Card game
The Mind
Play numbers 1-100 in order as a team, without speaking
- 2–4best with 3-4
- 15–25 minper game
- Under a minuteto set up
- 8+years
- Very easy
- Nonereading
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The game in a nutshell
The Mind is a small cooperative card game for 2 to 4 players aged 8 and up. The team tries to play numbered cards from 1 to 100 in rising order without talking, relying only on timing and each other's sense of when to play. It suits couples, friends and families who enjoy a shared challenge more than beating each other. It has no Indian edition, so every copy is imported.
Is The Mind right for you?
Great if
- Couples and pairs, since two players get the longest run of 12 levels
- Mixed-language groups and grandparents, because there is nothing to read during play
- A five-minute warm-up before a longer game, or a quiet game in a café or on a trip
- Groups who prefer winning or losing together over competing
Skip it if
- You have more than four players, since the box only supports 2-4
- Your group finds silent, tense rounds stressful rather than fun
- You want lots of decisions or strategy, as the game is mostly about timing and attention
A place on the honours list
Good company to be in.
Recognition from beyond our table.
Spiel des Jahres, 2018 (Nominee)
As d'Or, Jeu de l'Année, 2019 (Winner)
Årets Spil, Best Family Game, 2019 (Winner)
Diana Jones Award, 2019 (Nominee)
How The Mind plays
The deck has cards numbered 1 to 100, and everyone plays as one team. In level 1 each player gets one card, in level 2 two cards, and so on. In each level the team must play every card in hand onto one pile in the middle, in rising order.
- Time to teach: about 3 minutes.
- Reading and language: The cards show only numbers, lives and throwing stars, and players may not talk about their cards during play. Only the rules need reading, and they fit on a page or two.
How to Play The Mind · Geek & Sundry
Choose a video · Watch right here
If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.
Your turn, step by step
- 1Focus
Everyone puts one hand flat on the table. When all are ready, the hands come up and the level begins. Anyone can say 'stop' to pause and refocus.
- 2Play
There are no turns. Whoever feels their lowest card is the lowest one left simply plays it on the pile. Nobody may say or signal anything about their cards.
- 3Mistake
If a card goes down while someone still holds a lower one, the team loses a life and the lower cards are set aside. Then the same level carries on.
- 4Win
Clear every level together before the lives run out: 12 levels with two players, 10 with three and 8 with four.
The full explanation: how a game of The Mind goes
There are no turns. Whoever thinks they hold the lowest card still in play simply puts it down. You may not say anything about your cards or give secret signals, so a 3 gets played quickly while a 90 is held for a long time. Before each level everyone puts a hand on the table to focus, and anyone can say 'stop' to pause and refocus.
If someone plays a card while another player still holds a lower one, the team loses a life, and every card lower than the one just played is set aside. Then play carries on in the same level. The team starts with lives equal to the number of players and one throwing star.
Anyone can propose using a throwing star by raising a hand. If everyone agrees, each player discards their lowest card face up, which also tells the team a lot about where everyone stands. Clearing certain levels earns an extra life or throwing star, up to 5 lives and 3 stars.
The team wins by clearing every level: 12 levels with two players, 10 with three and 8 with four. If the last life is lost, everyone loses together. After a win, the rules suggest a harder 'blind' mode in which cards are played face down and checked at the end of each level.
What's in the box
- 100Number cards
numbered 1 to 100 - 12Level cards
levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 reward an extra life or throwing star - 5Life cards
the team starts with one per player - 3Throwing star cards
the team starts with one - 1Rules
Box: 0.27 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
Contents are from NSV's English rules (2018). Pandasaurus's English edition plays the same way, but its product page doesn't list the contents. We didn't check copies sold in India card by card.
Where to buy
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.
The Mind is not made or officially distributed in India, so every genuine copy here is imported. NSV publishes the original and Pandasaurus Games the English edition, and both play the same way. Our Amazon.in link goes to Pandasaurus Games' English edition, an import.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
- The box should name Wolfgang Warsch and a real publisher: Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag (NSV), Pandasaurus Games, or another licensed international publisher. Listings from unrelated brands are not the official game.
