MASH Game Online

How to play the MASH game

1. Choose the categories. The classic game has four: home, ride, job and kids. Every category gets four options, and you can edit all of them.
2. Draw the spiral. It keeps winding outward. Tap Stop when you feel like it. Your magic number is the number of full turns, between 2 and 12. Paper MASH can count higher; this version stops at 12 so the count stays short.
3. Watch the crossing out. Counting starts at the first option and runs through every option still in play. The one you land on is crossed out.
4. Read your future. When each category has a single option left, that is your fortune. Share the card or play again with a new number.

How the MASH count works

The count runs through the options category by category, and it never skips a surviving option. A category stops taking part once only one option is left.

Take two categories of four options and the number 3. The options run in order: A1 A2 A3 A4 B1 B2 B3 B4. Counting 1, 2, 3 lands on A3, which is crossed out. Counting restarts at A4, then B1, then B2, so B2 goes. Then B3, B4, A1: A1 is out. Then A2, A4, B1: B1 is out. After that B3, B4, A2 takes A2, which leaves A with only A4. The table shows every step.

Category A is down to A4 after step 5, so it stops taking part and step 6 counts only B3 and B4. A ends with A4 and B ends with B4. Every category with n options takes exactly n minus 1 steps, so a four-option category always loses three.

One convention to know: once a category has one option left, that option is skipped and the count carries on through the others. The last survivor in each category is the one on your fortune card.

The three built-in sets

Pick a set on the first screen, or edit any option. These are the options each set starts with.

How to play MASH on paper

1. Write MASH across the top of a page. The letters stand for Mansion, Apartment, Shack and House.
2. Add three more categories underneath, such as Ride, Job and Pet. Write four options in each.
3. Draw a spiral in the middle of the page while a friend says stop. Count the loops. That is your magic number.
4. Count down the list and cross out every option you land on, using the same rule as the game above.
5. Read what is left. One option per category is your future.

MASH options to try

Type any of these into the editor to replace a category. They are grouped by category so you can mix a set in a minute.

Home ideas

• Lighthouse
• Windmill
• Houseboat
• Yurt
• Igloo
• Farmhouse
• Cabin

Ride ideas

• Hot air balloon
• Tractor
• Rowboat
• Unicycle
• Golf cart
• Jet ski
• Camel

Job ideas

• Baker
• Lifeguard
• Detective
• Beekeeper
• Pilot
• Zookeeper
• Voice actor

Pet ideas

• Parrot
• Hedgehog
• Goldfish
• Pony
• Gecko
• Rabbit
• Giant tortoise

Hobby ideas

• Chess
• Skating
• Pottery
• Birdwatching
• Drumming
• Gardening
• Magic tricks

Best friend ideas

• A neighbor
• A twin
• A teammate
• A pen pal
• A cousin
• A new kid
• A bandmate

MASH variations that work

• Fantasy MASH. Castle, treehouse, cave or cottage; a dragon, unicorn, owl or goblin for a pet. It is built into the game as the Fantasy set.
• Cursed MASH. Make every option awful, such as a haunted cave, a pet that hates you and a job as a professional food taster. The winner is the least terrible future.
• Group MASH. One phone, one list, and everyone picks a number in turn. Write the results on a shared card at the end.
• Swap a category. Replace Kids with Pets, Hobbies or Favorite food. Rewrite a row in the editor and you are done.

If you want something with more bluffing, try the imposter game. For a quick vote with friends, there is would you rather.

Frequently asked questions