Dominoes For Windows is now network ready. You can connect to other players in two ways. First, there is The Windswept Game Network. The Windswept Game Network allows you to easily find other Domino players to play with. Once you log on you will see a list of tables waiting for opponents. Just click Join Game and you will be connected with that player. If no players are waiting you can create a new table and wait for someone to join. The second way to play a network game is with a Direct Connection. The direct connection is designed for closed networks in a home or office. All you need to know is the name of the computer your opponent is on, click a few buttons, and in no time at all you're playing.

If you live in the US and you think of Dominoes you're probably thinking of Sniff. Although there are subtle variations of the game around The States the basic rules have remained constant for some time. You and your opponent each start out with 7 or 9 tiles, also called bones. The remainder of the bones are placed in the Bone Pile. You each take turns playing bones on the table, making sure that the two ends that are touching have the same value of each other. The first double sided bone that is played becomes the Sniff. The Sniff is the only bone that can be played on all four sides. When the four exposed ends on the table equal a multiple of five you score those points. If you can't play you draw from the Bone Pile until you can. The player who plays all of their bones first wins that round and the remaining points in their opponent's hand. Games are played to 100, 200, or 500 points and the first person to go over wins the game.

Fives and Threes is popular in pubs all across the UK. Although there are some similarities to Sniff the game is really quite different and takes a different strategy to win. Each player starts with 7 or 9 bones. The remaining bones are set aside and are not used. You each take turns playing bones on the table, making sure that the two ends that are touching have the same value of each other. There is no Sniff bone so only two ends are played. When the two ends equal a multiple of 5 and/or 3 you score the number multiples. In Sniff if the ends equal 15 you would score 15 points. In Fives and Threes when the ends equal 15 you would score 8 points because in 15 there are 3 multiples of 5 (3 points), and 5 multiples of 3 (5 points). There is no Bone Pile to draw from so if you can't play your opponent continues to play until you can. When neither player can play, or if one of the players plays all of her bones, the next deal begins. Games are played to 31, 61, or 121 points. To make things that much more interesting you must "peg out" exactly. That is to say, if you are playing to 121 you must end exactly on 121. It is not the first person to go over 121 but the first person to reach 121.

There are two copies to chose from. They are both the same game but one of the copies is larger than the other. If you know that you have the Visual Basic 6 runtime files already on your machine then you can download the smaller file. If you have know idea what I'm talking about, or you're just not sure, then download the larger file and save yourself some potential headaches.

Asycfilt.dll

Comcat.dll

Mscomctl.ocx

Msvbvm60.dll

Oleaut32.dll

Olepro32.dll

Stdole2.tlb

If you already have the VB6 Runtime files click here to download. (927KB)

If you don't have the VB6 Runtime files, or you're not sure, click here to download. (2,564KB)

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