Domino is a game with simple rules: stack the domino tiles on end in long lines and nudge the first tile to make it fall. The rest of the dominoes in the line will then tip over, and so on. This sequence can be repeated over and over to create a complex arrangement of domino art. Domino art can be made in straight or curved lines, with grids that form pictures when they fall, or even 3D structures such as towers and pyramids.

The word domino, as well as its derivatives, have also become a metaphor for how one small action can lead to much bigger consequences, a notion known as the domino effect. The word has also entered the business lexicon as a reference to organizational change based on a series of events that build on each other.

Lily Hevesh began playing with dominoes at age 9. Her grandparents had the classic 28-pack, and she loved setting up a line of them in straight or curved lines and then flicking the first one to watch the whole thing come crashing down. The 20-year-old now has a YouTube channel with more than 2 million subscribers, where she showcases her amazing domino creations. Hevesh works on large-scale domino installations for movies, TV shows, and even events like the Katy Perry album release party.

When Hevesh starts a new installation, she usually thinks of a theme or purpose for it. Then she brainstorms images or words that relate to that theme. Once she has a clear idea of what she wants her final domino arrangement to look like, she creates a rough draft using a grid and pencil. She then goes over the design with a ruler and erases any overlapping dominoes.

Once Hevesh has a draft that’s ready to go, she begins by testing the individual parts of the installation. She’ll place a small test domino on top of a larger one to see how it will fall. If the test doesn’t work, Hevesh adjusts the configuration or adds more dominoes.

After a while, she’ll start to piece together the biggest 3-D sections of the installation. She’ll then move on to flat arrangements and finally lines of dominoes that connect all the sections together.

Domino sets are available in a variety of materials, from traditional bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), and ivory to contemporary plastics and woods. Some sets are also crafted out of stone (e.g., marble, granite or soapstone); metals (e.g., brass or pewter); ceramic clay; and other non-porous materials like frosted glass or crystal.

In most domino games, players draw their own dominoes and then put them on the table. The first player to play a domino, which is often decided by the drawing of lots or who has the most tiles in their hand, places the first tile. Each subsequent player must then place a domino with matching pips on each side of the tile next to the double-six (or whatever number is being used as the starting point). The shape of the chain develops snake-line at random depending on how the dominoes are placed and the limitations of the playing surface.