Trinkets & More's 31-stick MikadoPhoto: FirstCry
Lift one stick without moving any otherPhoto: Till Westermayer, CC BY-SA 2.0
Coloured bands show what each stick scoresPhoto: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0
Steady hands neededPhoto: Till Westermayer, CC BY-SA 2.0
Children playing pick-up sticks in Israel, early 1950sPhoto: Unknown author, public domain
Plastic sets, like this one from Ratna's, are sold tooPhoto: FirstCry
A giant versionPhoto: Skimel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Video

Traditional game

Mikado

Drop the sticks, then lift them one by one without a wobble

2–6players · best with 2-4
10–30 minplaying time
5+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Mostly skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
Medium
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Mixed ages at a family get-together: a careful six-year-old can beat the adults

Think twice if Your group wants talk, bluffing or strategy: Mikado is quiet concentration

How we rate it

Learning curve. The rules take a minute to explain: lift one stick without moving any other. Remembering the points for each colour band is the only thing to learn.

Luck & skill. Mostly skill: steady fingers and choosing which stick to try next decide the game. How the sticks fall on the drop adds a little luck.

Interaction. Everyone plays on the same heap, so in the one-heap version the sticks you leave make life easier or harder for the next player, and everyone watches closely for wobbles.

Set-up. Gather the sticks into a bundle and drop them; a fresh drop takes a few seconds, so there is no real setup.

Reading. Nothing to read; the points chart is a few numbers.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is Mikado right for you?

Great if

  • Mixed ages at a family get-together: a careful six-year-old can beat the adults
  • Quiet afternoons in the school holidays, for two to six players around one table
  • Return gifts and small presents: a slim set that slips into a bag
  • Helping young children practise patience and fine finger control

Skip it if

  • Your group wants talk, bluffing or strategy: Mikado is quiet concentration
  • There's a child under about 4 at home: the sticks are thin and pointed, so they need supervision
  • You'll be playing on a bed, a carpet or a train berth: the sticks need a hard, flat surface

How Mikado plays

Pick-up sticks is one of the oldest table games, and its origin is disputed. A set from the 17th century survives in a German museum collection, an English reference to a 'game at spilakees' dates from 1734, and in the 1800s the game was popular in Germany, Britain and America, where it was called jackstraws; it was being played at Windsor Castle by 1845. One theory links it to the yarrow stalks used for fortune-telling with the Chinese I Ching. Mikado is the European points version, with the sticks named after ranks such as the Mikado (an old name for the Emperor of Japan), the Mandarin and the Samurai. Stories that it began as an ancient court game in Japan or China are legend, with no evidence to back them.

  • Time to teach: about 2 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Nothing to read during play. The only thing to explain is which colour band is worth how many points, and that can be shown with the sticks themselves.
Lift one stick without moving any other · Photo: Till Westermayer, CC BY-SA 2.0

How to play MIKADO game (official rules, instructions and gameplay) | Spielregeln TV Pick up sticks · SPIELREGELN TV

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If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Drop

    Hold all the sticks upright in one fist, ends on the table, and let go so they fall in a rough circle.

  2. 2
    Lift

    Take one stick at a time, with your fingers or by pressing down on a pointed end, without moving any other stick. Succeed and you go again.

  3. 3
    Tool

    Once you've won the Mikado (and in many rules a Mandarin), you may use it to lift or flick other sticks.

  4. 4
    Win

    Your turn ends as soon as another stick moves. Add up the points on your sticks; after the agreed rounds, the highest total wins.

Read the rules (PDF)Mikado (rules leaflet) · German, French, Italian, English and Dutch
The full explanation: how a game of Mikado goes

To start, one player holds all the sticks upright in one fist, with the ends resting on the table, and suddenly lets go so they fall in a rough circle. A bad drop can be done again. On your turn you try to take one stick at a time, using your fingers, or by pressing down on a pointed end so that the stick flips up, but no other stick may move even slightly. If you succeed you keep the stick and try another; the moment another stick moves, your turn ends and the stick you were trying stays where it is.

Each stick's colour bands show its points. In the classic European set of 41 sticks there is 1 Mikado worth 20 points (often marked with a spiral or a special band), 5 Mandarins worth 10, 5 Bonzes worth 5, 15 Samurai worth 3 and 15 of the lowest sticks worth 2, for 170 points in all. Smaller 31-stick sets have fewer low-value sticks; a common breakdown is 1 Mikado, 5 Mandarins, 5 Bonzes, 10 Samurai and 10 low sticks, for 145 points. The colours differ from maker to maker, so check the leaflet in your set. Once you have won the Mikado, and in many rules a Mandarin too, you may use it as a tool to lift or flick other sticks, as long as it touches only the stick you are after.

There are two common ways to run a game. In the classic rules, each player gathers the sticks and drops them afresh at the start of their turn, adds up the points of the sticks they picked up, and after 5 rounds the highest total wins. In the simpler family version, everyone plays on one heap until all the sticks have been picked up, and the player with the most points (or, for small children, simply the most sticks) wins. A single heap takes about 5 to 10 minutes, and a 5-round game for three or four players takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes.

