Match Madness

About this board game

Match Madness is a fast pattern-recreation game for 1–4 players that takes about 20 minutes to play. Each player uses five blocks, numbered 1 through 5, to copy the configurations shown on pattern cards.

To set up, shuffle the pattern-card deck and decide how many rounds to play. Take that number of cards from the top of the deck and place them face down in the center of the table. Everyone is then ready to race.

At the start of a round, reveal the top card. All players simultaneously scramble to arrange their blocks so they match the pattern shown. The first player to finish grabs the card and shows the other players their block configuration.

If the arrangement is correct, that player keeps the card. Then the next card is revealed and another round begins. The game continues until every selected card has been collected.

• Players: 1–4
• Play time: approximately 20 minutes
• Core challenge: quickly recreate the pattern on the revealed card
• Components in play: five numbered blocks per player and a deck of pattern cards

The player with the most cards at the end wins. If players are tied, compare the number of level 5 cards they collected. If the tie remains, compare level 4 cards, continuing downward through the levels as needed. Released in 2016, Match Madness turns visual recognition and quick block arrangement into a direct competition for every revealed card.