Card games that
start with M.

Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game in which each player brings a deck of Magic cards and uses lands to pay for creatures and other spells. Creatures can attack an opponent, whose defenders may block them; players aim to reduce their opponent’s life to zero. The comparison here uses the two-player Standard format, with a main deck of at least sixty cards. Deck construction and legal card sets depend on the chosen format, so agree on a format before building decks.

Also called: Magic, MTG.

Before you play. Filters show two-player Standard. Multiplayer formats such as Commander use different deck and setup rules; check the official format guide.

Source: Wizards of the Coast: How to Play Magic · Wizards of the Coast: Standard format · Wizards of the Coast: Commander format

Manni is an Icelandic trick-taking game for exactly three players. In the basic version, each receives twelve cards and another twelve-card hand, the manni, sits face down on the table. One player may exchange their entire hand for it before play begins. The trump suit rotates between deals, and players score for winning more than four tricks. Choose this entry when you have three people and want a trick-taking game with a clear hand-exchange decision.

Before you play. The listed pack and summary describe basic Manni. Trjámann, Hornafjarðarmanni and Laugavatnsmanni on the same source page have different packs, exchanges or contracts and are not counted as aliases.

Source: Manni - card game rules

Mao belongs to the Eights family, but its distinctive challenge is learning the table’s rules without having them explained. New players watch what happens and discover the requirements through trial and error. Remembering an expanding collection of rules is part of the game’s appeal. This makes it a choice for a group that enjoys an observation puzzle as much as playing cards. The linked guide introduces the tradition and points to examples rather than claiming one universal rulebook.

Before you play. House rules vary. Pagat’s index lists 3–8 players as recommended and 2–12 as possible, with one, two or three 52-card packs. Mao and Mau Mau are separate entries, not aliases.

Source: Mao card game rules · Pagat alphabetical card-game index: Mao

Marjapussi is a Finnish partnership game in which four players collect valuable cards in tricks and score for marriages: kings and queens of the same suit. There are no trumps at first. A successful marriage declaration establishes the trump suit for that deal, and partners can sometimes combine their cards to make the declaration. The version listed here has no bidding. It suits a group of four looking for a fixed-partnership game where trick play and marriage declarations both matter.

Before you play. This is Pagat’s no-bidding Marjapussi, using the main 36-card pack. The source also permits 32- or 28-card packs and describes scoring variations. Huutopussi is the separate bidding game, not an alias for this version.

Source: Marjapussi - Card Game Rules

Marjolet is a two-player French game combining tricks with melds. Players score by capturing aces and tens and by declaring card combinations after winning a trick. The trump jack, called the marjolet, can be paired with different queens for further melds. While the stock lasts, players draw replacement cards and have freedom in what they play. Once it is exhausted, following suit and winning requirements become stricter. This makes the balance between keeping useful combinations and taking tricks central to play.

Before you play. Uses Howard Fosdick’s rules as republished and corrected by Pagat. The page covers several Bezique games too; follow its Marjolet section. Pagat’s editorial corrections address meld scores and the point award when the stock closes.

Source: Marjolet rules — Howard Fosdick, republished by Pagat

Marriage is a three-pack rummy game popular in Nepal and also played in Bhutan. Players work with large hands to build three-card combinations, including runs and sets. A selected card, the tiplu, determines which cards become wild for that deal; a player must first lay down qualifying pure combinations before seeing it. There is also an alternative route based on identical pairs. Choose it when your group wants a rummy game with substantial combination-building and a distinctive wild-card system.

Also called: Marriage.

Before you play. Marriage Rummy is the disambiguated display name; Pagat calls it Marriage. This entry follows the source’s 2–5-player, 156-card version. Printed jokers are excluded; designated ordinary cards become wild. Scoring and direction of play can vary locally.

Source: Rules of Card Games: Marriage

Mate is a two-player card strategy game with perfect information: both players know where all the cards are from the start. A player tries to lead a card that the opponent cannot answer in suit or rank, giving “mate.” A match uses four games, with players exchanging hands between paired games so each tackles both sides of a deal. If you want a card game built around calculation and visible information, Mate offers a different kind of challenge from hidden-hand games.

Before you play. This entry uses the standard 20-card version on Pagat. A special double Mate deck and optional free-move or privilege rules are described separately; they do not change the pack listed here.