Agree on house rules before you start: whether any stick you've won may be used as a tool, and how strict to be about tiny wobbles (the classic rules say even the slightest movement ends your turn). Start with the loose sticks lying on top or off to one side, press down on a pointed tip to lift a stick that lies across others, and rest your elbow on the table to keep your hand steady. Mikado suits anyone with patient fingers, from about 5 years old, and it is one of the few games where children and grandparents play on equal terms.

What's in the box

Coloured bands show what each stick scores · Photo: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 31Wooden pick-up sticks
    colour-banded; points per colour, stick length and wood not stated by the brand

From the listing title ('Wooden 31 Pick-Up Sticks', pack of 1) and the brand's own listing on an Indian store ('Mikado Pickup Sticks - 31 Sticks', ages 5-15). Neither mentions a rules leaflet, points chart or container. A 31-stick set often has 1 Mikado, 5 Mandarins, 5 Bonzes, 10 Samurai and 10 low sticks (145 points); the classic European set has 41 sticks (170 points). The same set is also sold in packs of 4 and 8 for return gifts.

Where to buy

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How to pick a good setSize, pieces and the details worth checking.

Choosing a set

Pick-up sticks sets are made and sold in India by several brands, and imported European Mikado sets cost much more without playing any differently. Our Amazon.in button goes to Trinkets & More's 31-stick wooden set, the only Mikado on the best-seller list. Its maker and country of origin could not be confirmed, so check the box for both, and for the ISI mark if it is for a child.

Before you choose

  • Count the sticks: the classic set has 41 (1 Mikado, 5 Mandarins, 5 Bonzes, 15 Samurai and 15 low sticks), while many cheaper sets have 31. Either plays well, but you need a leaflet or chart that says how many points each band is worth.
  • Roll a few sticks on a table: good sticks are straight and all the same length and thickness. Bent or uneven sticks roll, clump and make fair play impossible.
  • Run a finger along each stick: it should be sanded smooth with no splinters or rough patches, and the tips should be tapered to a point but not needle-sharp or split.
  • Look at the colour bands: they should be crisp, easy to tell apart in ordinary room light, and not flaking. The Mikado stick should stand out clearly from the rest.
  • Check the material: hardwood such as beech feels weighty and lies still; bamboo is lighter and fine for children; plastic sticks are slippery and harder to lift by pressing a tip.
  • Check the storage: a tube, box or bag that closes properly keeps all the sticks together, and a missing stick changes the scores.
  • Mind the points and look for the ISI mark: the sticks are thin and pointed, so supervise children under about 5 and keep sets away from toddlers. Toys for children under 14 sold in India must carry the ISI mark with a BIS licence (CM/L) number.

What reviewers and players say

Mikado is valued as a simple, quiet game of nerve and steady hands that young children can win against adults, and Indian video makers still call it a childhood favourite from the 1990s. The classic rules stress strict play, where even the slightest movement of another stick ends your turn, and that tension is the whole fun. The usual frustrations are arguments over whether a stick really moved, cheap sets with bent or uneven sticks that roll and clump, and leaflets with colour codes that don't match the sticks. Agreeing on house rules before the first drop avoids most disputes.

What people love

  • Learned in a minute and played by everyone from five-year-olds to grandparents
  • Pure tension: the whole table holds its breath as someone lifts a stick
  • A careful child can beat the adults, which few family games allow
  • Small, cheap to replace and needs no batteries, just a table

Common complaints

  • Arguments over whether another stick moved, so a strict or relaxed rule needs agreeing first
  • Poorly made sets with bent, uneven or splintery sticks spoil the game
  • Colour codes differ between sets, and without a leaflet nobody knows what each stick is worth
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Also worth a look (not in our catalogue yet): Kerplunk – Pull sticks out of a tube without letting the marbles drop: Mikado in reverse.

Questions people ask about Mikado

Is Mikado the same as pick-up sticks?

Yes. Mikado is the European version of pick-up sticks, played with longer sticks of equal length marked with colour bands that are worth points. Plain pick-up sticks sets play the same way, but may simply count the sticks you pick up.

How many sticks are there in a Mikado set?

The classic European set has 41 sticks worth 170 points in all. Many sets sold in India have 31 sticks, often with 10 fewer low-value sticks for a total of 145 points; check the leaflet in your set for its colours.

How do you score Mikado?

In the classic set the single Mikado is worth 20 points, each of the 5 Mandarins 10, each of the 5 Bonzes 5, each Samurai 3 and each of the lowest sticks 2. Add up the sticks you picked up; after the agreed number of rounds (traditionally 5), the highest total wins.

Can you use the Mikado stick to pick up other sticks?

Yes. Once you have won the Mikado, you may use it as a tool to lift or flick other sticks, as long as it touches only the stick you are trying to take. Many rules allow a Mandarin as a tool too, and some families let any stick you've won be used.

What age is Mikado suitable for?

Most sets are marked for ages 5 and up, and it stays fun for adults and grandparents. The sticks are thin and pointed, so watch younger children and keep sets away from toddlers.

Game facts

Publisher
Trinkets & More
Players
2–6
Language
No reading – Nothing to read during play. The only thing to explain is which colour band is worth how many points, and that can be shown with the sticks themselves.
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.