BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Board Games Mexican train

Hi!
Is this a card game or dominoes? Is it hard to learn? I got invited to a Halloween party and they're going to be playing this.

It's a dominoes game, and tons of fun! Very easy to learn and folks who play it are used to teaching newbies, so I wouldn't stress about it. Careful though, it's totally addictive, and put aside $30 or so cause you'll be online trying to buy your own set after the party. Fundex has the best one...

Have fun!

Nicki :-)

So it's not played with regular dominoes?

I'm thinking it probably could be played with a regular set of dominoes, but there is a "centerpiece" of sorts that you use, and little trains (which aren't just decorative...the trains go on and off the track when you can play and can't play). It sounds corny, I know, but it's really fun!

Okay, that totally sounds like fun. I've seen it around for years but I usually play Americanized Euro games (which tend to have themes strong enough to detract from the abstract design of the game) so I never looked into it. Love that it actually has little trains! I'm not one to underestimate the added fun-factor of great chrome in boardgaming.


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My mother just taught it to me while visiting for a Birthday Bash at my house. I didn't have the Mexican Dominoes set so we played with my regular dominoes, but I got the idea. It was a blast. I'm going to pick up the actual set the first I get a chance.

I have a question you can probably answer if you just learned. We played and couldn't remember how who and when you started the train. I know that each player has their own track to travel, that if they can't play on they put a train on and others can play on it until the train comes off. We wondered - domino is the start of the train?

My MIL got me hooked on this game. Her set goes up to 12 so, to start the game we have to draw dominoes, one at a time, until someone draws the double 12. It gets put in the center and each person starts their train with a 12.

On the next round it's the double 11 that starts. Each new round starts with the double of the next lower number.

I didn't know that was what the game was called. We have always enjoyed dominoes and that is the way we play.

We play that whoever has the highest double puts it in the center of the game piece and then also goes first. Then they have, conceivably, the first shot at starting the mexican train as well, so it's a big advantage going first.

So if no one has the 12, it's the 11, then 10 and so on. Then everyone has to rearrange their tiles if it isn't 12...lol.

I know some people play with the descending start tile, but we always start with 12 if someone has it.

Nicki