The Mind is a 2018 card game by German publishers NSV. It’s the most recognisable game in their collection and brought the company huge success selling over a million copies. Nominee for game of the year, this is a cooperative game where everybody shares victory, but also defeat! Learn how to play The Mind card game below.
Table of Contents
- The Mind Rules
- How Many People Can Play the Mind Card Game?
- How to Set Up
- How to Play
- What is the Secret to the Mind?
- Expansion and Sequels
- Let’s Become One!
The Mind Rules
Here’s a PDF link to the rules from NSV games’ official site.
How Many People Can Play the Mind Card Game?
The Mind is recommended to be played between 2-4 players with more players giving a better playing experience. While you can also play with more than four players the game will get progressively harder.
How to Set Up
The game’s set up varies depending on how many people are playing. The benefit of this is that means the game is tailored to the player size. Place lives and throwing stars face up on the table in full view of all players.
- 2 Players: 2 Lives, 1 Throwing Star
- 3 Players: 3 Lives, 1 Throwing Star
- 4 Players: 4 Lives, 1 Throwing Star
How to Play
The Mind is a cooperative card game with the twist being that you are not allowed to communicate – the #1 rule. Players are not allowed to speak, make signals, hand sign, or otherwise indicate what number their card might be.
To win the game players must complete the number of levels that align to the game size, for example 4 players must complete 8 levels. The level number signifies the number of cards players are dealt. Level 1 with one card, level 2 with two cards, and so on.
Everyone must place their hands in the middle to signify they are ready to start.
Without communicating players must place cards face-up in ascending order for example, 5, 7, 20, and 77. These cards range from 1-100 so I can be tricky to figure out where your card might rank in the team’s order.
If a card is played outside of sequence, using the example above: 7, 5, 20, and 77; the team lose a life. When the team has lost all lives they lose and must start again.
If the team successfully plays all their cards in ascending order that round, they progress to the next level. As stated before, more levels mean more cards, increasing the difficulty.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, when you go up in levels you are rewarded with additional lives and throwing stars at certain checkpoints that are as follow.
- Level 1 – None
- Level 2 – Throwing Star
- Level 3 – Life
- Level 4 – None
- Level 5 – Throwing Star
- Level 6 – Life
- Level 7 – None
- Level 8 – Throwing Star
- Level 9 – Life
- Level 10 – None
- Level 11 – None
- Level 12 – None
How Do Throwing Stars Work in the Mind?
Throwing stars are your most helpful tool and the only form of communication in the game. At any point a player may suggest using a throwing star, if all others players agree then the team discards the lowest card in their hand and places it to the side.
Blind Mode
The Mind has additional mode called “blind mode” which is played after you complete the regular game. In this game mode instead of placing cards face up, they’re played faced down and then the pile is checked at the end of the round. This mode is not for the faint hearted, you must absolutely know your team mates inside and out if you want to win this version. The closest I’ve ever gotten is level 3!
What is the Secret to the Mind?
The following section will discuss some tips, tricks and strategies for the Mind.
Use your Throwing Stars
Some players are very reluctant to play throwing stars because of the power they hold. This might sound pretty simple, but throwing stars are less valuable than lives. It is always worth losing a throwing star rather than a life.
Throwing stars also offer information. If you know your teammates lowest card is higher than your remaining cards you can confidently discard all of the cards in your hand.
Furthermore, if a player on the team rejects the use of the throwing star this can be an indication that they are confident with their next card played.
Understanding Card Values
While you aren’t allowed to communicate, you may play your cards at whatever speed you like. Lower cards, like 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; will be played quickly and confidently. If you’re teammate is holding onto cards without playing its likely they’re holding 80/90+.
Building Relationships with your Teammates
It is much easier to win a game of The Mind when you play with people you already know and have played with before. It is almost impossible to win playing with complete strangers on the first time. After a while, when you have built a relationship with your friends you do get a kind of synchronisation with them. You understand their movements and can sense something from them which will help you play the correct card at the correct time.
Sometimes Fewer Players is Better
A four player game of the mind is very hard to complete, a two player game on the other hand is a lot easier, there’s less to go wrong and you can have more confidence in the sequence runs in your hand. While its objectively a less fun experience, you will be more likley to win.
Expansion and Sequels
The original mind was hugely successful. As such the designers have come up with a few sequels that change some aspects of gameplay, while keeping the overall card game recognisable.
The Mind: Soul Mates
This edition of the mind introduces “the Seer” a role each player will fulfil once per round. In Soul Mates, the cards are placed face down, similar to blind mode in the original. However, this time we have the benefit of the Seer.
At the beginning of each level the Seer must look at a number of cards relative to the level. Then, they are able to write down a number on the hint sheet to help the team.
The Mind: No Plastic
The No Plastic Version is a conscious attempt to be sustainable. It plays the same as the original mind, but it has no more plastic. Changes are as follow:
- Linen embossed playing card board
- Game Rules on recycled paper
- Box and packaging made from recycled paper
- Wooden dice and pencils
- Cards in paper banderol
The Mind: Extreme
The Mind Extreme takes everything hard about the mind and makes it harder. In this game there are two stacks ascending and descending which players must play simultaneously. Some levels must also be played blindly as per the blind mode rules.
This game is not for the faint hearted – player beware!
The Mind: The Sound Experiment
The Sound Experiment is played similarly to the original game, but comes with two music CDs to play alongside your game. The first is a CD that helps you immerse in “the mind universe”, the second is a jungle adventure theme. The biggest challenge in this game is completing the game before the second “gong” is sounded on the CD, although this is not necessarily a loss condition.
Let’s Become One!
Let’s Become One is the eerie subtitle on the box art and is the secret to success in the game. Learning how to play the mind card game can be easy if you’re playing with the right people. It’s a game all about collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork.
