Pass-Pass

A domino game invented by Stéphane Viallet

This game is for four players in two fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other, using a double six set of 28 dominoes.

Mix the dominoes face down and each player takes six dominoes. (Four tiles remain face down in the boneyard.)

Choose randomly which player will begin.

As in the classic game of dominoes, the tiles are played in a line. When playing a tile you must add it to one end of the line so that the touching ends match, having the same number of spots. When a double is played it is placed crosswise across the line and the next tile at that end is played against the side of the double.

Play is clockwise and at your turn you must play a matching tile if you can. If you are unable to play you must draw a tile from the boneyard and play it if it fits. If still unable to play you keep the drawn domino in your hand and it is the next player's turn.

When the boneyard is exhausted, a player who cannot play simply passes and it is the next player's turn.

There are two special rules:

1. If a tile is played which makes sum of the ends of the line 5 or 10, the same player takes another turn. If there is a double at one or both ends of the line, both ends of the double are counted.
   Examples: [6-3][3-1][1-4] - ends 6+4=10 ; [2-2][2-6][6-1] - ends 2+2+1=5, [0-4][4-5] - ends 0+5=5.
2. If a tile is played which makes the two ends of the line equal to each other, or so that they add up to 7, the next opponent is skipped and the player's partner plays next.
   Examples: [5-4][4-2] - ends 5+2=7 ; [4-6][6-3][3-4] - identical ends; [1-4][4-3][3-3] - ends 1+3+3=7; [6-6][6-4][4-2][2-6] - identical ends.

The plays finishes when no one can play (the game is blocked) or one of the players gets rid of all their dominoes.

Scoring: If someone finishes with no dominoes, that player's team wins and scores 0 points, irrespective of what the player's partner still has. The losing team scores the total spot value of their remaining dominoes. If the game is blocked - the boneyard is empty, all four players still have dominoes, and no one has a legal play - each team scores the numbers the tiles that remain in their hands - so in a blocked game each remaining tile scores just 1 point irrespective of its spot value.

The team that has the lower score after 7 deals wins.