Mexican Train is a dominoes game played with a double-12 set: each player builds a private train of tiles out from a central double, and there's one public Mexican Train that anyone can add to. You're trying to play every tile in your hand, because the dots left over count against you, and the lowest score across the rounds wins.
Mexican Train in brief
If you know how to play classic dominoes, you already know the basic move: dominoes go end to end, and the pips have to match. Mexican Train is a variant built on that, with trains, markers and a shared line in the middle.
The game's official site publishes two sets of rules, as of November 2026: a short official rules page and a longer large-print beginner's guide. They agree on how a turn works, but they don't agree on how long a game lasts, and I'll explain that difference further down.
What you need and how many dominoes to draw
- A double-12 domino set.
- A marker for each player, plus one for the Mexican Train. A coin works well.
Turn all the dominoes facedown and shuffle them. Each player draws one tile, and whoever has the highest pip count (the most dots) goes first. Put those tiles back facedown, shuffle again, and draw your hand:
| Players | Dominoes each |
|---|---|
| 2 to 4 | 15 |
| 5 to 6 | 12 |
| 7 to 8 | 11 |
Stand your dominoes on edge facing you so the others can't see them. The tiles left over become the boneyard, which is your draw pile, and play moves clockwise.
Setting the station
The beginner's guide starts the game with the station. Player 1 places their highest double in the centre, and that sets the station number. Play a double-6, for example, and the station is 6.
If Player 1 doesn't have a double, play moves clockwise to the next player. If nobody has one, you go round again, each drawing one tile from the boneyard, until someone does.
The official rules page sets things up by round instead. Each round begins with the player who holds that round's double, so the double-12 starts round 12, and every train has to start with a domino matching the round number.
Your first move: opening your own train
- Lay a tile that matches the station number to start your private train. With a station of 6, your first tile needs a 6 on it.
- If you can't, draw one tile from the boneyard.
- If you still can't play, place your marker at the end where your tile should go. That shows your train is open.
- Play then moves to the next player clockwise.
Open trains, markers and the Mexican Train
The public Mexican Train starts on an empty line that matches the station number, either in the centre or shared between players. It's open to every player and can be started any time after the first round of turns.
From then on, you play one domino per turn, unless you play a double. On each turn, you can play in one of three places:
| Train | Who can play on it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Your own private train | You | Any turn; if your marker is on it, you remove it once you play there |
| The Mexican Train | Everyone | Any time after the first round of turns |
| Another player's private train | Anyone | Only while it has a marker on it |
If you can't make a move, draw one tile from the boneyard. Each player must place a tile on each move or else put a marker on their train to show it's open. If your train's already marked, it stays marked.
That's the heart of the game. A marker is an invitation, so the sooner you can play on your own train again, the sooner you can take it away.
Doubles and covering them
A double is any tile with the same pips on both ends. The beginner's guide says playing a double gives you another turn, but the double has to be closed by playing another tile on it before you can play anywhere else.
- Play your double.
- Close it with a matching tile if you can.
- If you can't, draw one tile from the boneyard. If that tile closes it, play it.
- If you still can't, play moves to the next player, and the process repeats until the double is closed.
The guide lists two exceptions: when it's the last domino of its number or the last domino of the game, and when you played it to remove the marker from your train.
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The official rules page is a little more generous. You can play as many doubles as you want in a turn, as long as you finish by covering the double with a non-double. If you can't cover it even after drawing, you pass, and the next player has to cover it. Normal play continues once it's covered.
Scoring and how many rounds to play
A round ends when the first player runs out of dominoes, and that player scores 0. On the official rules page, a round can also end when no more turns can be taken. Everyone else adds up the pips on the dominoes left in their hand, and each dot is worth one point.
The beginner's guide uses a 6-2 tile as its example: 8 pips, so 8 points. If you finished a round holding a 6-2 and a 3-1, you'd score 12. The lower your score, the better.
Here's the catch about game length. The beginner's guide plays a shortened game of 3 rounds, and the lowest total after all three wins. The official rules page lists 13 rounds, one for each double from double-12 down to double-0, with the fewest points at the end winning. Both come from the same official site, so pick one before you start and tell everyone which one you're playing.
My verdict for a first game of Mexican Train
I'd start new players on the beginner's 3-round game, because it teaches the station, markers and doubles without asking anyone to sit through 13 rounds on their first go. I'd skip the full game until everyone's comfortable with the marker rule, since that's the one that changes how a round feels.
It's a good pick for a bigger group, since the beginner's guide covers up to 8 players. If you're planning a games night, have a look at these party board games too.
Frequently asked questions
What dominoes do you need for Mexican Train?
You need a double-12 domino set, plus a marker such as a coin for each player and one for the Mexican Train.
How many dominoes do you draw in Mexican Train?
Each player draws 15 dominoes with 2 to 4 players, 12 with 5 to 6 players, and 11 with 7 to 8 players.
What is the station in Mexican Train?
The station is the double placed in the centre at the start. Its number sets the number every train has to start from.
When can you play on someone else's train?
Only when it has a marker on it, which shows that player's train is open.
How many rounds are in Mexican Train?
The official rules page lists 13 rounds. The beginner's large-print guide plays a shortened game of 3 rounds.