- Be wary of a copy that costs a fraction of the usual price. Very cheap listings that call themselves 'Award-Winning' are very likely unlicensed.
- Count the contents: the NSV rules list 100 number cards (1-100), 12 level cards, 5 life cards and 3 throwing star cards.
- Be careful with 'The Mind Xtreme' or 'The Mind: Soulmates' from unknown brands at low prices. The genuine versions are imports.
We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
What reviewers and players say
The Mind is the small card game reviewers most often call strange, clever and divisive. Fans say the silent build-up and the shared cheer when a level is cleared feel unlike any other game, and that it teaches in minutes and works across ages. Critics feel there is little game in it beyond guessing timing, and that long silent stand-offs can be dull. Most agree it is worth trying with a group that enjoys a shared challenge, but it won't suit everyone.
What people love
- Tense, silent rounds that end in laughter or celebration
- Rules explained in a couple of minutes, so anyone who knows number order can play
- Groups get better with practice as they learn each other's rhythm
- A tiny box that is easy to carry to a café or on a trip
Common complaints
- Some players feel it is mostly guessing rather than a real game
- Long silent stand-offs when nobody wants to play next
- Harder and more frustrating with four players or with people you don't know well
Based on 6 reviews and discussions
- Review The Mind: Most polarizing card game of the year? (Charlie Theel, August 2018) · Ars Technica
- Review The Mind review (Keith Law, October 2018) · The A.V. Club
- Review The Mind (2018) review (Michael Heron, June 2018) · Meeple Like Us
- Players Discussion of 'The Mind: Most polarizing card game of the year?' (Hacker News, August 2018) · Hacker News
- Award The Mind (jury page) · Spiel des Jahres
- Reference The Mind (card game) · Wikipedia
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
More like The Mind
Our picks if The Mind isn't quite right
| Feature |
The Mind |
Pandemic |
Dobble |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–8 |
| Best with | 3-4 | 2-4 | 3-6 |
| Play time | 15–25 min | 45 min | 15 min |
| Age | 8+ | 8+ | 6+ |
| Rules | Easy | Medium | Easy |
| Indian edition | Import | Import | Yes |
| Why look at it | This page | A full cooperative board game for when you want more strategy | Another fast game about attention, and easy to find in India |
More by Wolfgang Warsch
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Outfoxed!
Young detectives team up to catch a pie-stealing fox
Hoot Owl Hoot!
Match colours together to fly the owls home before sunrise
Pandemic
Work together to cure four diseases before time runs out
Splendor
A quick gem-trading race where every card makes the next easier.
Azul
Draft colourful tiles and build the best-scoring palace wall
Also worth a look (not in our catalogue yet): Hanabi – Another cooperative card game where what you can say is strictly limited.
Questions people ask about The Mind
Is The Mind available in India?
Only as an import: The Mind is not made or officially distributed in India. Cheap listings from unknown brands are not the official game. Our Buy on Amazon.in button goes to the listing we've checked; make sure the brand is Pandasaurus Games.
Can you talk while playing The Mind?
You can't share anything about your cards: no numbers, hints or secret signals. You may say 'stop' to pause and refocus, and raise a hand to suggest using a throwing star.
Is The Mind good for two players?
Yes. The box is for 2-4 players, and with two you play the longest run of 12 levels, starting with two lives. With four players there are only 8 levels, but more people to stay in sync with.
What is the difference between The Mind and The Mind Extreme?
The Mind Extreme is a separate, harder game from 2019. Cards go onto two piles, one rising and one falling. Start with the original if you are new to it.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Wolfgang Warsch
- Publisher
- Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag (NSV); English edition by Pandasaurus Games
- First published
- 2018
- Players
- 2–4
- Language
- No reading – The cards show only numbers, lives and throwing stars, and players may not talk about their cards during play. Only the rules need reading, and they fit on a page or two.
- Box size and weight
- 0.27 kg
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres, 2018 (Nominee); As d'Or, Jeu de l'Année, 2019 (Winner); Årets Spil, Best Family Game, 2019 (Winner); Diana Jones Award, 2019 (Nominee)
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.