Matador
Don’t match it. Make it seven.
The dominoes game that turns matching on its head: tiles join when the touching numbers add up to seven, and four special tiles, the matadors, can go anywhere. Here is everything you need to know before you sit down.
- Free practice
- No sign-up
- Play in your browser
Join a Game Room
MatadorGot a room code?
- Players
- 2 to 4
- You need
- Double-six set
- Style
- Add to seven
- Goal
- 100 points
What is Matador?
Add, don’t match.
Matador plays like Draw Dominoes with one twist: a tile joins an end when the touching numbers add up to 7. A 6 takes a 1, a 5 takes a 2, a 4 takes a 3.
That makes blanks a problem: nothing adds to 7 with a blank. Only the matadors can go there. They are the 0-0 and every tile of seven pips, and they can go on any end at all.
The practice table
Try itLearn it one seven at a time.
Play against one bot with our Classic rules. Each end shows the number it needs, and the coach tells you which tile to play, when to save a matador, and when to shut a door with a blank.
- Quick game plays to 50. Full game goes to 100.
- Turn the coach off when you want to play it straight.
- No account, no host, nothing saved.
Scoring chart
| How the hand ends | Points |
|---|---|
| You go out | All the pips left in the bot’s hand |
| Blocked, and your hand is lighter | Their pips less yours |
| Blocked, and the hands tie | Nobody scores |
A little history
An old game with a fighting name.
Matador is one of the classic dominoes games, played as a block or draw game around the world. Its matadors are the tiles that can break any deadlock.
Tables differ on the hand size and who leads. We teach one Classic version, from the long-standing rules at Pagat, and show it before every game.
Fun facts
- A tile joins an end when the touching numbers add up to 7: a 6 takes a 1, a 5 takes a 2, a 4 takes a 3.
- Nothing adds up to 7 with a blank, so only a matador can go on a blank end.
- There are four matadors, the 0-0, 6-1, 5-2 and 4-3, and they can go on any end.
- In our rules each player takes seven tiles and the highest double leads.
Why people love it
Familiar, then upside down.
A fresh puzzle.
Your dominoes instincts are all wrong. Adding to seven takes a game to click.
Four wild tiles.
The matadors fit anywhere. When to spend one is the whole game.
Blank ends bite.
Leave a blank and only a matador can follow. Watch the other side squirm.
Quick hands.
Seven tiles each, and a hand is over in a few minutes.
How to play
Add to seven. Go out.
Setup
- Players: two to four. Our practice table is you against one bot.
- Set: one double-six set: 28 tiles.
- Your hand: seven tiles each.
- Boneyard: the rest, face down. The last two are never drawn.
Winning
At the end of each hand the lighter hand scores the other hand’s pips, less its own. First to 100 wins.
- 1
Highest double leads
The player with the highest double plays it first. With no double out, the heaviest tile leads.
- 2
Make seven
Play a tile on either end so the touching numbers add up to 7. Doubles go in line like any tile.
- 3
Matadors go anywhere
The 0-0, 6-1, 5-2 and 4-3 can go on any end, either way round. They are the only tiles a blank end takes.
- 4
Stuck? Draw
With no ordinary tile to play, draw one at a time, or play a matador. You never have to play a matador. With two tiles left in the boneyard, you may pass.
- 5
Out or blocked
The hand ends when someone goes out, or nobody can play.
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.
5 quick lessons, one idea each. Make the call, see why it works, and move on. Your progress is saved in this browser.
Make seven
The right end shows a 5. Which number must your tile show to join it?
Scoring
Light hand wins.
Count the pips left in each hand when the hand ends.
| How the hand ends | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| You go out | All the pips left in the bot’s hand | |
| Blocked, and your hand is lighter | Their pips less yours | |
| Blocked, and the hands tie | Nobody scores |
Our Classic rules: the highest double leads, seven tiles each, and you may draw instead of playing a matador. Some tables let you pass instead of drawing.
Strategy
Play it smart. Then play it feral.
Tip 1
Save your matadors.
They fit anywhere, so they are your way out when nothing else does. Play them when you are stuck, or near the end.
Tip 2
Shut a door.
Leave a blank end and only a matador can follow. The bot may have to draw.
Tip 3
Watch what they draw on.
If the bot drew when an end needed a 1, leave it ends that need a 1.
Tip 4
Shed heavy tiles.
Pips left in your hand count against you. Get the 6-5 down while it fits.
What would you do?
One decision. Every day.
A new Matador 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 Matador table with your people.
The Feral Worlds community
Play-testing Matador? 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.
- Make seven
- Touching numbers must add up to 7.
- Matador
- The 0-0, 6-1, 5-2 and 4-3. They go on any end, either way round.
- Blank end
- An end showing 0. Only a matador can go there.
- Line
- The row of tiles, with two open ends.
- Boneyard
- The face-down tiles you draw from. The last two stay.
- Blocked
- Nobody can play. The lighter hand 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: the magic number, the matadors, the drawing. We'll show you what Matador can do when it's ready.
In the Tile Games pack
Matador 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.
Matador is on the ballot
Save me a seat.
Hear when the Kickstarter opens so you can vote Matador into the Tile Games pack, and when you can host it with friends.