- BGG rank
- BGG #24,728
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Dominoes
- 2–10 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 1500
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,254
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Five-up
1959
Rules assistance for Five-up
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Five-up
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Five-up is a board game released in 1959 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Dominic C. Armanino and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Team-Based Game, and Pattern Building.
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About the game
Five-up is a point Traditional Games: Dominoes game in the "Fives Family" of Traditional Games: Dominoes games played with a standard Western Dominoes set of 28 tiles. This variation adds the ends of the dominoes to make a multiple of five for scoring. Five-up is very similar to other games such as All Fives, Muggins, and Sniff. In Five-up, each player starts out with five dominoes in their hand, and the first player can play any domino in their hand. Thereafter, each player must play a domino from their hand if they can match it to a domino end on the table. If they cannot play a domino from their hand, they must draw from the "boneyard" until they can play a domino on the tableau. If the ends of the dominoes add up to a multiple of five, the player adding the domino scores one (1) point for each multiple of five (5) (IE: if the ends added up to ten (10), the player would score two (2) points). The first player that plays their last domino from their hand, adds up the count remaining in their opponent's hand and scores the total divided by five (5) (IE: if the opponent had a count of fifteen (15) in their hand, the scorer would score three (3) points). Five-up is played to a score of 61, and is usually played with a Cribbage board to keep score. Five-up is unique in that every double domino played is a possible "spinner," and plays can be played on all four sides of a "spinner." The rules for Five-Up were standardized and popularized in the 60's by Dominic C. Armanino, who wrote at least four books on Dominoes. He was a strong advocate and PR agent for this version of the game. Life magazine called this version, A big new go for the humble domino.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Fundex
- (Public Domain)
- NamuHana
- Five-Up Company
Questions and answers
Five-up supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Five-up is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Five-up for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Five-up has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Five-up belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Team-Based Game, and Pattern Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Five-up are: Dominic C. Armanino. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Five-up as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.