The Mind (Pandasaurus Games English edition)Photo: Pandasaurus Games
Holding your cards, waiting for the right momentPhoto: Pandasaurus Games
Playing without talkingPhoto: Pandasaurus Games
What's in the boxPhoto: Pandasaurus Games
Level cardsPhoto: Gameistry
Lives and throwing starsPhoto: Gameistry
Box backPhoto: Gameistry
Video

Card game

The Mind

Play numbers 1-100 in order as a team, without speaking

2–4players · best with 3-4
15–25 minplaying time
8+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Luck and skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Couples and pairs, since two players get the longest run of 12 levels

Think twice if You have more than four players, since the box only supports 2-4

How we rate it

Learning curve. The rules take two minutes: play your cards in rising order without talking. Beating the last level is hard, but there is nothing complicated to learn.

Luck & skill. The deal is random and close numbers in different hands can cost a life, but groups get noticeably better as they learn each other's timing. NSV's rules say what feels like luck at first becomes a skill.

Interaction. It's fully cooperative, and the whole game is about reading the table and staying in sync with everyone else.

Set-up. Stack the level cards for your player count, lay out the starting lives (one per player) and one throwing star, shuffle the 100 cards and deal one card each.

Reading. The cards show only numbers and simple symbols. Only the short rules need reading.

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 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.
Playing without talking · Photo: Pandasaurus Games

How to Play The Mind · Geek & Sundry

Choose a video · Watch right here

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

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Focus

    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.

  2. 2
    Play

    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.

  3. 3
    Mistake

    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.

  4. 4
    Win

    Clear every level together before the lives run out: 12 levels with two players, 10 with three and 8 with four.

Read the official rules (PDF)The Mind - rules (English) · English
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

What's in the box · Photo: Pandasaurus Games
  • 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

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

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.

Before you choose

  • 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.

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

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

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Why consider itThis game

Play numbers 1-100 in order as a team, without speaking

A different fit

A full cooperative board game for when you want more strategy

A different fit

Another fast game about attention, and easy to find in India

Players2–42–42–8
Best with3-42-43-6
Play time15–25 min45 min15 min
Age8+8+6+
RulesEasyMediumEasy
Indian editionImportedImportedAvailable
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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 Check price 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.