Have you discovered Mantis by Exploding Kittens yet? This clever card game works perfectly for both kids and adults. The publisher describes it as "A colorfully cutthroat card game of rainbows and revenge." The slogan captures it well.

How to Play Mantis

The rules are refreshingly simple:

• Each player has a "tank" where they collect cards
• On your turn, you choose one of two actions:
  • SCORE: Take a card and add it to your tank, then score any matching colour sets
  • STEAL: Take a card and add it another player's tank, then steal any matching colour sets
• You must decide whether to Score or Steal before knowing exactly which card you'll get
• You cannot score points on any turn when you choose to steal
• The first player to score 10 points wins!

Most games take about 10-15 minutes, and you can teach anyone to play in under 5 minutes.

What Makes Mantis Great

Here's why this game has become a favorite in my collection:

• Quick Setup and Play: Games flow quickly with minimal downtime
• Accessible Rules: Simple enough for children, interesting enough for adults
• Perfect Family Game: Works well across different ages and gaming experience

The Clever Twist: Partial Information

One of the most interesting aspects of Mantis is the partial information mechanic. You can see three colors on the back of each card, and you know the front will be one of those colors. This helps inform your decision about whether to score or steal.

The Psychology Behind the Game

What makes Mantis truly special is how it reveals human nature. The obvious path to victory is scoring points, but stealing is too tempting to resist.

There's always that hope when stealing that, when you choose to score, you'll earn more points. But this strategy creates enemies as other players seek revenge. When someone steals from you, your immediate instinct is to steal back.

Removing Our Masks

The most surprising aspect of Mantis is how it strips away our pretenses. We all like to think we're reasonable people who make logical choices. But place us in a game of Mantis, and suddenly we're plotting revenge and stealing cards even when it doesn't help us win!

The game reveals that we're often not as virtuous as we pretend to be. When the rules permit stealing, most of us will do it.

What's fascinating is that this happens to everyone around the table. No one can claim moral superiority because we all fall into the same patterns. We see each other without the usual social masks and somehow that draws us closer together.

Life Lessons from a Card Game

Mantis demonstrates that pursuing quick gains often leads to conflict rather than victory. It demonstrates how our choices affect others. For example, when you steal, you create a ripple effect of revenge. It's valuable to learn these lessons through a fun 10-minute card game.

Final Thoughts

Mantis is both an entertaining and thought provoking card game. As the publisher says, there are only two rules: Steal or Score. "There are only two rules: Steal or Score. You collect matching sets of cards by stealing from your opponents. You feel good about things, then not so good about things as opponents steal your cards back. Repeat this emotional rollercoaster until somebody wins the game."

I thoroughly enjoy playing Mantis with family and friends. It provides quick entertainment while offering surprising insights about ourselves. It bridges the gap between children and adults, making it perfect for family game nights.

Rating: 8/10