DOMINATION (Patch Products, 2-4 players, ages 8 and up, about 30 minutes; $22.95)

   In our world, there are two kinds of people: those who play games and those who do not. The question for many of the first type is: How do you get the non-gamers over to our side? Despite the wealth of games out there, the push from non-gamer to gamer requires a very special sort of propulsion. Non-gamers cannot be forced to play games; they have to be seduced. The seduction that seems to work best, at least in our experience, is what I call "NGGG": Non-Gamer Gamer's Games.

   A NGGG is a game that entices the person who would, under normal circumstances, only play games at gunpoint. To wash away any game phobia, such a game should be A) attractive, B) familiar looking and C) seem accessible to someone unfamiliar with the nuances of more sophisticated play. Domination is such a game.

   Criteria A is met with a nicely mounted board showing a 7 x 7 grid that creates "boxes" (called "territories" in game parlance). The boxes are bordered by domino tile values which match the 112 domino tiles provided. There are also 140 chips in four colors with matching color trays to hold those domino tiles. Criteria B is met because Domination melds two games most non-gamers have at least a partial familiarity with: Dominoes and Boxes. Even more comforting, Criteria C is met as the rules are only 1 page long. (And in two languages: English on one side, French on the other.)

   Each player takes a domino tray and chips in the matching color. The dominoes are mixed, face down, and each player draws 7 as a starting hand.  Each turn, one domino from your hand MUST be placed on its matching area on the board.  You then draw another tile to fill your hand back to 7. Should your tile placement seal off a territory (by completing the box), you claim it by placing one of your colored chips in the territory. Should one placement seal off multiple territories, ALL may be claimed. 

   The game continues until ALL domino tiles are played. The player who has conquered the most territories by having more of their chips on the board than any other wins the game.

   This is not rocket science. But, despite its simple nature, Domination does offer some strategic options that a first glance may miss. There is, of course, a luck factor here in the drawing of tiles by both you and your opponents. But you can exert some control. For one thing, there are several places available for each tile's placement. This allows for some decision-making. Couple this with the fact that you have a hand of 7 tiles, advance planning is possible as you set up a series of moves to create a cascade of scoring opportunities. This keeps the game interesting enough - and the game is certainly attractive enough - to generate repeat playings. Plus the game plays equally well with two, three or four players. Although more experienced gamers will probably wish there was a way to remove chips from already claimed territories (there isn't), the reality of the matter is that the standard play keeps the game moving and moves the game to a quick but satisfying conclusion.

   Many years ago, noted writer and wit George S. Kaufman was with someone when an Irving Berlin tune was heard on the radio. " 'All alone by the telephone' ", disparaged the listener. "Anyone could have written that." Kaufman succinctly replied, "But Irving did." This can be said about Domination. Anybody could have mixed Dominoes and Boxes to create this game. But give credit to Patch Products. They came up with a pleasurable play combination with a wide ranging appeal that actually works!  - - - - Herb Levy