42 Dominoes Reviews

As a long-time player of 42, I know all the rules for 42. The main flaw is how the AI computes the scores. I just finished a hand and the AI recorded the last trick to my opponent. By doing this, I lost that hand. I had the bid. Trumps are gone. Last trick I played a double blank, my opponent played a double 4, my partner followed the suit, and the last player (my opponent) played a 6-4. Up until this last trick--not set. By my calculation, my double was a walker and I won the points. My game should have been recorded as a win. I went into detail to show 42Dominoes will make such recording errors regularly. Also, in the stated rules shown in their menu, it is stated that doubles can be a suit of their own in nello. I wish the game creaters would add this as an option to the game. Such an option gives the players more possibilities in bidding. I've played nello with this option for many years--more fun. Otherwise, I enjoy 42Dominoes. Finally, I wish there were more app choices for Texas 42 for us 42 players to choose from.

Game is good except for one big problem. Even though I paid for a “smart” partner and challenging competition, I don’t feel like I got that. Partner and opponents continually make rookie mistakes. Partner doesn’t seem to be able to recognize when he and I have all the trumps (or all of any suit), and doesn’t seem to have the ability to utilize the strategy of holding on to a trump to catch count that opponents are holding on to. When we both have all the trumps, he will play all of his trumps, even when he has other doubles in his hand, pulling all of the trumps out of my hand, and often causing us to lose the hand. Very frustrating. He and opponents also sometimes fail to play count when it’s obvious, or likely, that their partner is going to win that hand. Also sometimes fail to play a double when they should to win an important hand. Also very frustrating. In spite of these, I still play it. It has pretty good overall functionality. Just EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING when “smart” partner repeatedly makes stupid plays.

Two main issues, first, when the computer is forced to take the bid, it often just chooses blanks. It seems it would be easy to at least just set it to make trump the suit the computer has the most of. I’ve actually had it make trump blanks multiple times and it didn’t even have a blank. Second, the computer will play trump as long all the trumps are not in. So, if the computer and its partner are the only ones with trumps it will pull the trumps from the partner. This almost never happens. Other minor issues: sometimes the computer should be able to tell it’s partner is going to win a trick and thus play count. Sometimes it doesn’t. When the computer goes low, it struggles determining which domino to slough. For example, it will often slough a double blank, when there is no way the opponents could lead to the double blank. Having said all this it is still fun and there just are not that many 42 apps available.

This is a good rendition of 42. Overall it plays pretty good games. I’ve played many 100s of times. So it is fun to play.

But I’ve noticed 2 major flaws. First, the teammate game play leads trumps even when opposing teams is without trumps weakening partner’s hand by draining their own trumps. It doesn’t matter if teammate has other non-trump leads/winners.

Second and more subtle is an observation that shake randomization is weak. The side affect is you tend to get similarly close groupings of dominos for an entire match. I guess that you get more practice with playing certain groupings of dominoes, but it creates an unrealistic game at times. The randomization seed seems to be reset after relaunching App for a new match. The repeatability trend of this issue seems to imply that the interactive bone picking feature is bogus and App just assigns you its randomized set of bones. It’s fun to think that different picking patterns may yield more random hands, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

I grew up playing straight dominoes, 42, and moon, so was happy to discover this; however, I have uncovered a flaw or two in the game design. When the game setting is set to force a bid and when my partner is bidding last and has to bid, blanks are always chosen for trump even without any blanks in the hand! Another thing I noticed, when my partner is playing a domino in the trump, it appears no consideration is given to strategy. For example, the trump is 3 and my partner has 3/2 & 3/1 and 3/3, 3/6, and 3/5 are already played with 3/4 still out, my partner plays 3/2, often giving away points.

My “smart” partner bid with 2 as trump. 2/2, 2/6, 2/5, 2/1, & 2/0 were played. My partner still had 2/4 & 2/3 along with 6/6, 4/4, & 5/1; however, instead of playing a trump or double, the partner led with 5/1, with the opponents taking with 5/5 and tossing in 5/0.

A mediocre player would play better than this “smart” partner.

Extremely frustrating! Although the game is 42, the partners are relatively “stupid.” Though this is the case for all the computer players (even your opponents), so at least that is fair. The most recent example, which has happened multiple times - I didn’t have the double for my trump, so I played a lower trump to pull it in. My partner played count (the 6/4) even though he couldn’t have known if I was faking or not (I wasn’t). It cost the game. Also, the game nickels and dimes you to get better partners, to play for more marks, to make the game more difficult, to play Nel-O, to make the last player bid if no one else has (it just re-shuffles for the table), etc. It’s $.99-$2.99 per option or $9.99 for all of them. If I knew the developers were using the money to create a game where you could play with real people versus computers, I’d be ecstatic, but it seems steep just for options (especially when I don’t know if the partners will be any more intuitive or better).

