Domino Manual

Overview

The following instructions may seem complicated but thegame is really very simple and intuitive once you start playing. It is a matching game that could be described asdominoes on acid.

The tiles in this game have different sizes and structures.

Each domino tile consists of one or more blocks. The function of a block is determined by the color of its sides, which can be gray, blue, green or red. We will call these "gray blocks", "blue blocks", "green blocks" and "red blocks" respectively. This terminology obviously ignores the color patterns found on the top of most blocks. However, aside from the usual dominoes rule that adjacent blocks of different tiles must show the same pattern, there is not much to say about these patterns.

The game starts with a single domino tile on the board and the goal of the game is to connect a red block or a blue block to every green block on the board. For this purpose there is a set of tiles freely available to the player. All of these tiles have one red block for connecting to a green block. Unfortunately, all of these tiles have at least one green block, too. So for every green block you finish by attaching a red block to it, you get at least one new green block that wants to be connected. The only way to finish the game is by using blue blocks. A blue block connects to a green block without adding a new green block. But unlike the tiles with red blocks that are freely available to the player for use everywhere, the blue blocks are bonus blocks that have to be earned and can be used only with restrictions.

       
Connecting this red block finishes one green block but adds two.     Connecting this blue block finishes the green block for good.    

Basic Controls

To get you started right away, here are the basic controls of the game. The complete list of controls will be presented later.

There are two control modes. The first mode has just the normal mouse pointer. The second mode has a domino tile "hanging" at the mouse pointer and following its movements. This tile is referred to as theactive tile. Some controls are dependent on the current mode.

In the following list,left-click means to press the left mouse button and to release it again immediately, without moving the mouse between pressing and releasing.left-drag on the other hand means to press the left mouse button and to move the mouse while holding it pressed. The drag ends when the mouse button is released. The same terminology is used for the right mouse button and the middle mouse button (Note that most mice have a scroll wheel that functions as a middle mouse button when pressed).Ctrl-left-click means to press and hold the Ctrl key while performing a left-click. The same applies to other Ctrl- actions and Shift- actions. In every case the Ctrl key or Shift key must be pressed before initiating the action.

Note, that on systems with only one mouse button, this button is regarded as the left button. The right button can be simulated by holding the Alt key while pressing the (left) mouse button.

right-click or left-click (no active tile)
spacebar (no active tile)
Creates a new tile under the mouse pointer that will become the active tile. What tile is created depends on the mouse pointer's location. If there is no domino block at the click location, the new tile will be of the same type as the previously active tile. If the click is over a blue block, a copy of this blue block becomes the active tile. If any other block is clicked, a custom tile will be created.
right-drag (no active tile)
Removes domino tiles from the board. The tiles removed will be the tile under the mouse pointer at the initial button press and all tiles connected to green blocks of this tile, to green blocks of tiles connected to green tiles of this block and so on. The tiles that are removed will be compressed into a custom tile that will become the new active tile.
right-click (with active tile)
Switches to the next available active tile. The click location does not matter.
right-drag (with active tile)
Rotate the active tile. To perform the rotation, press the right mouse button anywhere, hold it pressed and move the mouse pointer at least 1cm away from the location of the initial button press. You will notice that the active tile does not follow the mouse cursor. Now move the mouse pointer in a circle around the point of the initial button press (i.e. around the location where the active tile is fixed).
left-click (with active tile)
spacebar (with active tile)
Places the active tile on the board at the current mouse pointer location, if the location is permissible. If the location is not allowed, the active tile will disappear and you will be back in normal mode without an active tile. The active tile may only be placed on the board if the following conditions are met: bullet-list { <item> One and only one block of the active tile must be horizontally or vertically adjacent to a block of another tile. </item> <item> The adjacent blocks must show the same pattern. </item> <item> One of the adjacent blocks must be green and the other must be either red or blue. </item> }

TheTiles

The following paragraphs describe the tiles you will encounter during the game.

