The Games
Mini Mao
Designer: Kevan Davis
Type: Card
Status: Free
Available at:
http://kevan.org/games/minimao.html
Mini Mao is a simple but rapidly-inflating card game for three or more players, in which the winner of each round is allowed to add a new rule to the game. All such rules are kept as closely-guarded secrets, however, and their effects must be deduced by the other players through observation and experimentation.
Mini Mao is a cut-down version of Mao - it's a great deal friendlier to new players, without losing any of the mystery, superstition, deduction or paranoia. The basic game idea is very easy to remember, and you can teach someone to play in a couple of minutes. (I realise that some will regard that sentence as foul heresy, but [the author] shall explain later [in the rules].)