Source: Rules of Card Games: Mate

Mau Mau is a shedding game in which you play a card matching the previous card’s suit or value, aiming to empty your hand. In the German version described by card maker ASS Altenburger, sevens make the next player draw, eights skip a turn, and jacks choose a suit. Players announce “Mau” with one card left and “Mau Mau” when finishing. It offers a familiar matching pattern, but the special cards and penalties should be agreed before the deal.

Also called: Mau-Mau.

Before you play. This entry follows ASS Altenburger’s ordinary-card German version. The publisher recommends not exceeding 10 players, rather than specifying a fixed maximum; larger groups need more cards. House rules and regional packs differ. The German rules link is labelled as such.

Source: Mau Mau Regeln, die einen umhauen – ASS Altenburger Spielkarten (German) · Crazy Eights: introduction and alternative names — Pagat

Memory asks you to remember where cards have been seen rather than manage a hand. Spread the deck face down, then take turns turning over two cards. In the standard-pack version described here, cards of the same rank form a pair, regardless of suit. Keep a matching pair and take another turn; otherwise return the cards to their places. The player who collects the most pairs wins, making this a straightforward choice for a shared table and an ordinary deck.

Also called: Concentration, Pelmanism.

Before you play. This entry uses Pagat’s multiplayer, rank-matching rules. Matching both rank and colour is a harder variant. Solo software versions are separate from the player count shown here.

Source: Pagat: Pelmanism rules

Mille Bornes turns a road trip into a race of distance cards, hazards, remedies and safeties. You build mileage while opponents try to stop or slow your progress; suitable remedies get you moving again, and safeties protect against particular hazards. This entry follows Hasbro’s US edition 17147, played individually by two or three people or in pairs by four or six. A hand’s distance target and the final points tally are different, so check the linked rules before choosing a winner.

Before you play. In this edition, four players race to exactly 1,000 miles. With two, three or six, a hand can end at 700 miles unless extended to 1,000. Five-player play is not listed.

Source: Hasbro: US edition 17147 rule sheet (PDF) · Hasbro: Mille Bornes official instructions

Miss Milligan is a two-deck solitaire with eight tableau piles and eight foundations. Build the foundations upward by suit from ace to king, while arranging the tableau downward in alternating colours. When you run out of useful moves, deal another row of cards across the tableau. A reserve becomes available only after the stock is empty, letting you temporarily move aside a card or a properly ordered sequence. This makes managing space an important part of the puzzle.

Also called: Miss Milligan Solitaire.

Before you play. This follows BVS’s reserve-for-a-sequence version. Historical rules differ on whether this late reserve move allows a single card or a sequence.

Source: BVS: Miss Milligan Solitaire rules · Solitaire Forever: Miss Milligan rule variations

Montana is a solo arrangement puzzle played with a standard deck. Deal four rows of thirteen cards, then remove the aces to create four gaps. A gap accepts the next higher card of the same suit as its left-hand neighbour; a gap at the beginning of a row accepts a two. The aim is to arrange each suit from two through king. Kings can block progress, so your choices are about creating useful spaces rather than building a separate foundation.

Also called: Montana Solitaire.

Before you play. This follows SolSuite’s version: two redeals are allowed, with correctly placed starting sequences preserved. Gaps is listed as a similar game, so it is not treated as a verified interchangeable alias.

Source: SolSuite: Montana rules

Monte Carlo is a solitaire game about spotting pairs in a changing layout. Deal twenty-five cards in a five-by-five grid. You may remove two cards of the same rank when they touch horizontally, vertically or diagonally. After removing the available pairs, close the gaps and refill the layout from the stock. Your goal is to remove every card. The shifting grid means that a pair which cannot be taken now may become available after the next rearrangement.

Also called: Monte Carlo Solitaire, Doubles and Quits, Weddings.

Before you play. This entry uses the 5×5 layout. A 5×4 version also exists. Doubles and Quits and Weddings are recorded as aliases by Solitaire Forever.

Source: BVS: Monte Carlo Solitaire rules · Solitaire Forever: Monte Carlo names and variants

Munchkin makes a dungeon adventure into a competitive card game. Players encounter monsters, equip useful items and try to gain levels while interfering with one another’s progress. Another player may help in a difficult fight, but the rewards and the risk of interference make cooperation a negotiation. The first player to reach level ten wins, normally by defeating a monster for that final level. Choose it for a group that enjoys direct interaction and use its dedicated cards rather than a standard deck.

Before you play. The entry covers the original 168-card base game and its linked rules version 1.8. Second Edition and themed sets may change cards, components or setup.

Source: Steve Jackson Games: Munchkin rules v1.8 (PDF) · Steve Jackson Games: Munchkin base game