How to Play The Mind Card Game Rules Guide for those who hate reading rulebooks
Reading board game rulebooks is such a pain. I summarised The Mind game rules in simple steps to help you and myself get started quick.
If you are looking for a quick overview to determine if The Mind is the right game for you, click here for our quick run-down.
Players: 2 to 4 | Game duration from: 15 mins | Game Complexity: EASY
What is the goal?
- Players compete as a team.
- Each player receives one card in the first round (level 1), two cards in the second round (level 2), and so on.
- Complete all levels by placing cards in ascending order without losing all your lives.
Setup
- The number of player (max 4) determines the number of lives and stars the team receives along with the number of level cards (level 1 at the top and highest at the bottom)
2 players
- levels 1-12
- 2 lives and 1 throwing star
3 players
- levels 1-10,
- 3 lives and 1 throwing star
4 players
- players: levels 1-8
- 4 lives and 1 throwing star
- Unused throwing cards and lives are set aside as a supply and the unused levels are returned. Your team’s lives and throwing stars are laid out face up.
- Shuffle the 100 number cards.
- For level 1, each player receives one card, which they hide from the other players.
The remaining number cards are placed face down in a stack.
Gameplay
Concentrate Phase
- Players who are ready to take on the current level, place their hand palm down on the table.
- When everyone is ready, they remove their hands from the table and play begins.
- It is critical for survival that everybody “concentrates” to allow players to be in sync when facing each level.
- Players are permitted to refocus their concentration at any time during the game. To interrupt play, say “stop” – everyone puts a hand on the table, “concentrates”, remove hands, and the game continues.
Playing The Mind
- Each player’s number cards are placed into one pile in ascending order. Put down the lowest (available) card first, then the second lowest (available) card, and so on.
- The catch is that cards are always put down one at a time and players are not allowed to communicate in any sort of way between each other to assist themselves.
- The players do not take turns in any particular order. Whoever believes they have the lowest card currently available, simply plays it.
- If a player has two consecutive cards, they are allowed to play them one after the other but can only put them down one at a time and players must place the lowest value card they are holding first.
- The team may also “concentrate” in between rounds if needed.
Playing in wrong order
- If someone plays a number card in the wrong order, the game is paused by whichever player (or players) has a lower value card than the one played.
- The team loses one life, and one life card must be taken away and placed with the supply of additional lives. You must set aside any cards lower than the card played.
- The team “concentrates” and continues at the current level (it isn’t re-started).
Finishing a level
- Current level is completed if players place all their cards in ascending order.
- Number cards in the center are shuffled with other spare cards and dealt to players in the amount equal to the new level.
- “Concentrate” before beginning the round, and (like previous rounds) all cards must be stacked in ascending order in the center.
- The game continues in this way for each level.
- Every new level, all 100 cards are shuffled and each player is dealt one more card than the previous round.
Throwing stars
- A player can suggest that a throwing star be played at any time – this is done by raising a hand.
- Upon agreement among the players, the throwing star is deployed, and each player discards their lowest hand card face up on the table.
- Remove one throwing star from your pile, all the players “concentrate” and the game continues.
- A throwing star is awarded when the team completes levels 2, 3, 5, 6, or 9. This is also indicated on the level cards in the lower right hand corner.
How to Win
The team must complete all the levels in the stack to achieve a victory. If the team loses its last life, the game is lost.
