Mikado

Here on this page, you will find our collection of Mikado games. Mikado is a popular and entertaining game that can be played by people of all ages. The game is a classic that can be found in most summer houses, after-school programs, and children's homes. Mikado is a fun and challenging way to test your skills and how steady your hands are.

HeaderMore about MikadoBlockText2

Mikado is an old European game, usually played with 41 sticks, which are between 17 and 20 cm long. The game requires skills such as patience, coordination, and concentration, as players must remove the sticks one at a time without disturbing the rest of the pile. The more sticks you remove, the higher the score you end up with. Mikado is also a light strategic game, as players must consider which moves can maximize their points.

If you are looking for a fun activity that is easy to bring on trips or enjoyed by various age groups, then Mikado is the perfect choice. It is a classic that never goes out of style and always challenges and entertains the players!

Mikado Rules

The rules for Mikado are quite simple. The game uses 41 sticks, marked with different colors and giving a certain number of points depending on their color combination. The color combination varies from game to game today, but most often follows the table below:

At the beginning of the game, all the sticks are gathered in a pile in one hand. Then, the sticks are released so they fall onto the table and spread out. The game proceeds in turns, where each player alternates picking up sticks from the table. On their turn, the player removes one stick at a time, but without touching and disturbing other sticks in the pile. If one or more of the other sticks are disturbed, the player's turn ends immediately. At the start of the new player's turn, the sticks are picked up again and dropped anew. After five rounds, the game ends and each player counts their points – the player with the highest number of points wins.

Variations of the Rules

There are many other variations of Mikado. The video below explains the rules for the American version called "Pick-up Sticks" (very creative name).

Many Danes also play with some alternative rules for the game. For example, many play that the pile is not dropped anew, but only at the start of the game. In each round, the next player thus takes over the pile as the previous player has left it. Some also play that you may use the other sticks to remove sticks inside the pile. In the original rules, however, only the Mikado stick may be used for this.

No matter which variation of the game you use, Mikado is a fun and entertaining game. You can buy Mikado right here or you can hunt for other treasures among all our other classic board games.