Bendomino
Bendomino Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 28 Bendominoes
Object of the Game
Be the first to reach 100 points.
Preparation of the Game
Bendominoes are played in rounds. At the beginning of each round, place the 28 Bendominoes face down and mix them.
- 2 players: each player takes 7 Bendominoes.
- 3 players: each player takes 6 Bendominoes.
- 4 players: each player takes 5 Bendominoes.
Stand the Bendominoes on their edges facing you so that other players cannot see the dots.
The remaining pieces represent the stock.
Playing the Game
The player with the highest Bendomino double starts the game by placing the piece on the center of the table.
If no double was drawn, the highest Bendomino number should be played. (Example: 6/5)
Taking turns in a clockwise direction, each player tries to match a Bendomino by number to either end of the Bendomino chain. To be accepted, the new piece needs to match but also has to fit!
Example – Open game position: The new Bendomino only needs to have a matching number, since it can be played two ways (to the right or left).
Example – Closed game position: The new Bendomino needs to have a matching number and needs to turn in the proper direction. In this example, only a Bendomino turning to the right can be played.
Connecting Pieces
Each Bendomino must be connected evenly with other pieces to ensure accuracy of the game.
Draw
If players do not have a Bendomino that can be played, they must draw one piece from the stock. If the piece they draw can be played, they can immediately play it.
Note on Play
Players can decide to draw a Bendomino and pass their turn even if they have playable pieces.
Blocked Positions
Either end of the Bendomino game can be blocked when:
- A. No matching numbers are available.
- B. No matching pieces can fit.
- C. One end of the game is trapped in a dead end.
- D. Both ends connect (rare).
Note on Blocked Positions
If both ends of the Bendomino chain are blocked, each player draws a Bendomino until the stock is empty.
End of a Round
A round ends when:
- A player has no Bendominoes left to play.
- The stock is empty and players cannot play any pieces.
Winning a Round
You win a round when:
- You play all your pieces.
- No pieces can be played by any player and you have the lowest point total.
(The point total is the total number of dots on your remaining Bendominoes.)
Scoring
The winner of a round scores the dot points from all opponents' remaining Bendominoes.
Winning the Game
The first player to score 100 points wins the game.
Variations
Wild Draw
For a more aggressive game, when players do not have a playable piece they must continue to draw until they get a playable piece or until the stock is empty. (All other basic rules apply.)
No Draw
When players do not have a matching piece, they pass their turn instead of drawing. (All other basic rules apply.)
No Draw – 2 Teams of 2 Players
In this version, each player draws 7 pieces at the start of the game, so there is no stock. Players take turns and only use their individual pieces.
A team wins a round when one team member is declared the winner (see basic rules).
The winning team scores the dot points from the remaining Bendominoes of the losing team.
All Five
The object of All Five is to make all 4 ends of the Bendomino chain add up to multiples of five.
Preparation of the game: Each player draws a number of pieces according to the basic rules. Two pieces are randomly selected from the stock and placed on the table back-to-back.
Playing the game: The player with the highest double begins. Taking turns in a clockwise direction, players add a matching piece that numerically fits to one of the four ends. If the new total of the four ends is a multiple of 5, that player scores the total of the four ends. In the example below the player would score 10 points (3+5+2+0).
Drawing: Same as basic rules.
End of a round: Same as basic rules.
Winning the round: The player with the highest score wins the round.
Scoring: The winner adds to his/her score the total dots on the other players' remaining Bendominoes. All other players retain the score they earned during each round.
Winning the game: The first player to reach 200 points wins the game.