The computerized partner will make bad moves like bidding 2 marks when you’re only 1 mark from winning and then losing the second trick because they didn’t have a high trump. If you move the difficulty up to hard you spend more time passing than playing. At that point you need to pay to force the last person to bid.

It would be nice to be able to bid Plunge or to make the partner be a little smarter like not playing a trump to steal the lead from you when they have the last trump left and you’re trying to finish by playing a bunch of doubles.

I got this game to learn more skill and technique since my family plays so much and are basically professionals. I know my partner is a computer, but I’ve lost countless times bc my partner could’ve caught it and didn’t. Example/ We’re winning a 31 hand, i throw out my five off (5/4), next person 5/3, my partner 5/blank, and then last 5/6. that put the other team in the lead. They throw double 6 and my partner throws double 5 on there when it wasn’t beneficial in anyway, and that could’ve won us the game if they threw it in the previous turn. It happens constantly, and even ppl in real like know when to throw a double. It’s ridiculous bc you’re supposed to have your partners help, but they just screw me over every time. Not. Cool.

My computer partner won the bid. I had high trump and took the lead. When I played a double, my partner trumped it when they had an off domino that they should have played. They didn’t play it. I have the paid version and had the level of each player maxed out. Is 42Dominoes still updated periodically? I’d love to see that improved. It would greatly increase the quality of this awesome game.

Whoever programmed 42Dominoes does not know how to play 42. First if you have no blank’s don’t call them as your trump. 2 when you are in the lead play doubles not the 6/4. 3 of you and your partner are the only one with trumps throw an off not another trump pulling trumps out of your partners hand. 4 when you the throw an off don’t throw count. 5 also don’t lead with a 5 , 6 , or 4 if you don’t know where the double 5 or 6/4 is. 6 if you’re partner throws a double don’t trump it. 7 if you’re partner throw a double throw count if you can don’t hold on to it to the end of the hand. 8 even if you think you can make 36. You can bid lower . 8 where is “plunge” and 7’s . 9 in nelo doubles catch doubles only. The programer is definitely not a Texan

This game is not realistic with partner play!!!! It will aggregate the crap out of you!!!’ Your partner “the computer” continuously makes bad decisions. Examples: If your partner wins the bid and loses the lead to you; and you lead w a double, it will Trump you instead of getting rid of its offs. Then turn around and lead with its off and lose the hand. Another example of a moves that infuriated when I had the bid and was playing. I got down towards the end of my hand and lead one of my offs which was six blank. The person behind me played six four. My partner had double six and played a lower six. In addition your partner continuously bids over you with crappy hands! Not very well set up!

42Dominoes is fairly close to 42, but the skill level of players is low and many times, not smart. Several times, I have lost a bid because sometimes, 42Dominoes reads a double (not a trump) as the high domino, instead of my trump! For example. I put out the last trump, tres-blank (tres is trump). The left opponent put out a deuce-six, my partner played an ace-6. The right opponent played double-six. Instead of the trump taking it, the double took it. I lost because the right opponent then led a double-five; I could not trump and lost the entire hand. Quite frustrating, as nothing can be done. I will continue to play and hope that glitch gets worked out.

I enjoy playing 42 and love having an app to play with. but why exhaust all your trumps if you don’t have to? The computer appears to not be very smart with some of the dominoes it releases as a team. For example if you and your team have all the trumps remaining, why continue exhausting all the trumps? And in this same example, the computer teammate releases a different double when I’m playing trumps instead of holding it until it’s their turn to take the lead with that double which could be the double to my offs. But it’s free and entertaining. Just don’t expect advanced plays.

Things I like about it:
- easy to just pick up and play a few matches. Play is fast.
- the in-app purchases for partner skill and difficulty are not flawless but they are very good. I tracked my stats and this is definitely a good feature proven out through stats.
- the tracking of win / loss statistics is awesome
- the background music, believe it or not I leave it on and it’s nice.

Suggested improvements :
- how about adding a “sevens hand” bid? We used to play a hand similar to follow-me where you have to play dominoes totaling as close to seven as possible. Very fun.
- how about adding online play so I can challenge my friends? The online 42 apps that I have found offering multiplayer are not good, 42Dominoes could rule the roost!

Overall very fun app, reminds me of sitting at the kitchen table with my roommates back in aggieland.

Come on, no way would you throw count and hold a double that is not going to catch anything on the last hand!! It’s cost us more games than I can count. There has to be a work around to this in the programming. Any amateur bones player knows, hold your points and make your competitors pull them from you even at the end of the game. And why hold doubles and allow your competitors to win the trick? Take the trick, even if you have another domino of the same number! You play to win the hands! It needs an update to fix these basic issues.

