Rules | Mexican Train Deluxe

Game Night Resources

Download PDF Rules Download Scoring Sheet

Game Overview

The center spot of the Game Hub is where the opening double Domino goes. The 8 slots are where players build their own train.

Included Pieces:

91 numbered dominoes
14 Deluxe Dominoes
1 Game Hub
9 markers
Use the box top as the out of play area

The game is played in 13 rounds. Round 1 starts with double blanks. Round 2 - double one's, Etc. After each round, players add up the points for any dominoes left. After all rounds have been played, the player with the fewest points wins.

Note: You will find that other people play with different rules. You may find a combination that works best for your group. We are all for playing by "House rules".

How to Play

Round Set Up and Start

Start with all Dominoes on table (blank side up).
Put the Mexican Train Depot Hub in the center of the table.
Each player puts their marker on the depot.
Every player selects 7 Dominoes.
If no player has the starting Double Domino, take turns selecting from the bone pile until the correct domino is found.
The player with the starting Double Domino plays first. They will put the double in the middle of the depot and remove their marker from the depot. If they have another domino matching the double, they can play it. The order of play starts off Clockwise.

Playing a Round

On your turn, you can:

Play on your track.
Play on any other players track if their train is on their track.
Play one of the Deluxe Dominoes.
Start or play on the Mexican Train Track. (All Players tracks must be started before you can play on the Mexican Train Track).
If you play a double, you must play a second domino to cover it. If you can't, say “I can’t cover it” (do not put your marker up yet). The double must be covered before any other track can be played on. If opponents cannot cover it on their turn, they must put their markers up. If play returns to you and you still cannot cover it, you must now put your marker up.
Note: If the last domino you play is a double, the round is over. You are not required to cover it.
If you cannot play, draw one domino. If you still cannot play put your Train on your Track. The next time you play a domino, take the Train off your Track.
Play continues until one player plays all dominoes or nobody can play a domino.

Scoring

The game will have 13 rounds. Round 1 starts with double blanks. Round 2 - double one's, Etc. After each round, players add up the points for any dominoes left. After all rounds have been played, the player with the fewest points wins.

Domino Type	Points
Numbered Dominoes	The number of dots
Draw, Twist, Skip, Trade, Reverse	30 Points
Derail	40 Points
Wild	50 Points

Word Play (Deluxe Dominoes)

Click on any Deluxe Domino below to reveal its specific rules and strategies.

Draw (2)

Put the domino on the end of an opponent’s Track. On their next turn, they will draw a domino, remove the draw domino and put it out of play. Their turn continues as usual.

Trade (2)

Show the players your trade domino. Give an opponent one of your dominos and take one of theirs. Place the Trade Domino out of play and your turn is over.

Skip (2)

Put the domino on the end of an opponent’s train. On their next turn, they will remove the skip domino and put it out of play. Their turn is now over.

Reverse (2)

Put the domino on the center of the depot, your turn is over and the order of play is reversed. (When the second reverse is played, put both out of play).

Twist (2)

The Twist domino literally adds a twist to game night. It allows you to spin an opponent's track around to block their next move and disrupt their strategy. Play it between the last two dominoes of any train and turn the last domino around.

Wild (2)

The Wild domino plays like a double. You can place it on your own Track, the Mexican Train, or any Track that already has a train on it, then immediately play another domino from your hand right on top of it. You can even play Wild as a double itself, and cover it later with a real double.

Note: You can play the wild as a double and cover it with a double.

Derail (2)

This domino is much like a train wreck. It causes chaos on the board.

The official rule: when Derail is played, every player shifts the open end of their train one space to the left or right. A popular house variation lets each train shift as far left or right as you like, instead of just one space. Our favorite variation plays more like musical chairs — the player who plays Derail decides how many spaces everyone shifts, left or right, and every player picks up their train and moves that many seats before continuing to play.

Note: The tracks on the board remain exactly where they are. Now, you are set for success while everyone else has been derailed!

Variations

If you are looking for ways to shorten the game or mix things up, our family has enjoyed playing with these house rules:

Even Rounds Only: Play rounds using only the even-numbered starting doubles.
Odd Rounds Only: Play rounds using only the odd-numbered starting doubles.
Random First Double: Play rounds using every double, but the starting double for the first round is simply the first double anybody draws (as long as it hasn't been used yet).
Set an End Time: Agree on a hard stop (e.g., no new rounds started after 10:00 PM).
One-and-Done Derail: When a Derail domino is played, take it out of play for the rest of the night to limit the chaos.