The StartTile

At the beginning of each level, the start tile is the only tile on the board and unlike other tiles the start tile can not be removed. The start tile is also the only tile that has a gray block with a pattern. The gray block can not be connected to other tiles. Depending on the level there may be one or more blue bonus blocks on the start tile for use anywhere on the board.

Freely Available Tiles

The freely available tiles may be used at any time anywhere on the board. All freely available tiles have one red block for connecting to a green block and one or more green blocks. Some freely available tiles also have bonus blocks that are discussed further below. The main characteristic of the freely availables is that most of their blocks have patterns with rectangles colored in shades of gray. Every gray rectangle is a joker. When connecting the red block of one of the freely availables to a green block, each gray rectangle on the red block will assume color and pattern of the corresponding rectangle on the green block, with the following limitations: bullet-list { <item> A gray rectangle can match a group of smaller rectangles but not part of a larger rectangle. </item> <item> Rectangles with the same shade of gray can only match the same pattern. </item> }

The Redness Inducer

Redness inducer tiles are special, because they are the only freely available tiles that have a non-joker color, the color red, in their patterns. Another specialty of the redness inducer is that the pattern of its green block is independent of the pattern of its red block.

The Longish Simplifier

Simplifiers are useful for breaking complex patterns into simpler ones. At the same time a simplifier gives you a blue block. Use the simplifier whenever you can.

The Branching Complexifier

The branching complexifier is in a way the opposite of the longish simplifier. You attach it it to a green block and what you get is a new green block whose bottom half corresponds to the pattern of the green block the complexifier is attached to. The complexifier adds another green block whose pattern matches the top half of the other new green block.

Complexifiers are useful if you have a bonus block available that has in its bottom right corner the same pattern as an unconnected green block.

The Boring Elongator

This is a very unremarkable tile that is not used very often. Its only purpose is to provide a way out when space around a green block gets too narrow for placing larger tiles.

Bonus Blocks

The bonus blocks are the blue blocks that lie on top of some tiles. Bonus blocks are single-block tiles that can be connected to green blocks. There is an important restriction that applies to all bonus blocks: A bonus block may only be attached to a green block of the tile that provides the bonus block, or a tile attached to a green block of the tile that provides the bonus block, or a tile attached to a tile attached to a green block of the tile that provides the bonus block, and so on. In other words: If you were to walk on the domino tiles from the bonus block to the green block you want to attach it to, then you must not cross the red block of the tile that provides the bonus block.

Custom Tiles

Custom tiles are created by connecting some freely available tiles and compressing the result into a single tile. The compressed tile has the same red and green blocks and provides the same bonus blocks, but has a more compact shape. See the game controls for information on how to create custom tiles.

Game Controls

There are two control modes. The first mode has just the normal mouse pointer. The second mode has a domino tile "hanging" at the mouse pointer and following its movements. This tile is referred to as theactive tile. Some controls are dependent on the current mode.

In the following list,left-click means to press the left mouse button and to release it again immediately, without moving the mouse between pressing and releasing.left-drag on the other hand means to press the left mouse button and to move the mouse while holding it pressed. The drag ends when the mouse button is released. The same terminology is used for the right mouse button and the middle mouse button (Note that most mice have a scroll wheel that functions as a middle mouse button when pressed).Ctrl-left-click means to press and hold the Ctrl key while performing a left-click. The same applies to other Ctrl- actions and Shift- actions. In every case the Ctrl key or Shift key must be pressed before initiating the action.

