Flower & Scorpion Dominoes Game Rules

• Flower & Scorpion is variant of Bergen Dominoes game. The objective is to get same value on both ends of the layout to score points as in Bergen. There are two pairs of dice (known as "flower" and "scorpion" respectively) which are used for awarding bonus or penalty points after each play or at the end of each round. Winner of a round also scores bonus points.
• Each player gets certain number of tiles (6 tiles for 2 or 3 players game, 5 tiles for 4 players game) at the beginning of each round.
• Remaining tiles are set aside forming a boneyard.
• Lead in the first round is decided for a roll of dice. Lead is passed to next player in subsequent rounds.
• Two pairs of dice are rolled at the beginning of each round. One pair is called "flower" and second pair is called "scorpion".
• Turn can be started with any tile and then subsequent tiles can be played at the two ends of the layout.
• There is no spinner in the game so a double can only be played at two ends.
• If a player can not play, then he/she must draw from the boneyard until either he/she gets a playable tile or, the boneyard has no tile left.
• If player draws a tile which can be immediately played, then it must be played.
• If player can not play a tile and can not draw from the boneyard either, then he/she simply passes the turn to next player.
• The round ends if a player has played all of his/her tiles. Round can also end if the game is blocked which means no tile can be played by any of the players.
• Each time player plays a tile, he/she can score as following
• Dual - If both ends of the layout have same value, then player scores 2 points.
• Plural - If both ends of the layout have same value and one end is a double, then player scores 3 points.
• Short Flower - If player plays a tile with same values as the two flower dice, then player scores 1 point.
• Long Flower - If open ends of the layout has the same values as the two flower dice, then player scores 1 point. If one end of the layout is a double then player scores 2 points and if both ends of the layout are doubles then player scores 4 points.
• Short Scorpion - If player plays a tile with same values as the two scorpion dice, then player loses 1 point.
• Long Scorpion - If open ends of the layout has the same values as the two scorpion dice, then player loses 1 point. If one end of the layout is a double then player loses 2 points and if both ends of the layout are doubles then player loses 4 points.
• No Special Scoring - If flower and scorpion dice pairs have same values, then no special scoring for scorpion or flower is applicable.
• Double Flower - If flower is a double, then all scores for dual, plural, short and long flower rules are applicable.
• Double Scorpion - If scorpion is a double, then penalty for short and long scorpion rules are applicable but scores for dual and plural are not applicable.
• Lead Double - If a round is started with a double which is also a flower then player scores for dual, short and long flower rules (4 points in total). If a round is started with a double which is also a scorpion then player does not score for dual and loses points for short and long scorpion rules (2 points in total).
• Note: Some of the moves may score for both flower as well as scorpion and may effectively result in bonus and penalty cancelling each other out.
• First player playing all his/her tiles wins the round. If the game is blocked then following rules are used in sequence to determine winner of the round.
• 1. The player who played all his/her tiles.
• 2. In blocked game player who has the tile matching flower values.
• 3. In blocked game player who has the tile matching scorpion values.
• 4. In blocked game if no player has the tile matching flower or scorpion values, then player with lowest double.
• 5. If none of the above criteria matches, then there is no winner for the round.
• Winner of a round scores 2 bonus points.
• Player scoring 20 or more points after end of a round wins the game.