Mau-Mau: match the suit or the rank, and say Mau on your second-to-last card

About Mau-Mau

Two to four players, every player for themselves, with a 32-card deck (7 through ace). Everyone gets five cards, and the first card off the deck starts the pile (it has no effect). On your turn, play a card that matches the top card by suit or by rank. If nothing matches (or you'd rather not play), draw one card from the deck: if it fits, play it right away; if not, pass. When the deck runs out, the played cards, except the top one, are shuffled to make a new deck. Three cards call the shots: a 7 makes the next player draw 2 and lose their turn (if they play another 7, the draw stacks up and moves on to the player after them); an 8 makes the next player skip a turn; and a jack goes on any card except another jack, and whoever plays it names the suit the next player has to follow. Then there's the Mau: when you play your second-to-last card, you have to say Mau (in the game, that's the SAY MAU button, with two cards in hand), and anyone who forgets draws 2 penalty cards. The first to empty their hand goes out and scores the cards left in everyone else's: jacks are worth 20 and aces 11; kings, queens and 10s are worth 10; everything else, face value. If nobody can draw or play, the game is blocked: the player with the fewest points in hand scores the difference from each of the others. Games go to 100 points per player: 200 with two players, 300 with three, 400 with four. Each player picks the deck design they see, from the four in the Kingdom's collection. The table lives on the site, so you don't all need to be online at once: the game tells you when it's your turn, and anyone who opens the link after the game starts can watch. There's text chat, and the rematch happens right there at the same table.

In Selminha's words

“Mau-Mau is a classic of German card tables: it looks simple until a 7, an 8 or a jack turns the round upside down — and whoever forgets to say Mau pays for it. I wanted our own table for it, with bots for when you're short a player and a button so nobody forgets the word.”

How to play Mau-Mau

1. Pick your deck, tap OPEN A TABLE, enter your name and COPY the link. Send it to up to three people, or tap ADD A BOT on the open seats.
2. Once at least two are seated, the host taps START THE GAME (empty seats sit that game out). Everyone gets five cards, and the first card off the deck starts the pile.
3. On your turn, the cards you can play light up: tap a card to pick it and tap it again to play, or drag it onto the table. Played a jack? Name the suit in the box. If nothing fits, tap the deck or DRAW; if the card you drew doesn't fit, tap PASS.
4. When a 7 lands on you, only another 7 gets you out of drawing (the draw stacks up and moves on); without one, the button turns into DRAW 2 (or more, if the 7s stacked up). An 8 skips the next player. With two cards in hand, tap SAY MAU before playing your second-to-last card: anyone who forgets draws 2 cards.
5. When someone empties their hand (or the game is blocked), a box shows what's left in each hand, how many points the winner scores and the standings; any player taps NEXT ROUND. Chat sits in the right column (on a phone, behind the chat button). P or Esc opens the menu (the table keeps going); M turns the sound on and off.

Full rules for Mau-Mau
More games to play with friends online

The basic rules

The deck

32 cards, 7 through ace, no jokers. Five cards each; the first card off the deck starts the pile and has no effect.

Your turn

Play a card that matches the top card by suit or by rank. Play always moves on to the next player in the same direction.

Drawing and passing

If nothing matches (or you'd rather not play), draw one card from the deck: if it fits, play it right away; if not, pass. When the deck runs out, the played cards, except the top one, are shuffled to make a new deck.

A blocked game

If nobody can draw or play, the round ends: the player with the fewest points in hand scores the difference from each of the others.

The special cards

The 7

The next player draws 2 and loses their turn — unless they play another 7 on top, and then the draw stacks up (4, 6, 8…) for the player after them.

The 8

Skips the next player.

The jack

Goes on any card except another jack. Whoever plays it names the suit, and the next player has to follow that suit.

Saying Mau

Whoever plays their second-to-last card has to say Mau (in the game, that's the SAY MAU button, with two cards in hand). Forget, and you draw 2 penalty cards.

Controls on phone and computer

Computer

Tap or click a card to pick it and again to play it, or drag it onto the table · tap the deck or DRAW to draw · after a jack, name the suit in the box · with two cards in hand, SAY MAU before playing your second-to-last card · ← → move along your cards, ↑ jumps to the buttons and ↓ back to your cards, Enter picks and plays · P or Esc opens the menu · M sound · F full screen · gamepad: d-pad moves along the cards and the buttons, A or X plays, Start menu, Back sound.

Touch

On phones the game is played upright; on tablets it follows the device, portrait or landscape, and never asks you to rotate. Your hand sits large at the bottom (in two rows when it gets big) and the cards you can play light up; DRAW, PASS and RESIGN sit right above them, and the SAY MAU button appears when you're down to two cards. Invite with the COPY button and paste the link wherever you like (a text, a group chat…).

Scoring

Going out

The first to empty their hand scores the points left in everyone else's.

Card values

Jacks are worth 20 and aces 11; kings, queens and 10s are worth 10; everything else, face value.

The game

The first to reach 100 points per player wins: 200 with two players, 300 with three, 400 with four.

Playing by invitation

Who plays

Two to four: the host starts the game whenever they like, with whoever is seated, people or bots.

Deck design

Each player picks the deck design they see, from the four in the Kingdom's collection.