shedding / matching · Germany / Central Europe

Mau-Mau

Also known as Mau Mau · MauMau · Tschau Sepp · Whist (German variant) · German Crazy Eights

Mau-Mau is Germany's best-loved family card game and a close cousin of Crazy Eights and UNO. The name comes from the tradition of shouting "Mau!" when you're down to your last card. The goal is pure shedding: be the first to get rid of every card in your hand by matching the suit or rank of the top discard, while special cards force opponents to draw, skip turns, or let you switch the suit. It's quick to learn, friendly for 2 to 6 players, and famous in Germany for the rule that a player who forgets to call "Mau" on their next-to-last card has to draw a penalty. On lovecardgames.com, Mau-Mau runs on our Crazy Eights engine — the same shedding-and-matching core that powers the whole Crazy Eights / UNO family — so the play feels exactly like the German classic, with the 8 serving as the wild "switch the suit" card. Play Mau-Mau online free against smart bots or with friends — no download, no signup.

2–6 players · free · no download · no signup

How to play Mau-Mau

Each player is dealt a hand; the rest of the cards form the face-down stock and the top card is flipped to start the discard pile.
On your turn, play a card that matches the top discard by suit or by rank.
Stuck? Play your wild card (the 8 in our engine, the Jack in traditional Mau-Mau) and name the new suit everyone must follow.
Use action cards to your advantage — make the next player draw two with a 7, or skip them with an 8.
No match and no wild? Draw one card from the stock; play it if you can, otherwise your turn ends.
When you're down to your last card, remember to call "Mau!" — or risk a penalty draw.
Be the first to play your very last card to win the round.

Mau-Mau rules

Objective

Be the first player to play every card from your hand. There are no teams — it's every player for themselves. In the traditional German scoring game, when someone goes out the other players tally the points left in their hands and play continues over several rounds until a player passes the target (often 150 points), but the headline goal never changes: empty your hand first to win the round.

The deck and the deal

Traditional Mau-Mau in Germany uses a 32-card Skat pack (7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace in each suit) and deals 5 cards to each player. Here on lovecardgames.com Mau-Mau plays on our Crazy Eights engine with a standard 52-card deck — the same matching and shedding flow, just with the full card range. The rest of the cards form a face-down stock, and the top card is turned up to start the discard pile.

Playing a card

On your turn you must play one card that matches the top of the discard pile by SUIT or by RANK. For example, on the King of hearts you may play any heart (matching suit) or any King (matching rank). The card you play goes face up on the pile and becomes the new card to match. Play normally proceeds clockwise.

Special action cards

Mau-Mau is defined by its action cards. The classic German powers are: the 7 forces the next player to draw two cards (and 7s can be stacked, so a 9-of-spades style chain passes a growing penalty along until someone has no 7 and draws the total); the 8 makes the next player miss a turn; and the Jack (Bube) is the wild card — playable on anything, and the player who lays it names the suit everyone must follow. Many German households add the Ace as a 'play again' card. Our Crazy Eights engine keeps the wild 'switch the suit' card at the heart of the game — here it's the 8 you play on any card to declare a new suit, mirroring the Mau-Mau Jack.

Drawing when you can't play

If you have no card that matches the suit or rank and no wild card, you draw one card from the stock. If the drawn card can be played you may play it immediately; otherwise your turn ends and play passes on. If the stock runs out, the discard pile is reshuffled (leaving the top card) to form a fresh stock so the game keeps going.

Calling "Mau" and "Mau-Mau"

This is the rule that gives the game its name. When you play your second-to-last card — leaving just one card in hand — you must announce "Mau!" In the traditional game, if your very last card is the wild Jack you say "Mau-Mau!" If you forget to call and an opponent notices before the next player acts, you must draw a penalty (commonly two cards) instead of being one card from victory. It rewards paying attention and adds the signature tension of the German classic.

Winning and scoring

The first player to play their final card (after correctly calling "Mau") wins the round. In a casual game that's the whole match. For the German scoring game, the winner collects points equal to the cards left in opponents' hands — numbers 7–10 at face value, Queen / King / Ace 10 each, and the Jack worth 20. Play repeated rounds until a player crosses the agreed total, such as 150 points.

Strategy tips

Hold your wild card for emergencies — it's your escape when you can't match, and your most valuable card to be caught with at the end.
When you play the wild, declare the suit you hold the most of so you can keep playing on your next turns.
Save a 7 (draw-two) or an 8 (skip) to disrupt an opponent who is close to going out — timing these well can stall a winner.
Shed your high-value cards (Jack, King, Queen, Ace) early; in scoring Mau-Mau they cost you the most if you're left holding them.
Watch the discard pile to track which suits are getting thin, then switch to a suit your opponents probably can't follow.
Never forget to call "Mau" on your next-to-last card — being caught silent turns near-victory into a penalty draw.

Variants

Crazy Eights · Switch · Tschau Sepp (Swiss Mau-Mau) · Action-card Mau-Mau (7 = draw two, 8 = skip, Ace = play again) · Mau-Mau Extreme (extra special cards) · Scoring Mau-Mau to 150 points

Mau-Mau — frequently asked questions

How do you play Mau-Mau?

Match the top discard by suit or rank, use action cards like the 7 (draw two) and the wild card to change the suit, and draw when you can't play. The first player to empty their hand wins — but remember to call "Mau" on your second-to-last card.

Why is it called Mau-Mau?

The name comes from the tradition of shouting "Mau!" when you play your second-to-last card, leaving just one in your hand. If your final card is the wild Jack in the traditional game, you call "Mau-Mau!"

What happens if you forget to say "Mau"?

If you fail to call "Mau" on your next-to-last card and an opponent catches you before the next player acts, you must draw a penalty (commonly two cards) instead of being one card from winning.

What do the special cards do in Mau-Mau?

In traditional German Mau-Mau the 7 makes the next player draw two cards (and 7s can be stacked), the 8 skips the next player, and the Jack is wild — letting you name the new suit. Many groups also use the Ace as a play-again card.

Is Mau-Mau the same as Crazy Eights or UNO?

They're all in the same shedding family — match suit or rank, use wild cards, and race to empty your hand. Mau-Mau is the German version, Crazy Eights the English-language classic, and UNO the commercial game inspired by them. On lovecardgames.com, Mau-Mau plays on our Crazy Eights engine, so the wild 'switch the suit' card here is the 8.

How many players can play Mau-Mau?

Mau-Mau works for 2 to 6 players. It's a popular family game in Germany and plays well both head-to-head and in larger groups.

Is Mau-Mau free to play online?

Yes. You can play Mau-Mau online free on lovecardgames.com against smart bots or with friends, right in your browser — no download and no signup required.