Play Mexican Train Dominoes Online Free with Friends
Mexican Train is the domino game everybody at the table is playing at once: a double-nine set, one engine in the middle, and a train each running off it. Stall and your train stands open for the rest of the table to build on. Free, real-time multiplayer in your browser — no download and no account.
2–4 players · ~25 min · free forever · Premium Games
How to play Mexican Train
- Everyone gets 10 dominoes from a double-nine set. The engine — the double 9 — goes in the middle, and every train runs off it.
- On your turn lay ONE tile, matching the number showing at the far end of the train you lay it on. Your first tile has to start your own train off the engine.
- You may play on your OWN train, on the communal Mexican Train, and on anybody else’s train that is standing OPEN.
- Nothing to play? Draw one from the boneyard. If it fits you play it; if it does not, your train stands OPEN and the whole table may build on it — until your next turn, when playing on it closes it again.
- DOUBLES stop everything. Lay one and it must be covered before any other play — by you if you can, and if you cannot, by whoever comes next, whosever train it is sitting on.
- The round ends when somebody lays their last tile, or when the boneyard is empty and the table goes all the way round with nobody able to play.
- Then count the pips left in your hand and add them to your score. Three rounds — engine 9, then 8, then 7 — and the LOWEST total wins.
Mexican Train FAQ
- What is the Mexican Train?
- The communal train in the middle. Anybody may start it and anybody may play on it, so it is where a tile goes when your own train cannot take it.
- What happens if I cannot play?
- You draw one tile from the boneyard. If it fits, you play it. If it does not, your train stands OPEN and the rest of the table may build on it until you play on it again.
- Why does everything stop for a double?
- A double has to be covered before play moves on. You cover your own if you can; if you cannot, the next player has to, wherever it is sitting.
- How long is a game?
- Three rounds, about 25 minutes. The engine drops from the double nine to the double eight to the double seven.
- How do you win?
- Lowest score. At the end of each round the pips left in your hand are added to your total, so going out first is worth nothing at all and everyone else pays.
- Do I need an account?
- No. Type a name and play — no signup, no download, nothing to install. Making an account is optional and only exists to keep your stats, nickname and preferences across devices.
- Is it really free?
- Yes, all of it. Every game on Board Game Universe is free to play, with no premium tier holding anything back.
- Can I play on my phone?
- Yes. It runs in a mobile browser on phones and tablets as well as on a desktop — there is no app to download.
- How do I play with my friends?
- Start a table and send your friends the link. They open it, type a name, and sit down. Moves and table chat happen in real time.
- Can I play against the computer?
- Yes. Add a bot to any table and it plays a proper game — useful for filling a seat while you wait for a fourth.