This is decent for an app version of 42. I’ve played thousands of physical and electronic hands of 42 - my critique of this version is my partner sometimes plays a domino that should have been held in hand, causing unnecessary loss of the trick. Another flaw in this version is a trump is sometimes played then followed by another player adding a less powerful trump to the hand, even though trump was not led…resulting in throwing a trump domino away. I get very frustrated with these flaws, yet I’ve spent countless hours playing this version for lack of a better alternative.

It’s okay for learning to play the game. The add on features seem to be priced a bit high for what you get. I wish it would place each players dominoes in the same spot each time after the play so you can analyze the game after. Once the points are reached, it shows the opponents dominoes left, but covers up your partners dominoes, so you can’t tell what he had left. Again, hindering analyzing the game after. I understand the partner not being super skilled at the free level, but playing points when he doesn’t have to, and it’s obvious the opponent is taking the trick. Obvious self destruct.

I really like playing this game, and I really love the fact that it has NO ADS. I recently learned to play 42 with real dominoes, so this has been a fun way to get better on my own. I’m playing with the mark scoring option, and I only wish I could adjust the number of marks (3 marks wins a game) without having to pay to unlock the feature, but overall, I’m super happy with the free version of this game!

Your partner is the biggest problem with this game. Some of the moves it makes would start a fight a my family reunions. You can have a good draw and bid high, and your partner out bids you with nothing more than a double and a small follow up. When you win the bid it will hold back points that it can throw your, but when the opponent wins the bid they throw points at them. Your partner will also hold back bigger trumps if they have multiple just to out trump you and screw up your plan for the hand.

I really don’t want to give it any stars because it is so frustrating. If i bid before my partner they out bid me and call a double their trump and that is the only trump they have. If they bid before me i have learned to out bid them otherwise they are making me lose. They also have played the dominos in the wrong order where they could have taken a set but they played them wrong. It’s like the game is trying to make me lose. Plus the other partners seem to always have the complimentary dominos to help them win!!! I will say i love playing 42 but it’s so frustrating watching it play against you so many times!!!

I really like playing this game, but why oh why is your partner such a bad player?!? Routinely your partner will trump your winning play, only to have a bad off domino left in his hand?!?! He’s got the last trump, but instead of saving it until he needs it, he takes your already won double domino trick. Also, he will lead the 10 point 6/4 domino when both the 6/6 and 6/5 is still outstanding. Also, why does he routinely keep leading a trump domino knowing his partner is the only player left with trumps? Frustrating!!

I’ve been playing 42 for 30+ years now and the AI plays like a partner that just learned the rules last week. Even if you pay for the smarter partner upgrade (would not recommend) it’ll still overbid you (like you’ve got a 36 pt hand and your AI partner will go NIL), or it’ll call blanks as trumps even if they only hold 0:1 as their only blank, or play the 5:5 with 0:5 and 4 trumps still standing. Asking the developer to PLEASE look into this. The AI plays like someone who I’d get in a fist fight with over a game.

On the last trick, I played a six blank. My first opponent played a double ace. My partner played a double 3. The next opponent plated 4 Ace. The trick was accredited to my opponents. There is no way any of those dominoes should have taken my six blank. I lost the game because of this. I have played 42 for about 70 years, starting when I was a toddler sitting on my grandmother‘s lap, and playing as an adult since I was 12. I can see that others have had the same problem. Please fix it. I love the game but I don’t like it when scoring is wrong.

It is disappointing how poorly the partner/player across from you plays.

It often upbids you with a poor hand (for example bidding 32 when holding only 3 trumps and not the 6-trump or 5-trump). It also almost always plays a lower trump on the second hand, even when it has the next-highest. If you lead with the double, then the next hand play the 1-trump, I assume you don’t have the next highest so I don’t play a counter.

Too many other poor strategic decisions to list. It’s too bad as there aren’t any better Texas 42 apps but this is definitely not worth $10 or more for all the extra options.

I love 42 plain and simple… this game has the potential to be great, since there are not many options on the market. I biggest complaint is the fact that I do not get to choose my dominoes, they are chosen for me plus I get the left overs. I also do not like the fact that my “partner” rarely bids, especially when given the option to have a “smart” partner. I would also like to see the option for “plunge”bidding (4marks). Aside from these few complaints, I do enjoy the game.

First off I do love your game. But my grandmother grew up as a child in the Garner/Authon community. From the time I was a child, when we went over to visit her, we would always play 42. Sometimes your game will pull trumps from your hand. When all trumps are in. If I ever played a trump, and pulled one from her hand. When I had a double I could lead. Well that was a hand slapper. I do love your game. More of a story than a complaint.