TallynightHow to keep score in Triominos
In Triominos, sold as Tri-Ominos in the US, you score as you play. Each tile you place is worth the three numbers on its corners added together. Bridges and hexagons earn bonuses, every tile you draw costs 5, and going out wins the tiles left in the other hands. The game goes to 400.
- Players
- 2 to 4, or up to 6 in some editions
- Who wins
- The highest total once someone reaches 400
- Tiles
- 56 triangles, numbered 0 to 5 at the corners
- Deal
- 9 each for 2 players, 7 for 3 or 4, 6 for 5 or 6
What each play scores
Add up the three numbers on the tile you place. Bonuses go on top, and penalties come off your score straight away.
| Play | Points |
|---|---|
| Placing a tile | The sum of its three corners |
| Starting the round with a triple | The sum of its corners + 10 |
| Starting the round with the triple 0 | 40 |
| Making a bridge, or filling the gap beside one | The tile's sum + 40 |
| Closing a hexagon | The tile's sum + 50 |
| Each tile drawn from the pool | −5 |
| Three tiles drawn and none fits | −10 more, so −25 in all |
| Can't play and the pool is empty | −10 |
| Going out | 25 + the tiles left in every other hand |
Editions don't all agree, so check the rules in your box. Some let you keep drawing until a tile fits, and the bonus for closing two hexagons with one tile is 60 in some editions and 100 in others.
Starting a round
Deal the tiles face down and leave the rest in the middle as the pool. The player holding the highest triple places it first: three 5s if anyone has it, then three 4s, and so on. They score its total plus a 10 point bonus, so three 5s start with 15 + 10 = 25.
The triple 0 starts with 40: its corners add up to nothing, but it earns the 10 point bonus and an extra 30. If nobody holds a triple, the tile with the highest total starts, and scores only its sum.
Play then goes clockwise. Each tile you place has to match the two numbers along the edge it joins.
Bridges and hexagons
A bridge is a tile placed so that one edge matches a tile on the table and the corner opposite that edge matches the point of another tile, leaving a gap between them. It scores 40 on top of its sum. A tile that later fills the gap beside a bridge, matching on two sides, scores the 40 too.
A hexagon is six tiles meeting round one point. The tile that closes it scores 50 on top of its sum. Close two hexagons with one tile and the bonus is bigger, 60 or 100 depending on the edition.
Drawing and passing
Can't play? Draw a tile from the pool and lose 5 points for it. If it fits, play it and score it as usual, so a 12 point tile drawn and played adds 12 − 5 = 7.
Many editions stop you after three draws. If none of the three fits, you lose a further 10 and your turn passes, 25 in all. Once the pool is empty, a player who can't play loses 10 and passes.
The end of a round and the game
A round ends when someone plays their last tile. They score 25, plus the total of every tile left in the other players' hands. The others don't lose those points.
If nobody can play and the pool is empty, the round is blocked. The player with the fewest tiles left wins it, though some editions go by the lowest points left. They score the total of everyone else's tiles, minus their own, with no 25 bonus.
Turn the tiles face down, mix them and deal again for the next round. When someone reaches 400, play on to the end of that round. The highest total then wins, though some editions give the game to whoever won that last round.
A scoring example
The plays that scored most in one round for three players, Ana, Ben and Cleo. A tile is written by its three corners, so 2-4-4 has a 2 and two 4s.
| Play | Ana | Ben | Cleo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana starts with three 4s: 12 + 10 | 22 | ||
| Ben plays a 2-4-4 | 10 | ||
| Cleo draws one tile, then plays a 1-2-4: 7 − 5 | 2 | ||
| Ana plays a 1-2-3 | 6 | ||
| Ben makes a bridge with a 3-4-5: 12 + 40 | 52 | ||
| Cleo draws three, and none fits: −15 − 10 | −25 | ||
| Ana closes a hexagon with a 1-1-3: 5 + 50 | 55 | ||
| Ben goes out. Ana holds 18 points of tiles and Cleo 22: 25 + 40 | 65 | ||
| These plays | 83 | 127 | −23 |
Cleo's draws cost her 5 a tile, and three that didn't fit cost 25. Ben's 65 for going out is the 25 bonus plus Ana's 18 and Cleo's 22. Add each play to a running total, and deal again until someone reaches 400.
Keep score for Triominos in Tallynight
Triominos isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Running score, "Add points as they happen", with Highest winning. Turn on Play to a target and raise it to 400.
Tap the star to add it to your favourites, then Start game. After each play, tap the player's total and type what it scored, with a minus sign for tiles drawn. When someone reaches 400, Tallynight offers to end the game: tap Keep playing to finish the round, then End game.
- Tap a total to type any play, bonus or penalty
- A minus key for tiles drawn from the pool
- Undo, and a scoring log to fix a miscounted tile
- Offers to end the game at 400
A Triominos score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Triominos score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you score Triominos?
Each tile you place scores the three numbers on its corners added together. A bridge adds 40, a hexagon 50, each tile you draw costs 5, and going out earns 25 plus the tiles left in everyone else's hands.
How many points is a bridge in Triominos?
40, on top of the tile's own sum. A tile that later fills the gap beside a bridge, matching on two sides, scores the 40 too.
How many points is a hexagon in Triominos?
50 plus the tile's sum, for the tile that closes the six. Closing two hexagons with one tile earns more: 60 in some editions and 100 in others.
What is the triple zero worth in Triominos?
40 when you start a round with it: the usual 10 point bonus for a triple, plus an extra 30. Its corners add up to nothing.
How many tiles can you draw in Triominos?
Up to three in many editions, at 5 points each. If none of them fits, you lose another 10 and pass, 25 in all. Some editions keep you drawing until a tile fits.
What score do you play to in Triominos?
400. When someone reaches it, play on to the end of the round, and the highest total wins.
How many tiles do you start with in Triominos?
9 each with two players, 7 with three or four, and 6 with five or six.