How to Play Maltese Cross

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Maltese Cross is a domino tile game for two to four players built around a distinctive cross-shaped tableau. From a central double tile, four arms extend outward, and players must match pips along those arms in strict sequence. The constraint of only four open ends gives the game a tighter, more tactical feel than open-ended domino formats.

The game is popular at kitchen tables and in social clubs precisely because the rules are simple to teach yet the decisions are genuinely interesting. Choosing which arm to extend, and when to hold back a key tile, creates a satisfying push-and-pull that keeps experienced players engaged well beyond the first few rounds.

A little history

The precise origins of Maltese Cross are unclear. It belongs to the family of cross-domino games that became widely popular in Britain and continental Europe during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when domino sets were standard household equipment. The cross-layout format appears in several regional variants under different names, and no single definitive source for the Maltese Cross name or ruleset has been established in the historical record.

Setting up

1. Turn all 28 tiles face down and shuffle them thoroughly on the table.
2. Each player draws their starting hand: 7 tiles each for two players, 6 tiles each for three players, 5 tiles each for four players.
3. Leave the remaining tiles face down as the boneyard (draw pile).
4. Determine who goes first. The player holding the highest double leads; if no one holds a double, redraw hands and reshuff the boneyard.
5. The leading player places their highest double face up in the centre of the table. This tile is the spinner and anchors the cross.

How to play

1. On your turn you must place one tile from your hand onto the layout, or draw from the boneyard if you cannot go.
2. The central double (the spinner) must have all four of its sides extended before any arm can be extended a second time. The four arms extend from the two short sides and the two long sides of the spinner.
3. Each of the four arms grows in one straight line outward from the spinner. You may only add a tile to the outer exposed end of an arm, matching the pip value shown at that end.
4. A tile is placed end to end so that touching ends share the same pip count. Doubles are placed crossways (perpendicular) to the arm as is standard, but do not create new branches.
5. If you cannot match any of the four open ends, you must draw one tile at a time from the boneyard until you can play or the boneyard is exhausted.
6. If the boneyard is empty and you still cannot play, you pass your turn. Announce 'pass' clearly so all players know.
7. Play continues clockwise until one player places their last tile (domino or 'goes out'), or until all players are blocked and no one can play.
8. When a player goes out, the round ends immediately. When all players are blocked, the player with the lowest total pip count in hand wins that round.

Winning and scoring

The player who goes out scores the total pip value of all tiles remaining in every other player's hand, rounded down to the nearest multiple of five if your group uses the simplified scoring variant. Under exact scoring, every pip counts as one point. Play continues over agreed rounds (typically five) and the player with the highest cumulative score wins the game. If the round ends in a block with no one able to play, the player with the fewest pips remaining wins the round and scores the sum of all other players' pip totals minus their own.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the spinner rule. All four sides of the central double must be played on before any arm may receive a second tile. If a player jumps ahead and extends an arm before the cross is complete, the tile must be taken back and the player either plays legally or draws from the boneyard. There is no penalty beyond the corrective draw, but the errant tile is returned to hand and any information it revealed is simply remembered by other players.

A second frequent question involves passing when the boneyard is empty. Once the boneyard runs out, a player who cannot match any open end simply says 'pass' and play moves on. If every player passes in succession without anyone placing a tile, the round is declared a block immediately and scored as described. Do not allow repeated full circuits of passing before calling the block: one complete circuit with no tile played ends the round.

How to win more often

• Count the pips in your hand from the outset and aim to reduce your total quickly. Even if you cannot go out first, a low pip count limits what you concede to the winner.
• Watch which pip values are scarce on the arms. If you hold several tiles of a value that is not yet open on any arm, you may be blocked for several turns, so plan an escape route early.
• Hold doubles carefully. A double can only be played on one specific pip value, so a double you cannot place can be a costly burden at the end of a round.
• Use the spinner completion to your advantage. If you hold tiles that match the two remaining unopened sides of the spinner, play them in the order that opens the arm most useful to you and least useful to opponents.
• When ahead on score, playing defensively on the arm values you know opponents need can force them to draw from the boneyard and inflate their pip counts.

Variations

Five-Up Scoring

Under this common variant, only scores that are exact multiples of five count. When a player goes out, the total pip value of opponents' hands is rounded down to the nearest five before recording. This speeds up mental arithmetic and produces cleaner running totals, making it popular in club play.

Draw Unlimited

In the standard game players draw until they can play. Some groups instead limit each player to a single draw per turn. If the drawn tile still does not play, the player passes. This rule increases blocking, shortens rounds considerably, and places greater emphasis on the initial hand dealt.

Double-Nine Set

The game plays well with a double-nine set (55 tiles), particularly with three or four players. Hand sizes increase to eight tiles for four players and ten for two. The larger set reduces the chance of early blocks and extends the mid-game tactical phase, giving the cross layout more room to develop before tiles run short.

Team Play

With four players, partners sit opposite each other and combine their scores at the end of each round. Partners may not show each other their tiles or communicate about them, but an experienced pair will naturally play to open the arms their partner needs and close the ends that suit opponents. Team Maltese Cross works particularly well over a fixed number of rounds with a target score to win the match.

Maltese Cross: frequently asked questions