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Rules for Mao

Mao is a party game for 4-10(ish) players, which typically involves only a deck of cards. The key conceit of the game is that the rules are hidden from the players and added over time, causing confusion and chaos. There are many variations on the game, but below I present the version I find to be the most engaging and beginner-friendly.

Setup

A standard deck of cards. One player (probably you) is designated as Mao. Each round, all players are dealt a hand of cards (around 6, less for large player counts). A round ends when a player empties their hand without breaking any rules, and the winning player is allowed to add a new secret rule, known only to themselves and Mao.

Initial rules

It is good to begin with a set of initial rules to allow normal card play. A reasonable set is the following, although you can invent more if players become too creative.

• On your turn, place a single card onto the discard pile, and otherwise not alter the game state in any other way (no playing multiple cards, swapping cards, drawing from the deck etc.)
• You can only play if it is your turn.
• You must complete your turn in a timely manner.
• Play starts with whoever Mao chooses.
• If you break a rule, Mao informs you that you have broken a rule and gives you a single card from the deck.

You may like to add one additional basic rule for the first round of play, otherwise players may be confused what they're doing at all.

Basic rules

• Your card must be the opposite colour to the previous card.
• Your card must have a higher rank than the preivous card (with Aces as the highest).
• Playing an 8 reverses the direction of play.
• When you have only one card left, you must say "Uno!"

Card rules

• You cannot play a face card onto another face card.
• You must follow suit (play the same suit as previous card).
• You can play multiple cards of the same rank at once.

Behavioural rules

• You must play cards with your left hand.
• You must scratch your nose before playing.
• You cannot talk during your turn.
• No swearing at any time.
• You cannot ask any questions.
• You must say "thank you" when receiving a penalty card.
• When playing a Queen, you must say "God Save the Queen".
• You cannot place your card on top of another card. You must find a new spot on the table to place it.
• You must throw your cards onto the table.
• Call a spade a spade. When playing a spade card, say the name of the card aloud.

Turn order rules

• Playing an Ace skips the next players turn.
• You may play a King at any time, at which point turn order moves on as if your turn just ended.
• If the rank of your card matches the previous card, it is still your turn.
• Turn order is now alphabetical by player's names.

Special action rules

• If a 7 is played, all players pass their entire hand to the right.
• At any point you may ask a player for a card of a given rank. If they have it, they give it to you. Otherwise, they say "go fish".
• 2s and 4s work like +2s and +4s in Uno, including stacking.
• If a Slamwich occurs (one rank followed by a different rank followed by the same rank again), the last player to put their hand on the table picks up the three cards.
• When drawing from the deck, you may take a card from another player's hand instead.
• Before drawing from the deck, you may swap the deck and discard pile.
• Jumping jacks. You may play a Jack into another player's hand.

Win conditions

Choose whether or not to announce any win conditions to players.

• The person who wins the next round wins the game.
• If you break five rules simultaneously, you win.
• You win if you have ten cards in your hand.

Meta rules

• Kings and Queens swap roles for the purpose of all other rules.
• Breaking a rule counts as breaking two rules.
• The player who won the last round cannot win this round under any circumstances.

Tips for being Mao

Choosing rules or guiding players on the best rules to add is the most delicate part of the game for maintaining a fun experience. Here are some general pointers:

• Make sure rules are easy to arbitrate. Having rules that involve playing cards facedown for example makes checking other rules very difficult.
• Behavioural rules are usually easier to spot and more fun for players, but having a few card rules also adds elements of strategy.
• If a rule is linked to a specific event (like playing two aces in a row), rare events should have very obvious effects, so players have a good idea of what is happening and why.
• Keep the cause of rules simple. Something like "if you play a prime number" will take a very long time to be figured out, and will end up seeming arbitrary.
• Don't make rules which specifically target individual players.

When a player breaks a rule, you may like to tell them what type of rule they broke to give a bit of extra information. My go-to list of reasons is:

• "You played the wrong card."
• "You played the card wrong."
• "You took too long to play."
• "It is not your turn."

Otherwise, keep the atmosphere lighthearted and fun. If players are getting frustrated, encourage them to discuss the rules with each other and work together. Use your role as Mao to give struggling players an advantage.