Dominoes · History
Tiles from China
Tiles showing the throws of two dice are mentioned in Chinese writings of the Song dynasty, around the twelfth century. Chinese sets have 32 tiles with no blanks and were played more like card games. In Korea the same family of tiles, called golpae, was popular during the Joseon era.
European dominoes
The modern 28-tile set with blanks is first recorded in eighteenth-century Italy, in Venice and Naples, and soon spread to France and Britain. The origin of the name is uncertain; a popular theory links it to the domino, a black hooded cloak worn with a white mask at carnivals.
Dominoes around the world
Dominoes are especially loved in Latin America and the Caribbean — in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic games clatter on street-corner tables every evening. Local variants abound, from British pub games scored in fives and threes to long “train” games for big groups.
Not just toppling
Setting tiles on end and knocking them over in a chain is a different pastime that happens to use the same tiles. The original game is about counting, reading your opponents’ hands and blocking the ends — a well-balanced mix of luck and skill.