Chicken Foot Dominoes

Chicken Foot is a domino game built around one rule: every double sprouts a foot. Six legs grow out of a center double, and each time someone plays another double, three more tiles have to fan out from it before anyone can play anywhere else. Play Chicken Foot dominoes free in your browser against one, two or three computer players, with no download or sign-up, on desktop or on your phone. The lowest total at the end wins.

How to play

The game uses a double-12 set of 91 tiles. Each round starts with a double in the center: 12-12 in round one, 11-11 in round two, and so on down to 0-0 in round thirteen. Everyone draws 15 tiles and the rest form the boneyard. The first player moves one seat along each round.

• The six legs: the first six tiles of a round must all match the center double, one on each of its six legs. Nobody can add a second tile to a leg until all six are started.
• Open play: once the legs are built, play one tile whose number matches the open end of any leg or toe.
• Chicken feet: play a double on an open end and it becomes a chicken foot. Three tiles matching it, the toes, must be played on it before any other play. The player who laid the double doesn’t go again; the toes are filled by whoever can, in turn order.
• Drawing: if no tile fits, draw one from the boneyard. If it fits, you must play it. If it doesn’t, you pass. When the boneyard is empty, you simply pass.

Scoring and winning

A round ends when a player plays their last tile, or when nobody can play and the boneyard is empty. That can happen when a chicken foot is waiting for toes nobody holds. Everyone then adds up the pips left in their hand, and that number goes on their score. Blanks count zero, but being caught with the double blank costs 50 points.

After the last round, the lowest total wins. If two players tie, the one who finished more rounds on zero takes it. Choose a full 13-round game or a quick 4-round game (center doubles 12 down to 9).

Reading the board

The board is a list of lines. The six legs come first, and the toes of each chicken foot sit right under the line they grew from, labeled like “3b” (the second toe on leg 3). A line that ends in a double is marked FOOT, and empty legs or toes that still need a tile are outlined in orange and marked NEED. Long lines show their newest tiles; “+6” means six earlier tiles are hidden. When there are more lines than fit, the board scrolls.

Tap a glowing tile in your hand. If it fits only one line, or the legs or toes still need filling, it’s played straight away; otherwise tap one of the glowing lines. The bar above the board shows the center double, how many tiles each computer player holds, and the boneyard count. The Faces button switches between classic dots and large colored numbers, which are easier to read on a phone.

Strategy tips

• Get rid of the double blank. At 50 points it’s the most expensive tile in the set. Play it as soon as a 0 end opens up.
• Play doubles you can follow. A double forces three matching tiles onto the board. If you hold two or three of that number, the toes become free plays for you while your opponents draw.
• Watch the hand counts. When a computer player is down to a few tiles, dump your heaviest tiles first so a sudden round end costs less.
• Count the number before you double. If most tiles of a number are already on the board, a double of it may leave a foot nobody can finish, and the round can block with everyone still holding tiles.

FAQ

Is Chicken Foot free to play here?

Yes. It’s free, with no account and no install. Your wins and best totals are saved in your browser, and so is a game in progress, so you can continue later.

Why six legs and not four?

Tables differ. Some play the center double with four legs, others with six (three on each side, a “double chicken foot”). This game uses six legs off the center and three toes on every later double.

How many tiles does each player get?

Fifteen each, with two, three or four players. The round’s center double is taken out first, so the boneyard holds 60, 45 or 30 tiles.

Does it work on a phone or Chromebook?

Yes. It works by touch, mouse or keyboard. On a keyboard, the arrow keys and Enter pick a tile, 1 to 9 choose a glowing line, and D draws or passes.

Want another domino game? Try Mexican Train Dominoes, with personal trains and a shared public line, or classic Dominoes against the computer.