Chickenfoot Dominoes

How to Play Chickenfoot

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Chickenfoot (also known as Chickie Dominoes) is a variation of the classic game of Dominoes that is played with larger sets and number of people. The objective of the game is to be the first player to play all of their dominoes.

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Setup

The first round starts with the highest double in the set (ie double-12 set would be the double-12 domino). This tile is placed in the centerpiece. Then, the rest of the dominoes are shuffled face down and each player draws a specific number of dominoes, depending on the number of players (see 'Variations'). Any remaining dominoes are left as a draw pile in the 'boneyard' or in this case the "chicken yard."

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Start

Determine the first player. You could choose the oldest player, or the youngest, or it could be perfectly random.

 

Going clockwise, the next player must play a domino from their hand off the starting double centerpiece. This domino must have a matching end to the starting double. If they do not have one, they draw a domino from the chicken yard and play that if possible. If not, the player says “pass” and the turn moves to the next player. The following player repeats the process of trying to play off the starting double and this continues until all sides of the centerpiece are filled. The amount of centerpiece sides can vary (see 'Variations') but should be determined on the start of each round.

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After all the sides are played off the starting double, plays can continue to any exposed end domino as long as the ends match. If a player is unable to add a domino, then the player must draw a domino from the chicken yard and play that domino immediately if they are able to. Otherwise, they must say "pass" and it is the next player's turn. If there are no dominoes remaining to draw from, then the player says "pass".

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Doubles / Chickenfoots

If a player plays a double, the double must be placed perpendicular to the domino played off of. This is known as the "Chicken Foot" and should be yelled aloud. Then, players must play on this domino until the chain is closed or 'satisfied'. The chain includes three toes (to look like a Chicken Foot!). The Chicken Foot must be satisfied in order to continue the round. If a player cannot complete a toe on the Chicken Foot, they must draw a tile and the next person must then complete the toe.

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Round Scoring

The round ends when a player plays their last domino or when no player can make a legal play. Players then record the scores by counting the number of dots or 'pips' left in their hand from the round. The player that played all of their tiles would get zero for their score. In this game, the double-0 tile is worth 50 points if left in your hand. 

 

Note: A round cannot end in a double. If it does, the player who played a double as their last move gets 50 points. 

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Game Ending

The subsequent rounds of play begin with the next highest double (ie for the double-12 set, the next would be the double-11, then the double-10) all the way to double 0. A double-twelve set would have a total of 13 rounds. The starting player will rotate clockwise as well each round.

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When all rounds have been played, the player with the least amount of total points is the winner!