Mexican Train Wikipedia
When someone plays a double tile, it creates three new branches that must be filled before the game can continue. You manage your own train, and there is also a shared public train called the Mexican Train that anyone can use. Mexican Train is classified as a “train” game because each player builds their own line of tiles (a train) extending from a station hub. Both Mexican Train and Chicken Foot belong to the larger family of “Trains” domino games. I hear this question all the time from people setting up their first game night.
The name likely comes from the game’s popular tradition where the public train is open to everyone, similar to how a public railway serves all passengers. That single distinction changes how doubles work, how strategy unfolds, and even what you call the pile of leftover tiles. Many people will also take the chicken feet in hand as a snack and chew the soft outer skin, while the inner bone structure is left uneaten.
The highest double tile is set aside before shuffling the tiles and placed to “open the station”, starting the game; e.g., with a standard double-twelve set the double twelve is separated before shuffling and placed in the center of the station hub. Mexican Train Dominoes Rules Full rules for the most popular party domino game. Uses curved tiles that create a winding layout on the chicken train app table.
Train building
Once the station is open, each player starts their own personal train extending from the hub. The engine tile is placed in the center hub at the start of the round. Some Chicken Foot sets include a starter tile, but many players simply use one of the doubles from the set to begin the round. In Mexican Train with a double-twelve set, the number of tiles each player draws depends on how many people are playing. Mexican Train has a murkier origin story but was popularized in the 1990s by companies like Puremco and Fundex Games. Chicken Foot is based on an older domino game called Maltese Cross and appears to have originated in Texas or Mexico.
Elements of strategy
Each player draws their starting hand, and the player with the double-nine goes first by playing it face-up in the center. Chicken Foot shares the same basic turn structure but plays out on the table in a very different way. Every other player then counts the total pips on their remaining tiles, and that number is added to their running score for the game. This open-train penalty is a core mechanic that adds pressure to every turn. The tile you play must match the number on the open end of the train you are adding to.
Any player may start the Mexican Train by playing one domino with an end matching the engine (i.e., the double in the station hub placed at the beginning of the round); subsequent players may add to the train, as long as the domino played matches the free end of the Mexican Train. If a player is deemed to have made a strategic error the highest score of that round is added to theirs. In other rule variations, during the opening phase, players may start and build their private trains by using as many dominoes as possible from their hand, radiating out from the station hub towards their seats, instead of placing a single domino.
In each successive round the next lower double is used until all doubles are used. Because the station or hub usually is designed for eight spokes, the maximum number of players is eight, although additional spokes may be laid in between slots to accommodate more players, using larger domino sets. However, the game can be played without the Mexican train; such variants are generally called “private trains” or “domino trains”. The game’s most popular name comes from a special optional train that belongs to all players. Block Dominoes Rules — Complete Guide The no-draw variant that emphasizes blocking strategy. All Fives Dominoes (Muggins) Rules Complete rules for the scoring-focused variant.
Conclusion: Are Mexican Train and Chicken Foot the Same?
Played with as few as two people, Chicken Foot Dominoes is more enjoyable with a group of 4-8 players. Continue to add each round’s total to your score. If the game becomes blocked, and no one was able to play all their dominoes, all players add up their total domino value. This could happen once the chicken yard has been depleted.
Other Games Similar to Chicken Foot Dominoes (Our Guides)
- For example, if Player B places a domino on a public train with Player A’s marker, that does not force that train to become private for Player B; when Player A’s turn comes, after Player A makes a valid play on that public train, only then will it become private.
- Any player who does not have a domino matching the played double must draw a domino from the bone pile and then play it if it matches or pass.
- If a player is unable to match any exposed dominoes, they must draw one domino from the bone pile and either play it if possible or pass.
- While both involve placing tiles with matching numbers, they differ significantly in gameplay, rules, and strategy.
