A Mikado game can be played with 2 to 6 players.
Goal of the Game
You can play Mikado in 2 ways:
The goal is to have the most Mikado sticks in your possession at the end of the game (simple version).
The goal is to have the most points based on the value of the Mikado sticks the player has picked up.
Setup
Hold all the sticks in one hand and then let them go. If any sticks end up separated from the jumble, you can put them back on top of the rest.
Course of the Game
Players take turns clockwise. Players can take up the sticks with their hands or other sticks they’ve already collected.
Players must take as many sticks as possible, one by one, without moving the other sticks. As soon as a player moves a stick other than the one they’re trying to take, they put it down again and the next player starts their turn.
Values of Mikado Sticks
Stick color | Number of sticks | Value of each stick |
Red | 15 | 1 |
Green | 15 | 3 |
Blue | 5 | 5 |
Yellow | 5 | 10 |
Black | 1 | 20 |
Total | 41 | 155 |
Depending on the version of the game you have, the colors or numbers of the sticks may differ.
End of the Game
There are two ways to determine the winner in a game of Mikado:
After all the Mikado sticks have been taken, the player with the most sticks wins the game. This is a simple version of the game.
In the points version, after all the sticks have been taken, the player with the most points wins the game. (Consult the table above.)
Alternate Rules
Play with 2 sets of Mikado to have more sticks and points to distribute.
Divide the sticks into several bundles and throw each of them separately, creating several jumbles. Each player is assigned to a group of sticks to pick up from. The first player to reach a score determined at the start of the game wins.
Play in teams by adding up the points of the players of each team.
Official rules in PDF
Explore the official Mikado rules in PDF
