Dominoes is a computerised version of the popular game for one player. It features two Games and six skill levels. The skill levels equal the Artificial Intelligence level of your computerised adversary.

When either game starts, your dominoes are displayed face up along the bottom edge of the screen. The pile is displayed across the top of the screen.

The computer begins by selecting the player with the highest double. The piece is then automatically played. (This is the only part of the program that sees your hand!) The domino will be laid in the centre of the screen.

When it is your turn to play a domino, the perimeter of your leftmost piece will flash (If you do not hold any dominoes, a cursor will flash instead!) Move the flashing border to the domino you wish to lay and use the appropriate key to place it on the left or right.

If you make an illegal move, the computer will grunt and the border will continue to flash.

If you cannot lay a domino you may pass to your opponent. However, if you actually can make any legal move then you will not be allowed to pass.

In Game A, you will pick up another domino from the pile when you pass to your opponent.

In Game B, you will only pick up another domino from the pile on a single occasion.

If you cannot lay a piece, or pick up, and the computer is also unable to lay a piece, or pick up, passing for a second time will end the game.

At the end of a game, one of three sounds will be heard.

1. A rising tone means you have won the match.
2. A falling tone means the computer has won the match.
3. A bubbling tone means a draw.

Press Spacebar to return to the scoreboard.

The idea of this game is to leave your opponent with the most points (i.e. the value of all of his domino points added together).

Neither player can go out until either:

1. both players cannot move, or
2. the whole of the pile has been picked up.

If a player cannot move then he must pick up until he can do so. If all the pieces have been picked up then the move is passed to the other player.

At the end of the game, the hand with the least number of points is subtracted from the hand with the higher and the result added to the score of the player with the lowest number of points.

The match is won by the first player to be 100 points ahead.

The idea of this game is the same as Game A but with the exception that only one domino may be picked up per move.

If the piece can be laid then it must be. If not the move is automatically passed to the opponent.

This is more prone to luck than Game A but generally lasts for more matches.

1. At Level 1, the computer relies on luck.
2. At Level 2, the computer attempts to assess your hand as the game develops.
3. At Level 3, the computer begins to look for ways to force you to pick up from the pile.
4. At Level 4, the computer assesses how well you are playing and bases its guesses at your hard on your moves and retrospective performance. However, random play at this level will result in the computer performing as it did at the lower levels.

The computer can be thought of as rising to the occasion!

The endgame is when all the pieces have been picked up. The levels higher than level 4 may involve the computer 'thinking' for long periods of time as it begins calculating exactly what dominoes you are likely to have in your hand.

We recommend level 4 as the level which gives the most reasonable play against another human (and without too much thumb-twiddling!).

Finally, dominoes is essentially a game of luck - and the advantage of the higher levels may only emerge over the whole match.

Good luck!

Arrow Left - Move left, Arrow Right - Move right
L - Lay domino left, R - Lay domino right
P - Pass move (& Pick up domino in Game A)

Answer the "Game A or B" prompt with the appropriate key.

Select your level of play by typing 1 to 6.

CLOAD (ENTER)
RUN (ENTER)

On some versions of the game, after a few moments, the Dragon will respond 'OK'. If so, type:

RUN (ENTER)

a second time to start.