Blind Hughie
Flip it. Play it, or put it back.
The dominoes game played blind: your tiles lie face down in a row, and you turn them over one at a time. Nobody knows what comes next, not even you. Here is everything you need to know before you sit down.
- Free practice
- No sign-up
- Play in your browser
Join a Game Room
Blind HughieGot a room code?
- Players
- 2 to 4
- You need
- A double-six set
- Style
- Luck and memory
- Goal
- 100 points
What is Blind Hughie?
Nobody looks. Not even you.
Blind Hughie is a dominoes game where your tiles stay face down in a row. Each turn you turn over the tile at the right end. If it matches an open end of the line, you play it. If not, it goes back face down at the other end of your row.
That makes it quick, loud, and lucky, with one twist for sharp players: every tile you turn over stays in the same order. Remember them, and you know what is coming before anyone else does.
The practice table
Try itLearn it with the tiles in front of you.
Play against one bot with our Classic rules. Turn over your tiles, play them or put them back. The memory coach remembers what you have seen, so you can learn how your row moves.
- Memory help shows tiles you have already seen, faintly, so you can follow your row as it comes around.
- Quick game plays to 50. Full game goes to 100.
- No account, no host, nothing saved.
A little history
An old game with a strange name.
Blind Hughie is a traditional blocking game from the big family of dominoes games. Nobody is quite sure where its name comes from, which suits a game where nobody knows what tile is next.
Players in the Netherlands play a close cousin called Billitonnen. Groups everywhere add their own house rules, like letting you turn over any tile in your row instead of the end one.
Fun facts
- Your tiles stay face down in a row. You turn over the one at the end, play it if it matches, or put it back at the other end.
- Every tile you turn over stays in the same order, so remembering them tells you what is coming.
- Only the player with the fewest pips scores. Everyone else scores nothing.
- Our two-player game is played to 100.
Why people love it
Pure suspense. Every single turn.
No setup thinking.
Lay your tiles face down and go. Anyone can play from the first turn.
Everyone watches the flip.
Every turn is a little reveal, and the whole table feels it.
Memory pays.
Your row comes back around in the same order. Remember it, and you can plan.
Fast rounds.
A round takes a few minutes, so there is always time for one more.
How to play
Flip. Fit. Or back it goes.
Setup
- Players: two to four. Our practice table is you against one bot.
- Tiles: a double-six set. Two players take 7 tiles each; three or four take 5.
- Your row: lay your tiles face down in a row in front of you, without looking.
- Lead: decide who goes first. The lead passes to the next player each round.
Winning
When a round ends, the player with the fewest pips left scores. Play your last tile and you score every pip in the other rows. First to 100 wins.
- 1
Turn over the right end
On your turn, turn over the tile at the right end of your row.
- 2
Play it if it fits
If it matches an open end of the line, you must play it. The leader’s first tile starts the line.
- 3
Or put it back
If it does not fit, turn it back over and put it at the left end of your row. Your turn is over.
- 4
Doubles
A double matches its own number. It sits across the line, and that end stays the same.
- 5
Blocked
Once every player has turned over their whole row without a play, nobody can play. The round ends.
These are our Classic rules, and they'll be shown in every room before the game starts. Printable rules card →
Lessons
Learn it in a few minutes.
6 quick lessons, one idea each. Make the call, see why it works, and move on. Your progress is saved in this browser.
Your row
Your seven tiles lie face down in a row. Which one do you turn over on your turn?
- Your row
- 7 tiles, face down
- You look at them
- never
Scoring
Fewest pips takes the points.
Count the pips left in each row when the round ends. The player with the fewest scores. Everyone else scores nothing.
| How the round ends | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| You play your last tile | Every pip in the other rows | |
| Blocked, and you have the fewest pips | Their pips less yours | |
| Blocked, and the fewest pips are tied | Nobody scores |
Our rules: with two players, a round ends either when someone plays out or when both players have turned over their whole row since the last tile went down. Play to 100.
Strategy
Play it smart. Then play it feral.
Tip 1
Remember what you turn over.
A tile that goes back moves to the left end, and your row keeps its order. After one trip around, you know every tile and when it comes up.
Tip 2
Set up your next tile.
When a tile fits both ends, play it where your next tile will fit too.
Tip 3
Watch the other rows.
Their tiles are turned over in front of you. If you know their next one, leave it nothing to match.
Tip 4
Big tiles hurt at the end.
Every pip left in your row can go to someone else. Playing heavy tiles early keeps your count low.
What would you do?
One decision. Every day.
A new Blind Hughie puzzle every day, the same for everyone. Solve it, then send it to the group chat and see who gets it right.
Want more? See today's puzzles for every game →
Your path to game night
Learn it here. Play it with friends.
Finish the lessons or win a practice game and you're ready to sit down at a real Blind Hughie table with your people.
The Feral Worlds community
Play-testing Blind Hughie? Tell us in Discord.
Found a bug, a rule that feels off, or a house rule your family swears by? Our Discord is where we collect play-test feedback, and where game nights are starting to happen.
Glossary
Talk like a regular.
- Row
- Your tiles, face down in a line in front of you.
- Turn over
- Flip the tile at the right end of your row to see what it is.
- Line
- The chain of tiles played in the middle of the table.
- Open end
- The number showing at either end of the line. A tile has to match one.
- Double
- A tile with the same number on both halves. It sits across the line.
- Pips
- The dots on a tile. Pips left in your row at the end can score for someone else.
- Play out
- Play your last tile. You score the pips left in every other row.
- Blocked
- Nobody can play. The fewest pips scores the difference.
The Feral twist
Still under the hat.
Every game can be played Classic. In Feral mode, the host writes the house rules: which tile you turn over, scoring, pace. We'll show you what Blind Hughie can do when it's ready.
In the Tile Games pack
Blind Hughie is on the ballot.
Backers vote on which tile games join the Tile Games pack. Owning the pack means every one that joins is yours too.
$9.95, one time, to host every game in it. Playing is always free. Packs go on sale when the full game launches.
Blind Hughie is on the ballot
Save me a seat.
Hear when the Kickstarter opens so you can vote Blind Hughie into the Tile Games pack, and when you can host it with friends.