Dominoes are small, rectangular blocks used as gaming objects. They can also be referred to as bones, pieces, men, or cards. Each domino has a number of pips on one end and blank or colored ones on the other. When a player plays a domino, the number showing on both ends must match. Depending on the game, these matching ends can either form an infinitely long chain or are left open to allow other players to join in play.
The first player to have played all of their dominoes wins the game. When a player cannot continue play, they “knock” or rap the table and pass their turn to another player. Dominoes can be stacked on end to make long lines, which are then tipped over. This creates a chain that can become quite elaborate, and it is possible to design very creative shapes with dominoes.
Most dominoes are made of plastic, a durable and relatively inexpensive material. The pips on most sets are colored so that the different values can be distinguished easily. Some modern sets use a different color for each of the different end values to further simplify play. Some sets have an opaque look to them, while others are clear or even translucent. Ivory dominoes are still available as well, but they are usually more expensive.
In recent years, the popularity of dominoes has increased greatly, due to the availability of a wide variety of games and the ability to create large, impressive displays using them. Many cities and towns host annual domino festivals, where local residents come to compete in domino tournaments. The world record for the largest domino display was set in 2009 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, with 1,321 dominoes. In addition to the popular domino games, Domino is often used in Rube Goldberg machines, a type of mechanical invention that uses complex sequences of events to accomplish simple tasks.
Dominos has been able to keep growing by keeping close to its core values. This includes listening to its customers and making changes based on feedback. One example of this is when it integrated its Domino’s ordering system with Apple CarPlay so that customers could order pizza from their cars’ dashboards.
Another important value of Dominos is its commitment to helping communities grow and thrive. This is reflected in its charitable initiatives, including the Domino’s Love Fund, which provides grants to nonprofit organizations working to make a positive impact on their community. The company also supports its employees by providing a flexible work environment that enables them to balance their professional and personal lives. Domino’s believes that a happy employee is a productive one, and this approach has helped the company achieve a top workplace rating from the Detroit Free Press.