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About Mascarade
Mascarade starts with every player knowing their character, then quickly turns them all face down and starts swapping. On your turn you can secretly swap your card with someone else's, or not, peek at your own card, or claim to be a character and use its power. Anyone else who thinks they are that character can challenge, and anyone wrong pays a fine. It plays up to thirteen and stays quick, though at high counts it gets chaotic and the luck goes up.
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Is Mascarade Right for You?
Best for
Mascarade is for groups who like chaotic bluffing and do not mind a fair bit of luck. It is best around six to eight, where swaps are trackable and turns come round quickly. It is one of the few bluffing games that plays up to thirteen.
Maybe skip it if…
Players who want to plan will be frustrated, because your character can be swapped away at any moment. At the top of its range, turns can feel random and long.
How to Play Mascarade
Setup
Deal each player a character card face up and 6 coins. After everyone has seen the characters, turn them face down.
On Your Turn
- Swap: take your card and another player's under the table, and decide in secret whether to swap them or not.
- Look: secretly peek at your own card.
- Announce: claim to be a character. Others may claim it too, and then all claimants reveal. The true one uses the power; the rest pay a coin to the courthouse.
- The first four turns of the game must be swaps.
How to Win
The first player to reach 13 coins wins. If someone runs out of coins, the richest player wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Keep track of who swapped with whom. The players who never look at their card are the easiest to confuse.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not swapping at all. Everyone else is, and you lose track of your character.
- Peeking too often. It spends a turn and others will notice you are unsure.
- Claiming a character without thinking about who might challenge. A contested claim costs everyone who is wrong.
- Ignoring the courthouse. The Judge can collect all of it, so it can quietly become a big prize.
Advanced Strategy
- Track a few swaps closely rather than trying to follow every card at the table.
- Claim a character you think nobody else holds right now. An uncontested claim is a free action; a contested one is a gamble.
- The Cheat wins with ten coins, so keep an eye on players sitting at nine or ten.
- Fake swaps are as useful as real ones. Doing nothing under the table can confuse the whole table.
Variants & House Rules
Mascarade Expansion
An expansion adds new characters. The 2nd edition from Repos Production combines original and expansion characters in one box.
House rule: fewer forced swaps
Some groups reduce the opening swaps when everyone is experienced, so the game starts faster.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Mascarade is a quick, chaotic bluffing game that handles big groups well. Luck plays a big part and some players will find that frustrating. For a large casual group that wants laughs, we recommend it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is it best with?
Six to eight. It works up to thirteen, but turns take longer and swaps become harder to track.
Can you play with two or three?
Yes, there are special rules for small counts, but it is much better with more players.
Is there a second edition?
Yes. Repos Production's 2nd edition updates the box and includes characters from the original expansion.