If you play a double and cannot cover it, your train becomes open and other players can add tiles to it. The way doubles are handled is the single biggest gameplay difference between Mexican Train and Chicken Foot, and it completely changes how each game feels. I have played both extensively and this table captures the differences that actually matter at the table. Remaining players count pips on their unplayed tiles and add that to their score. Unlike Mexican Train, there is no penalty of an “open train” because there are no private trains in Chicken Foot. If not, your turn ends and play passes to the next person.
Some Chicken Foot players also use “farm yard,” though chicken yard is more common. Chicken Foot calls the same concept the “chicken yard,” keeping with the poultry theme of the game. Mexican Train calls the draw pile the “boneyard.” The term comes from the image of a pile of bones (dominoes) that players dig through when they need a tile. This makes holding the double-zero in Chicken Foot extremely dangerous and adds a layer of tension to the endgame that Mexican Train does not have. One bad round will not necessarily eliminate you, but a string of high-scoring rounds will put you in a hole that is tough to escape. That pip count is added to their cumulative score for the game.
Objective
If you cannot play a tile on your turn, you draw from the chicken yard. Just like Mexican Train has a boneyard, Chicken Foot has a draw pile called the chicken yard. This rule can slow the game down dramatically, especially when multiple doubles are played in quick succession. Then play continues clockwise, with each subsequent player adding one toe until all three are filled. Unlike Mexican Train, where every player immediately starts their own separate train, Chicken Foot has everyone building off the same central layout.
In the state of Selangor, chicken feet are either deep-fried in palm oil or boiled in soup with vegetables and spices until the bones are soft. The goal of the game is to try to get rid of all your dominoes by playing them to the layout on the table before your opponents can do the same. With its blend of strategy, luck, and friendly competition, Mexican Train Dominoes is a game that brings people together. Another strategy is to hold low value bones and try to use up a particular number for which you have a double. Since the object of the game is to have the lowest score, it is in your best interest to get rid of your high value bones and, at the same time, prevent your opponents from playing theirs. said this media campaign was aimed to convince people to eat cheap foods instead of meat and poultry, whose prices, like those of other commodities, are rising significantly.clarification needed In Trinidad, chicken feet are cleaned, seasoned, boiled in seasoned water, and left to soak with cucumbers, onions, peppers and green seasoning until cool. Coriander is added in mainland Portugal for additional flavor.citation needed Another such popular snack is chicken necks (also known as pescuezos) that are usually sold by street vendors and accompanied with salsa Valentina.}
Rules and Objectives of Traditional Dominoes
Second, if no one at the table is able to play a domino, the round is over. Dominoes may not be placed anywhere else until the chicken foot is created. If the domino drawn is unable to be played, that player passes. If a player cannot play a tile, they must draw one from the chicken yard.
Ready to become a Mexican Train Dominoes master?
For example, Chicken Foot typically involves a “chicken foot”-shaped starting layout, whereas Mexican Train starts with a simple train-shaped layout. Both games are played with dominoes, and the objective is to create a chain of tiles with matching numbers. However, the relationship between the two games is not immediately clear, and many players are left wondering if they are the same game or two distinct entities. The game has gained a significant following worldwide, and its popularity has led to various variations and spin-offs. Understanding the differences and nuances of each game can enhance one’s appreciation and enjoyment of these domino games. For those who enjoy a game with multiple layers of strategy and the option to manage multiple trains, Mexican Train might be the preferred choice.
China
- One strategy is to try to keep high value exposed ends covered which prevents other players from chickie-ing them.
- Once everyone has finished this initial private train building phase, play reverts to turns, using the rules listed above.
- } said this media campaign was aimed to convince people to eat cheap foods instead of meat and poultry, whose prices, like those of other commodities, are rising significantly.clarification needed
- The playing of doubles and covering requirements are subject to significant variance depending on individual custom and the rules in use, so the basic rules presented here are based on a consensus reading of the different rule sets, biased toward the earliest rules, published in 1994 by Galt and Parsons and updated in 2012 by Bauguess.
- The round begins with the highest double being placed in the center of the layout to start the game (using a double-twelve set, this would be the double 12).
