Freeze Out / War

This is a children's game and has virtually no skill component. It is based on the children's card game War.

Equipment

The game uses a double six domino set. It can be played by two or more players.

The Deal

The tiles are evenly distributed among the players and any tiles remaining are retired from the game. Each player arranges his tiles face down side by side in a line.

The Play

One player starts the game by turning over the tile on the right hand side of his line. He then calls out the two suits (single suit, in the case of a double) of that tile. The other players in turn then turn over a tile from the right side of their own line.

The trick, consisting of all the face tiles, is won by the player who discards the last tile in one of the two suits of the lead tile. For example, assume that this is a round of play:

[3-4] first player leads in the 3 and 4 suits
[3-5] second player now has the trick with his 3
[1-1] third player's tile has no effect
[0-4] fourth player takes the trick with his 4

The winner of the trick adds the captured tiles to the left hand side of his line, face down. Play continues until one player has all the tiles and is the winner. Players who lose all their tiles are out of the game. The next round is lead by the pleyr who captured the trick.

Scoring

The first player to capture all of the tiles is the winner.

Comments & Strategy

A player with a long line early in the game is very hard to overcome. The game is very mechanical.

When you capture a trick, you can arrange the tiles in your line to cluster the same suit together, which will give you an advantage when you have the lead.

One variant of the game allows the lead player to call out one suit and the trick is taken by the highest tile in that suit.