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Basics
Two to five people can play dominoes without having partners. Players can use a double-12 set of 91 tiles, or a double-nine set of 55 tiles, says the website Masters Games. With the former, four players each draw 12 tiles, and with the latter, they draw nine tiles.
Beginning a Game
Before beginning, turn all the dominoes face-down on and shuffle them. As Masters Games suggests, place your hand flat on the dominoes and shuffle them around in a circular motion. Then, to decide who gets to move first, each player draws a tile and whoever has the one with the most dots goes first. You could also draw all of your allotted tiles, and whoever has the "heaviest" domino (the one with the most dots) would go first (Domino-Games.com). Stand your dominoes sideways so you can see their dots but the other players can't. The first player usually places a double-six or a double-five, if she has one, or the next heaviest piece. The next player lays down a piece so that two matching tiles are touching.
Continuing the Game
In dominoes, players usually play only doubles crosswise (Domino Rules). They play singles lengthwise, and after someone plays a double, the next person usually place a tile lengthwise (Domino Rules). In dominoes, players usually only place tiles by the "open" ends of the layout , which have no other dominoes connected to them (Domino-Games.com). In some games, though, players can use any side of the tiles in the layout.
According to Masters Games, a player must play a domino if he has one he can play. In some games, a player must pass if he can't make a move. In other games, a player can draw from the "boneyard," the dominoes that haven't been used yet (Domino-Games.com).
Deciding the Winner
Whoever uses all their tiles first wins. Traditionally, she says "Domino" when she lays her last tile (Domino-Games.com). The game could also end if no possible moves are left. As Domino-Games.com says, if players are keeping score in a game with multiple rounds, the winner's score equals the number of dots on the other players' tiles. Whoever earns the most points in a certain number of rounds, or achieves the target score first, wins the game (Domino-Games.com).
Variations
A number of rule variations exist within each game. For instance, in any given game of dominoes, players might agree to let a player take another turn anytime he lays down a double, matching a second piece to that double (Domino Rules).
If a player accidently places a tile by one that doesn't match, and the game continues without anyone noticing, the game continues without correcting the mistake. The same happens if a player plays out of turn.
Many different domino games exist, with their own sets of rules and possible variations. Detailed explanations for some popular ones can be found at the Masters Games and Domino Rules websites. Just remember, rules are helpful, but like with any game, the important thing is to have fun!