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They are often steamed to become part of a main dish with rice, vegetables, and most likely another part of the chicken, such as the breast or thighs. Chicken feet are also known as ceker in Malaysia and are traditionally popular mostly among Malays of Javanese, Chinese, and Siamese descent. The soup contains yams, potatoes, green bananas, dumplings, and special spices in addition to the chicken feet, and is slow-cooked for a minimum of two hours. The deep-fried peeled chicken feet, which have been separated from their bones, may be served as crispy snacks such as kripik ceker (chicken feet crackers). Chicken feet may also be served in a simple soup (sop or sup), sop ceker, which mainly contains chicken broth, chicken feet, potato, carrot, shallot, garlic, other vegetables, and black pepper. A popular soto ceker stall can use up to 40 kilograms of chicken feet every day, although the stall is only open from 4 p.m.
The first player then starts a private train, sometimes known as a personal train, by placing a tile that legally starts from the station by matching pip values to the engine in the station hub, in a direction leading towards their seat. They share similar scoring but have different rules for doubles, different terminology, and a different feel at the table. Chicken Foot strategy centers around controlling the layout through doubles. You get a plastic station hub that sits in the center of the table and serves as the starting point for all the trains.
Domino Sets
You like the idea of managing your own train while keeping an eye on what opponents are doing. Finding that balance between timing and opportunity is the heart of Chicken Foot strategy. Holding doubles too long is risky in Chicken Foot because you might get stuck with them at the end of a round. Experienced players also watch what their opponents draw and play to deduce what tiles are still available. Keeping your train closed (meaning other players cannot add to it) is a constant priority.
This speeds up the game, but eliminates some of the strategies resulting from the requirement to cover doubles. Once everyone has finished this initial private train building phase, play reverts to turns, using the rules listed above. Scoring is also handled in pairs, with the player who went out scoring zero for their team (even though their partner will have dominoes remaining) and other teams summing their scores for a team score. There are a number of other versions of the rules for Mexican Train, varying the number of dominoes drawn by each player, the rules for playing doubles, or the number of tiles that can be played during one turn. One variation suggests that as a courtesy, a player holding only one domino should tap the table to indicate the potential end of the round in the next turn, giving the other players a chance to lower their score by playing their highest-valued domino. The playing of doubles and covering requirements are subject to significant variance depending on individual custom and the rules in use, so the basic rules presented here are based on a consensus reading of the different rule sets, biased toward the earliest rules, published in 1994 by Galt and Parsons and updated in 2012 by Bauguess.
Other Notable Variants
If a player is unable to match any exposed dominoes, they must draw one domino from the bone pile and either play it if possible or pass. Once all four sides of the double are filled, the player to the left of the last person to fill the double can play any domino in their hand that matches an exposed end of a played domino. If that domino does not match, their turn passes to the next player. The round begins with the highest double being placed in the center of the layout to start the game (using a double-twelve set, this would be the double 12). Blanks typically score zero points, but each blank could be scored as 25 points, with the double blank domino scoring 50 points.
Identical to Draw except there is no boneyard draw — if you cannot play, you pass. This guide covers the most popular variants and what makes each one unique. From the strategic depth of Block play to the festive chaos of Chickenfoot, there is a variant for every group size, skill level, and mood. Many players also enjoy creating their own custom variations, using a combination of elements from different games to create a unique and personalized experience.
Now every player at the table may play on any train that they wish. Player four is unable to play, draws a matching domino, and starts the third train. It does not match the double nine, and they pass.
This starting layout requires players to think strategically about how to build upon the existing tiles and create connections between them. The gameplay focuses on strategic domino placement and blocking opponents from laying down their dominoes. This mechanism adds a layer of complexity and strategy to the game, as players must manage their dominoes carefully and make tactical decisions about when to start new trains. Mexican Train and Chicken Foot are both domino games that have garnered significant attention and popularity, particularly in the United States and Mexico.