Fortress

 Fortress is a popular variation of Block Dominoes. Fortress can have anywhere from three to six players, depending on the amount of tiles in the set. In Block Dominoes, each player must start with an equal number of tiles, so depending on the number of players, some tiles may be left over. The tiles that are left over in Block Dominoes cannot be used, and these tiles are called "the boneyard". In Fortress, players also begin with an equal number of tiles, but whomever starts the game, which is the person with the largest double tile, will pick up an extra tile from the boneyard, if there is one.

The main difference between regular Block Dominoes and Fortress is that double tiles can be played as spinners, meaning that you can play from all four sides - something you are not allowed to do in regular Block Dominoes. In Fortress, if the first player lays down a double six, the next player must have a tile with a six on at least one side in order to be able to play. The player after that can match one of the numbers on the second tile, or he or she can match one of the numbers on another side of the double tile.

This gives the game a little twist, as players have more opportunities for playing off in different directions. In Fortress, as in regular Block Dominoes, play is always clockwise, or to the left. A player who cannot make a play must pass, and the game is over when someone uses up all of his or her tiles, or when each player in the game has passed once in succession.

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