Mexican Train Dominoes Game: Rules for How to Play

Setup

Place the train station hub in the middle of the table.
Each player chooses a mini train. You can choose any color except for the black train as that train is used for the Mexican Train. Place your mini train on the train station on the track that is pointing in your direction.
Place all of the dominoes face down on the table and mix them up. All of the face down dominoes are referred to as the “train yard.”
Each player chooses a number of dominoes depending on the number of players. Players place their chosen dominoes face up in front of themselves. These dominoes become each player’s “box cars.”

Number of Players	Number of Dominoes
2-4	15
5-6	11
7-8	8

After all of the players have chosen their dominoes, everyone looks for their highest double domino (both sides of the domino have the same number of dots). Whichever player has the highest double domino starts the game. They will place the highest double in the train station hub. They will also get to take the first turn in the game.

Setup for Mexican Train Dominoes — One of the players had a double twelve domino. Since this was the highest double that any player drew, it is placed in the train station.

How to Play Mexican Train Dominoes Game

On each of your turns, you will try to play one domino.

If you haven’t started your own train yet, look at your box cars and try to find one that has a side that matches the number of dots on each side of the domino on the train station hub. If you have a matching domino, you have to play it. You should place it next to the train station so it points towards you. You have started your train.

Place first domino to start train — The green player had a domino that had twelve dots on one of the ends. They will place it on their section of the train station with the twelve side pointed towards the station. They have started their train.

After you have started your train, on each future turn you want to try and place another domino next to the last domino you played to your train. A domino can only be played if at least one of the ends match the open end of the last played domino.

Adding a domino to your own train — The green player had a box car that had a five on one side. This matches the previous tile in their train, so they place the five end next to the previous domino.

If you are unable to play a domino to your train, take your mini train and place it on the last domino in your train. When a mini train is on the last domino in your train, it means any other player can play a domino to your train. If on a future turn you are able to add a new domino to your train, you remove your mini train from your train and place it on the train station. This blocks other players from playing dominoes to your train.

Placing a mini train on a domino — The yellow player was unable to add a domino to their train. They place their mini train on the last domino in their train. All of the players can now play dominoes to this train.

Instead of playing a domino to your own train, you can play dominoes to other players’ trains or the Mexican Train. You can add a domino to any train which has a mini train on one of the dominoes. You cannot play a domino to a train that doesn’t have a mini train on it.

Adding a domino to another player's train — Another player had a domino that could be played to the yellow player’s train. Since the yellow player didn’t add a domino to their train on their last turn, the other player is able to add their domino to the end of the train.

Unless you play a double domino, you can only play one domino on your turn. Play then passes to the player on your left.

Drawing a Domino

If you are unable to play a box car, you will draw one of the dominoes from the train yard. Look at the domino you have drawn. If you can play it, you have to play it. If you can’t play the domino, you place it face up in front of you.

Whether you play the domino or place it in front of you, your turn ends.

Mexican Train

Should you ever have a box car that has one end that matches the domino in the train station, you can choose to create the Mexican Train. Only one Mexican Train can be created each game/round. Place the domino next to the train station and point it in a direction away from the other players. Then place the black mini-train on the domino you just played.

Once the Mexican Train has been created, any of the players can add a domino to it on their turn. Whenever you play a domino to the Mexican Train, you can press the button on the train station that plays the train sound.

Adding a domino to the Mexican Train — A player had a domino that had a three on one of the ends. They decide to play the domino to the Mexican Train.

Doubles

Some of the dominoes have the same number of dots on both ends. These are doubles. You can play a double like any other domino. When you play a double though, you should turn it the other direction than the rest of the dominoes in the train.

Playing a Double domino in Mexican Train Dominoes — This player had a double eleven domino. They add it to the end of their train since it matches the number of the last played domino.

After you play a double, you have to try and complete the double. If you have another domino that has one end that matches the number of the double, you will place it next to the double. This second domino should be placed in the same direction as all of the dominoes that aren’t doubles.

Completing a double — The player had another box car that had eleven dots on it. They place it after the double to complete the double.

If you cannot complete the double, you have to draw a domino. Should you be able to play this new domino on the double, you can play it right away.

If you are unable to play the domino that you just drew, you will move your mini train to the end of your train. Play then passes to the player on your left. This next player has to try and complete the double. If they are unable to, they draw a domino and try to play it. If they can’t, the next player has to try and complete the double. Every player that is unable to play on the double has to place their mini train on their train. This continues until someone is able to complete the double.

After the double is completed, regular play is resumed. The player to the left of the player that completed the double gets to take the next turn.

Last Domino

When you only have one domino left, you need to notify the other players by either tapping the domino on the table or tapping their mini train.

If a player forgets to notify the other players and another player catches them, the player that failed to notify the other players has to draw two new dominoes.

Winning the Game

Mexican Train Dominoes Game ends when a player plays their last domino. The game can also end if no one is able to play a domino, and there are no dominoes left to draw.

If a player is able to play all of their dominoes, they win the game.

Should no one be able to play all of their dominoes, each player counts up the number of dots on their remaining dominoes. Each dot is worth one point. Each blank side of a domino is worth 25 points. A double blank domino is worth 50 points. Whichever player scores the least points wins the game.

Scoring remaining dominoes since no one could play all of their dominoes. — None of the players were able to play all of their dominoes. The players will score their remaining dominoes to determine the winner. The players score the following points: blue – 5, yellow – 17, orange – 43, green – 44, and red – 85. Blue scored the least points, so they win the game.

The winner of the game gets to press the button on the train station to play the train noise.

Playing Rounds

Instead of just playing one round, you can choose to play a number of rounds. For the first round you should place the double twelve domino in the train station. For the second round you place the double eleven in the train station, and so on. In the thirteenth round you will place the double blank domino in the train station.

Each round ends when either someone plays their last domino, or no more dominoes can be played. Each player writes down their score for each round. Your score is equal to the number of dots on your remaining dominoes. Blank sides are worth 25 points, and double blank dominoes are worth 50 points.

After the thirteenth round, the players total their scores. The player that scores the least total points, wins the game.

Faster Game

To make Mexican Train Dominoes Game play faster, you can choose to implement a variant rule. Instead of only being able to play one domino to start their train, players can lay down as many dominoes as they can (as long as the numbers match) to start their train. After their train has been started, each player can only play one domino each turn.

Components

Train Station
9 Mini Trains
91 Dominoes
Instructions

Year: 1994 | Publisher: Cardinal, Fundex, Goliath, Pavillion, Pressman, Spin Master, Tactic | Designer: Katie Parsons, Roy Parsons

Genres: Abstract, Family, Tile Placement

Ages: 10+ | Number of Players: 1-8 | Length of Game: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: High

For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.

Written By:

Eric Mortensen

Eric Mortensen is an owner and head writer on Geeky Hobbies since 2014. He is an avid board game player and collector with over 3,000 board and card games in his collection. Since 2014 he has written more than 1,100 board game how to play guides.