays the same match, with the same tiles dealt in every round, against the medium computers, so scores compare directly on the leaderboard.
How is my score counted?
Your score is the total of the pips you were left holding at the end of each round. A round where you go out adds nothing. Lower is better.
