Domino Design by Hevesh Hevesh
Domino is a family of tile-based games for two or more players. Each domino has a square of dots, called pips, on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. A common domino set consists of 28 tiles, but larger sets exist for use with more than four people. Each domino can be connected to a neighboring domino in a row, creating an array known as a “table.” If all four of the exposed ends of a domino match (i.e., an a and b), then the pair is linked and play passes to the next player.
A domino’s pips may be used to identify it and distinguish it from other similar pieces in a game. Some games have specific rules governing the connection of adjacent dominoes. The most common rule is that a domino must have an open end that connects to another, either at right angles or parallel to it, but this is not always strictly followed in games. The number of spots on a domino’s end can also be used to determine its suit. All tiles with the same suit belong to a group called a “suit.” Thus, the 0 suit contains all the 0 and -1 pieces. The 1 suit includes all the 1 and 2 pieces. The 3 suit includes all the 3, 4, and 5 pieces. The 4 and 5 suits each contain their own subsets, the 2s and 3s.
Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates mind-blowing domino setups for movies, TV shows, and events. She has an enormous following on YouTube and works with teams to create massive installations that can take several nail-biting minutes to fall. Her largest domino designs utilize more than 300,000 dominoes.
When Hevesh begins designing a new setup, she starts by considering its theme and purpose. She brainstorms images and words that might help convey the idea she wants to capture. She then considers how the dominoes will be arranged and what kinds of effects she might want to see. She then draws out a design on paper and begins experimenting with the layout.
Once Hevesh has a layout that she’s happy with, she begins laying the dominoes. She starts with the first piece, which is a 6-6, and then places tiles to the left or right of it until the number of matching open ends equals the number of adjacent closed ends in the previous tile. For example, she might place a 6-5 to the right of the first 6-6, resulting in an open end of 5 and 6.
If she’s able to keep this pattern going, then she will win the game. If she can’t proceed, then she must “chip out” and the game is over. Chipping out is usually done by placing the remaining dominoes face down on the table, although some games allow players to play them at a slower pace or by hand. The winners are the players who have the fewest matching dominoes on their tables at the end of a round.
Domino is a family of tile-based games for two or more players. Each domino has a square of dots, called pips, on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. A common domino set consists of 28 tiles, but larger sets exist for use with more than four people. Each domino can be connected to a neighboring domino in a row, creating an array known as a “table.” If all four of the exposed ends of a domino match (i.e., an a and b), then the pair is linked and play passes to the next player. A domino’s pips may be used to identify it and distinguish it from other similar pieces in a game. Some games have specific rules governing the connection of adjacent dominoes. The most common rule is that a domino must have an open end that connects to another, either at right angles or parallel to it, but this is not always strictly followed in games. The number of spots on a domino’s end can also be used to determine its suit. All tiles with the same suit belong to a group called a “suit.” Thus, the 0 suit contains all the 0 and -1 pieces. The 1 suit includes all the 1 and 2 pieces. The 3 suit includes all the 3, 4, and 5 pieces. The 4 and 5 suits each contain their own subsets, the 2s and 3s. Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates mind-blowing domino setups for movies, TV shows, and events. She has an enormous following on YouTube and works with teams to create massive installations that can take several nail-biting minutes to fall. Her largest domino designs utilize more than 300,000 dominoes. When Hevesh begins designing a new setup, she starts by considering its theme and purpose. She brainstorms images and words that might help convey the idea she wants to capture. She then considers how the dominoes will be arranged and what kinds of effects she might want to see. She then draws out a design on paper and begins experimenting with the layout. Once Hevesh has a layout that she’s happy with, she begins laying the dominoes. She starts with the first piece, which is a 6-6, and then places tiles to the left or right of it until the number of matching open ends equals the number of adjacent closed ends in the previous tile. For example, she might place a 6-5 to the right of the first 6-6, resulting in an open end of 5 and 6. If she’s able to keep this pattern going, then she will win the game. If she can’t proceed, then she must “chip out” and the game is over. Chipping out is usually done by placing the remaining dominoes face down on the table, although some games allow players to play them at a slower pace or by hand. The winners are the players who have the fewest matching dominoes on their tables at the end of a round.