Domino is a game in which players arrange domino pieces (also known as bones, cards, men or tiles) edge to edge on a flat surface. When one domino is tipped over, it causes the next piece to fall, and so on in a chain that can reach the end of the board. Dominoes can be stacked in long straight or curved lines, in grids that form pictures when they fall, or in 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Dominoes are also used to teach children counting and math skills.
Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide, and each has a square end showing either a number (usually in Arabic numerals) or nothing at all. The value of a domino is determined by its position in the chain, and the number of dots on each side. A domino played on top of another must have the same number showing on both ends, unless it is a double, in which case a domino may be placed in any direction.
When a domino is played, its value is immediately recognized by the other players, and it becomes part of the chain. The chain continues until the last domino is tipped or the players run out of dominoes. Some games involve scoring, such as bergen and muggins; the losing player counts the number of pips in his or her opponent’s remaining dominoes. Other games allow players to block the opponents’ play, such as matador, chicken foot and Mexican train.
Domino artists often create mind-blowing domino setups for movies, television shows and events—even a pop artist’s album launch. They follow a version of the engineering-design process to plan and build their masterpieces. They start by considering the theme or purpose of their installation. Then they brainstorm images or words that might relate to it. Hevesh says that she often uses a storyboard to help her plan and visualize her installations.
When Hevesh starts working on a new installation, she begins by planning the overall shape. She then determines how many dominoes will be needed to complete the project. Once she has her set of dominoes, she places them on the ground in the desired formation.
She then checks each domino to see that its edges are aligned and that there are no gaps between them. She then adds additional dominoes to fill in any holes and to ensure that the final layout is even.
Finally, she checks to make sure that the entire design will cascade correctly. This requires careful timing and attention to detail because if the dominoes are not spaced properly, the cascade might not occur as planned. She may also need to re-plan the structure if it is not working as intended. Dominoes also need to be positioned so that the next domino will be able to touch the first without creating any gaps or overlapping the existing dominoes. If the dominoes are not positioned correctly, they might not fall in a cascade at all.