Mau Mau Extreme
Mau Mau Extreme Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
60 playing cards, 1 buzzer, 12 chips.
Object of the Game
Mau Mau Extreme! is won by the player who has won three rounds.
Setup
Shuffle all 60 playing cards well and place them face down in the middle of the table as the draw pile. Turn the top card face up and place it beside the pile as the first card of the discard pile.
Note: a special card (a violet card, or "Skip!" or "Draw 2!") has no effect at this point. Buzzing may not be done yet.
Each player takes 7 cards from the draw pile and holds them in hand so that the other players cannot see them.
Place the buzzer in the middle of the table so that everyone can reach it equally well. Switch it on (the button on the bottom is set to "ON").
Place the 12 chips beside the draw pile.
Playing the Game
(for 3–6 players; the special rules for 2 players are at the end)
Playing matching cards in turn
The youngest player begins. He places a matching card from his hand face up on the discard pile. Then his left-hand neighbour plays a matching card, and so on around the table.
"Matching" means that the colour or the number (or symbol) of the new card must agree with the card lying on top of the discard pile. For example, on a blue 3 you may play any blue card or a 3 of any colour.
If a player cannot play a matching card, he must take a card from the draw pile into his hand. If that card matches, he may play it.
Note: once the draw pile is used up, shuffle all the cards of the discard pile except the top one, and place them as the new draw pile.
Skip!
If a player plays a "Skip!" card, the next player must skip a turn, i.e. he is passed over.
Draw 2!
If a player plays a "Draw 2!" card, the next player must first take two cards from the draw pile into his hand, and may then play a card as usual. If he cannot play a card, he must (may) not draw any further card.
Quick buzzing to play out of turn
If you hold a number card that is identical to the card just played (exactly the same colour and number), you must buzz quickly in order to play it afterwards "out of turn".
In doing so:
- You may never buzz on your own card that was just played.
- The player who is next in turn may not buzz either, because he is already on turn (even if he holds an identical card).
- A player who buzzes too late, because the next card has already been played or because someone else was faster, is out of luck.
Play then continues with the left-hand neighbour of the player who played a card (or drew one). Through successful buzzing it can therefore happen that you are skipped.
The violet special cards
The four violet cards "Skip!", "Draw 1!", "Buzz Up, Neighbours!" and "Buzz Up, Everyone!" may be played on any card.
- a. If you play the violet "Skip!" card, all your fellow players must skip a turn, i.e. you are immediately on turn again.
- b. If you play the "Draw 1!" card, all your fellow players must take a card from the draw pile into their hands.
- c. If you play the "Buzz Up, Neighbours!" card, only your direct left and right seat neighbours must buzz as quickly as possible.
- d. If you play the "Buzz Up, Everyone!" card, all your fellow players must buzz as quickly as possible.
Afterwards, play continues in turn order.
Any card may be played on a violet card.
Penalty must be!
Whenever you do something wrong or too late when buzzing, you must, as a penalty, take the top card of the draw pile into your hand. This applies, for example, when you buzz although you hold no identical card. Or when you are the last player to buzz on a "Buzz Up!" card. Or when you buzz although you were not allowed to (because you are on turn anyway, or are not seated next to the player, or ...).
End of a round
If you play your second-to-last card from your hand, you must say "Mau". If you forget to do so and a fellow player notices before you play your next card, you must take a penalty card.
If you play your last card from your hand, you must say "Mau Mau" and thereby end the current round. As a reward you receive a chip. Then the next round begins.
If a player forgets to say "Mau Mau" at the end, he must likewise take a penalty card, and the round continues.
End of the game
Play continues until the first player receives his third chip. That player is the winner.
Variant: "For those who like it even more extreme ..."
Try the following variant: every playing card shows one or more "buzzer buttons" on its back side. Whenever someone takes cards from the draw pile, once he has completely finished, everyone compares the buzzer colours on the card now on top of the draw pile with the card on the discard pile. If the colour matches, all players (including the player who drew) must buzz as quickly as possible.
The last player receives a penalty card as usual. If someone buzzes although no colour matches, he also receives a penalty card.
Attention! When penalty cards are taken, this rule never applies.
Note: in this variant the buzzer buttons on the card backs must also be observed.
Rules for 2 players
Here the four violet cards are not needed. All other rules remain in place.
In particular, however, the variant becomes a basic rule: when drawing, both players must always watch whether a colour of the "buzzer buttons" matches the discard pile, and buzz quickly if it does.