Domino is a small rectangular block of wood or plastic, with one or both sides marked by dots resembling those on dice. It forms part of a set of 28 such blocks used to play a game in which players try to form a line of dominoes, each domino touching its adjacent neighbors (i.e., a domino with three dots touches a domino with two). The word is also applied to the game itself and its rules.

Domino Effect

It’s a fascinating thing to watch a lineup of hundreds or even thousands of dominoes, all carefully arranged in careful sequence, fall over with the slightest touch. The first domino may have only a single dot on it, but as you move up the chain of dominoes, their combined centers of gravity get progressively larger, until finally the smallest domino is enough to tip over the rest. In the world of business, these are called “domino actions.” They are single, high leverage actions that create dramatic results. Like a tiny domino falling over, they trigger an entire series of follow-up actions that ultimately culminate in success.

Hevesh uses a version of this engineering-design process when she constructs her mind-blowing domino setups. She starts by considering the theme or purpose of the installation, brainstorming images or words that might convey it, then considers how to accomplish the desired effect. She also considers the size of the space where the dominoes will be placed and whether she needs to make the dominoes look large or small.

Once she’s determined the necessary dimensions, she can begin the design. Her dominoes are typically made of a dark hardwood, such as ebony or birch, with contrasting surfaces, such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or inlaid black or white pips. Other materials such as marble, soapstone, agate, and slate are sometimes used to add color or durability to a set.

There are many different games that can be played with dominoes, ranging from scoring to blocking. In scoring games, the value of a domino is its number of exposed dots or pips; this value is referred to as its “rank” or “weight.” Most domino games are played with doubles, which have six pips on both ends.

In many domino games, play stops when one player plays all of his or her dominoes. The winners are the players whose remaining dominoes, when arranged end to end, total the least amount of points. For example, in the popular game of bergen and muggins, players earn points by playing all of their exposed dominoes while blocking their opponents’ play. Other games include matador, chicken foot, and Mexican train. Most dominoes are designed to be easily re-stacked after each use. Some sets have additional features to help them be re-stacked more easily, such as a raised edge or a molded base.