Note, that on systems with only one mouse button, this button is regarded as the left button. The right button can be simulated by holding the Alt key while pressing the (left) mouse button.

right-click or left-click (no active tile)
spacebar (no active tile)
Creates a new tile under the mouse pointer that will become the active tile. What tile is created depends on the mouse pointer's location. If there is no domino block at the click location, the new tile will be of the same type as the previously active tile. If the click is over a blue block, a copy of this blue block becomes the active tile. If any other block is clicked, a custom tile will be created.
right-drag (no active tile)
Removes domino tiles from the board. The tiles removed will be the tile under the mouse pointer at the initial button press and all tiles connected to green blocks of this tile, to green blocks of tiles connected to green tiles of this block and so on. The tiles that are removed will be compressed into a custom tile that will become the new active tile.
right-click (with active tile)
Switches to the next available active tile. The click location does not matter.
0,1,2,3,4,... (with or without active tile)
Activate a certain tile directly.
right-drag (with active tile)
Rotate the active tile. To perform the rotation, press the right mouse button anywhere, hold it pressed and move the mouse pointer at least 1cm away from the location of the initial button press. You will notice that the active tile does not follow the mouse cursor. Now move the mouse pointer in a circle around the point of the initial button press (i.e. around the location where the active tile is fixed).
left-click (with active tile)
spacebar (with active tile)
Places the active tile on the board at the current mouse pointer location, if the location is permissible. If the location is not allowed, the active tile will disappear and you will be back in normal mode without an active tile. The active tile may only be placed on the board if the following conditions are met: bullet-list { <item> One and only one block of the active tile must be horizontally or vertically adjacent to a block of another tile. </item> <item> The adjacent blocks must show the same pattern. </item> <item> One of the adjacent blocks must be green and the other must be either red or blue. </item> }
Ctrl-left-click or Shift-left-click (with active tile)
Ctrl-spacebar or Shift-spacebar (with active tile)
Like plain left-click with the difference that the location is also permissible if no block is adjacent to the active tile. This function can be used to try out some tile connections without messing with the main part of the domino.
middle-click (with active tile)
W,E or R (US keyboard layout)
Rotates the active tile 90 degrees clockwise.
Q (US keyboard layout)
Rotates the active tile 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
left-drag
arrow keys
Scrolls the board.
Ctrl-left-drag
Zoom in. The point of the game board that was under the mouse pointer during the initial button press will remain under the mouse pointer while everything is enlarged. This allows you to specify the point you want to zoom in on.
Shift-left-drag
Zoom out. The mouse pointer location does not matter.

Game Menus

File Menu

menu-description { <item><name> Show Proof </name> Solving a level corresponds to proving a tautology. This option opens a window that displays the natural deduction proof corresponding to your arrangement of domino tiles. If you have no idea what all this means, just ignore this function. </item> <item><name> Quit </name> Exits the program. This function is not available when the program runs as an applet. </item> }

Level Menu

menu-description { <item><name> About </name> Pops up a window with a description of the current level. </item> <item><name> Restart </name> Restarts the level from the beginning. </item> <item><name> Advance </name> Advances to the next level. </item> <item><name> Select New </name> Prompts you for the level you want to play and then starts this level. You may enter either a level number or a tautology (actually any formula is allowed but you won't be able to solve the level if it's not a tautology). If you don't know what a tautology is, just enter a level number. </item> <item><name> Auto-Simplify </name> When selected, the game will automatically apply as many simplifiers to the start tile as possible, when the level is started. </item> }

Tile Menu

The tile menu contains checkboxes to enable and disable the freely available tiles (except for the Boring Elongator).

menu-description { <item><name> Add Custom Tile </name> Adds the current custom tile (if any) to the list of freely available tiles. </item> <item><name> Load Tiles </name> Loads a set of tiles from a file. </item> <item><name> Save Tiles </name> Saves the current set of tiles to a file. </item> <item><name> Remove Unselected </name> Removes all tiles from the list whose checkboxes are not checked. </item> <item><name> Restore Default </name> Restores the default list of freely available tiles. </item> }

Help Menu

menu-description { <item><name> Short Reference </name> Opens the help window with a shortened version of the manual. </item> <item><name> Walkthrough </name> Opens the help window with a walkthrough that presents solutions for some levels and uses these to explain important tips and tricks. It is recommended that you read this document. </item> <item><name> Complete Manual </name> Opens the help window with the manual of this game. </item> <item><name> About </name> Pops up a window with information about this game. </item> }