Tabletop games
Tri-Ominos
Goliath GamesAllan Cowan1965
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 40
- years
- 6+
In the box
56 triangular tiles · 4 stands
Box details
- Designer
- Allan Cowan
- Artwork
- Bernd Dümler, Heidemarie Rüttinger
- Publisher
- Goliath Games
- Mechanics
- Hand ManagementPattern BuildingTile Placement
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Each player places their triangular tiles by matching the numbers, to score the most points. On your turn, play a tile whose two numbers match the side it touches and score the sum of its three numbers, plus a bonus for a bridge or a hexagon; if you cannot play, draw up to three tiles, at a cost of 5 points each. The first player to play all their tiles earns a 25-point bonus plus the numbers left with the others; in competition, the game is played to 400 points.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
56 tiles, 9 each with 2 players, 7 with 3 or 4 players
- 56 triangular tiles showing three numbers, all different, and four racks.
- The tiles are shuffled face down. With two players, each player draws nine; with three or four, seven. The rest form the draw pile.
- To decide who starts, each player turns over a tile from the draw pile: the highest sum opens, draw again in case of a tie, then these tiles go back into the draw pile.
How to play
1 tile per turn, Matching numbers, Else draw up to 3
- The first player places the tile of their choice and scores the sum of its numbers. Play then goes clockwise, one tile per turn.
- Each tile played must match, with its two numbers, the side it is placed against, and every corner it touches must match.
- A bridge links two parts of the layout with a single tile: one side rests against a tile, and the opposite point touches another tile whose corner matches.
- A hexagon is a shape of six tiles closed around a single point.
- If you cannot play, or do not want to, draw a tile and try to place it; if that fails, draw a second, then a third at most.
- If the draw pile is empty, pass your turn with no penalty.
Scoring
Sum of the 3 numbers, Bridge +40, hexagon +50, Tile drawn −5
- Score the sum of the three numbers of the tile played.
- Bridge: +40. Hexagon: +50. Double hexagon: +60. Triple hexagon: +70.
- Each tile drawn costs 5 points. If you still cannot play after three draws, you lose 10 more points: 25 in all.
End of the game
Empty hand: +25, Gains others' numbers, Game to 400 points
- The round ends when a player has played all their tiles: they score a 25-point bonus, plus the sum of the numbers left with the others.
- If nobody can play any more, the round also ends: each player subtracts from their score the sum of the numbers left on their rack.
- For a competition game, play to 400 points: the round in which a player goes past 400 is the last, and the highest cumulative total at the end of that round wins.
House rules and pitfalls
As every tile is unique, you can count those already played to anticipate your opponents' moves.
- As every tile is unique, you can count those already played to anticipate your opponents' moves.
- Leaving playable spots for yourself on your next turn saves you paying for draws.
- In older editions, the player holding the highest triple opens, and earns a 10-point bonus on top of the value of their tile.
- The rules vary between editions. In Pressman's American version, sold as Tri-Ominos (Wikipedia dates the game to 1965), five or six players get six tiles each, opening with the triple 0 scores 40 points and two hexagons at once score 100. Agree on the instructions in your own box before you start.
- To check that a box is complete, sort the tiles into three groups: 6 triples, 30 tiles with one number twice, 20 tiles with three different numbers.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Variants
Game to
200 points (short game)
400 points (publisher's rules)
A single round
Stop as soon as someone plays their last tile.
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
How many pieces are there in Tri-Ominos?
Fifty-six triangular tiles, all different, numbered from 0 to 5 in their corners, with four racks in the box. Each player draws nine with two players, seven with three or four.
What are the 56 tiles?
Every combination of three numbers from 0 to 5, repeats included, each one only once. The numbers read in ascending order going clockwise: 0-1-2 exists, its mirror 0-2-1 does not. That makes 6 triples, from 0-0-0 to 5-5-5, 30 tiles with one number twice and 20 with three different numbers.
How do you score in Tri-Ominos?
For each tile placed, score the sum of its three numbers, plus a bonus if it forms a bridge (40) or a hexagon (50, then 60 and 70 for a double and a triple). Each tile drawn costs 5 points, and 10 more if you still cannot play. Whoever plays their last tile adds 25 points and the sum of the numbers left with the others. For example, the 2-3-5 tile closing a hexagon scores 10 points, plus a 50-point bonus: 60.
How do you place a tile in Tri-Ominos?
By matching two numbers with the side you place it against, and by shape: a tile pointing up can only go against a tile pointing down.
What are a bridge, a hexagon and a double hexagon?
A bridge is a tile linking two parts of the layout without extending them: 40 points. A hexagon is a closed shape of six tiles: 50 points. A double hexagon, two hexagons at once: 60 points; a triple hexagon, 70.
How much does drawing cost?
Five points per tile drawn, three at most. If the third still cannot be placed, you pass your turn and lose ten more points, 25 in all.
What does the first tile score?
Its value, that is the sum of its three numbers. In older editions, you opened with your highest triple and earned a ten-point bonus.
What does the player who plays their last tile score?
A twenty-five-point bonus, plus the sum of all the numbers left with the other players. The end of a round can turn the standings around.
How many points is the game played to?
Four hundred under the publisher's competition rules: you finish the round in which someone goes past that threshold. For a shorter game, the scorer also offers 200 points or a single round without keeping score.