Card Games That Start With M
Popular card games that start with M include Mao, Mau-Mau, Mille Bornes, Monopoly Deal, Munchkin, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Snap, Memory (Concentration), Michigan Rummy and Monte Carlo solitaire. For a quick trivia answer, Mau-Mau, Monopoly Deal and Magic: The Gathering are the most widely recognised. Below are 25 real card games starting with M, grouped by type, each with a one-line description and a reference link.
Quick answers (most recognised)
- Magic: The Gathering — the original trading card game (1993).
- Monopoly Deal — fast card version of Monopoly (2008).
- Mau-Mau — shed-your-cards game from the same family as Crazy Eights and Uno.
- Mille Bornes — French road-race card game.
- Munchkin — comedy dungeon-crawl card game.
- Memory / Concentration — flip two cards, find pairs.
Games played with a standard deck
| Game | Players | How it plays |
|---|---|---|
| Mau-Mau | 2–5 | Match the top card by suit or rank; first to empty their hand wins |
| Mao | 3+ | Like Mau-Mau, but the rules are secret and you learn them from penalties |
| Macau | 2+ | Hungarian shedding game with rules similar to Crazy Eights or Uno |
| Michigan Rummy | 2+ | Rummy variant also called 500 Rum; you score the cards you meld |
| Manille | 4 | Belgian/French trick-taking game with a 32-card deck |
| Mus | 4 | Basque vying (bluffing) game played in pairs, popular in Spain and France |
| Minnesota Whist | 4 | Whist variant with no trump; bid high or low |
| Mariage | 2 | Central European trick-and-draw game (documented 1715) scoring king-queen "marriages" |
| Marjolet | 2 | French trick-and-draw game with a 32-card pack, a simpler relative of Bezique |
| Marriage | Several | Nepalese matching game with three decks; build sets of three (21 cards each) |
| Memory / Concentration | 1+ | Lay cards face down, flip two at a time to find pairs |
Solitaire (patience) games
| Game | How it plays |
|---|---|
| Monte Carlo | Remove adjacent pairs from a 5×5 layout |
| Miss Milligan | Two-deck patience; build foundations from aces |
| Montana (Gaps) | Shuffle cards into rows, then move cards into gaps to sort each suit |
Games with their own card decks
| Game | Year | How it plays |
|---|---|---|
| Mille Bornes | 1954 | Race to drive 1,000 km while blocking opponents with hazards |
| Monopoly Deal | 2008 | Collect three full property sets to win |
| Munchkin | 2001 | Kill monsters, grab loot and backstab friends to reach level 10 |
| Machi Koro | 2012 | Build a city with dice and card purchases |
| Mafia | 1986 | Party game; secret role cards decide who is mafia |
Collectible and living card games
| Game | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Magic: The Gathering | Trading card game | First modern TCG (1993), by Wizards of the Coast |
| Marvel Snap | Digital card game | Quick 6-turn matches; released October 2022 |
| Marvel Champions: The Card Game | Living card game | Co-op superhero game (2019) |
Close but not card games
- Mahjong is played with tiles, not cards (though card versions exist).
- Monopoly is a board game; the card game is Monopoly Deal.
Card games starting with M for adults
Mus, Mao, Munchkin, Mafia and Magic: The Gathering are the most popular picks for adult game nights. All are suitable for teens too.
Board games that start with M (bonus)
Monopoly, Mastermind, Mouse Trap, Mancala and Mysterium are well-known board games that start with M.
Frequently asked questions
What card games start with M?
Mao, Mau-Mau, Macau, Michigan Rummy, Manille, Mus, Minnesota Whist, Memory (Concentration), Monte Carlo solitaire, Miss Milligan, Mille Bornes, Monopoly Deal, Munchkin, Machi Koro, Mafia, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Snap and Marvel Champions.
What is a famous card game that starts with M?
Magic: The Gathering is the most famous, followed by Monopoly Deal, Mau-Mau and Munchkin.
What card game starting with M is like Uno?
Mau-Mau and the Hungarian game Macau. Both are shedding games from the same family as Crazy Eights and Uno.
Which card game has secret rules?
Mao. New players aren't told the rules and learn them from penalties.
What card game starting with M can you play alone?
Monte Carlo, Miss Milligan and Montana (Gaps) are solitaire games. Memory can also be played solo.
Is Mahjong a card game?
No. Mahjong is played with tiles, though card versions exist.
What are card games starting with M for adults?
Mus, Mao, Munchkin, Mafia and Magic: The Gathering are popular adult picks.