Old Maid

1874
(Uncredited)
BGG Geek Rating
4.7
based on 1,965 ratings
BGG Average Rating
3.7
community average
BGG Ranking
#29502
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Players
2-6
Weight
1.04/5.00
Playtime
5 min
Age
4+

⚙️ Game Mechanics

How this game works - core systems and player actions

Set Collection Hand Management Hot Potato

📂 Categories

Novel-based Card Game Children's Game Bluffing Sports Comic Book / Strip Novel-based Animals

🎨 Artists

Oliver Freudenreich (Uncredited) Manfred Fischer Wilhelm Busch Constanza Droop Kevin Hill (II) Dick Bruna Helge Jepsen Dagmar Launhardt Ludek Manásek Hans Meier-Freiberg Otto Pech Friedrich Petersen Carl Olof Petersén Marilia Poggiali Valeria Petrone Wolfgang de Haèn Werner Graichen Jim Davis Hans-Joachim Behrendt Peyo Anne Erler-Reichold Beatrice Braun-Fock Karl Fischer Alex Graham Vernon Grant Roger Hargreaves Thomas Goletz Annet Rudolph Ingeborg Scherer Jens Schumacher Anja Wrede Lisbeth Honigsmann Racey Helps Alex Portal Benjamin Rabier Heinz Rodewald Stefan Senninger Senta Stein Eric Sturtevant Herbert Zeise Liesel Lauterborn Hans Räde Janosch Willy Mayrl Walter Lantz Harri Parschau Ernst Stapelfeld Rolf Kauka Markus Wagner Robert Lips Eva-Maria Ott-Heidmann Ryan Noonan Klemens Franz

🏢 Publishers

Parker Brothers Drechsler Waddingtons Editoy Dr. Rolf Ottmüller Granna Hallmark Games Anker Play Products Diddl Spiele Melissa & Doug JA-RU Inc. Garant Schoenmode McLoughlin Brothers Built-Rite Ivory Tower Publishing Warren Paper Products Co. Birkel Teigwaren GmbH Bazoo Global John Dickinson & Co Carlit Clown Games Otto Maier Verlag LandesFeuerwehrVerband Bayern e.V. PlayMobil Interactive Toysmith Verlag Rudolf Forkel Volkswagen/Audi Walter Flechsig Jos. Scholz AG Müller (AGMüller) King Cards Hoyle Products Heraclio Fournier Chiefton Products Ltd. Comas Dr. Herbert Schulze Creative Child Games Gramicus Green Giant Company H. Reichardt Heidmük-Verlag Hamleys Henbrandt Limited Hensel's Drei Glocken Holtz & Willemsen Homann Erzeugnisse Horizon Group USA IKEA Hoffmann & Campe Tampereen Paperikonttori Oy P:OS Handels GmbH Jeux Stella Papita Mulder Hausser Copag Cards (Copag) Algazarra Nathan ThinkFun Dagobert Haywire Group ASS Altenburger Spielkarten Andrews & Blaine Arrco Playing Card Co. Adolf Johnsons förlag KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH Warren Company Wild Party Games Zahnärztekammer Schleswig Holstein Zynga Walt Disney Productions (Disney) Winning Moves International Ltd Jumbo Chad Valley Co Ltd. danspil Josef Hohlweg Wien International Games WHSmith Western Publishing Company Kärnan Brandstätter Group Bizerba Bielefelder Spielkarten Cathay Pacific Franz Schmidt Fan Games Falcon Games (I) Salamander Roberts Brothers Games Shuffle Rudolf Forkel KG Schwager & Steinlein Berliner Spielkarten N.W. Damm & Søn (Damm) Pressman Toy Corp. AMIGO Fundex Paul Lamond Games Ltd Antwerpsche Hypotheekkas ED-U-Cards Mfg Sondertyp-Zigaretten Super Impulse Sparkasse VEB Landesdruckerei Sachsen Teepe Sportverlag Tower Press Russell Manufacturing Company School Zone Publishing Company Eldorado Frito-Lay Esslinger Verlag J. F. Schreiber GmbH Fritz Schulz Jun Golden General Mills Jogojoy Jeux FK Music Games Nature Conservation Norisbank MGA Entertainment Paletti Obchodni Tiskárny Mudpuppy Oetinger Spiele Oriental Trading Company W. H. Cornelius Ltd. Richard Hauenstein Rewe Verlag für Lehrmittel Pössneck Raeapteek Milton Bradley Vereinigte Kunstanstalten Senkeisen Patch Products Tietz und Pinthus Trefl Spin Master Ltd. Die Spiegelburg Ensslin & Laiblin Chronicle Books J. CH. Mellinger Verlag Arrow Games Ltd Omnium-Waalwijk Michael Stanfield Novel Toy Company Porst-Spiel Pestalozzi-Verlag Whitman Pepys (Castell Brothers) Fisher Price Peliko Oy Søstrene Grene CES Invicta Games Waldman Selecta Spel en Hobby Simba Toys Jogojoy Lademann Forlagsaktieselskab Magtoys Schmidt Spiele The United States Playing Card Company Clifford Toys Otto Maier Benelux B.V. Peaceable Kingdom Schaper Kaysons Novelty Co. Cartamundi Spear's Games Cardinal (Public Domain) Cheatwell Games E. E. Fairchild Corporation King International F.X. Schmid Piatnik Djeco University Games Jewish Educational Toys moses. Verlag GmbH Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag HABA (Unknown) (Self-Published) Ravensburger (Web published)

📖 About This Game

Old Maid is a traditional children's game. You can buy a deck of cards designed for the game, but it can be easily played with a standard deck of cards: Throw away all but one of the queens from the deck. You won't use the "extra queens" during play. (You may also want to throw out all black cards or all red cards to speed up the game). Deal all the cards out to the players. Players put down any pairs they have, then keep the rest of their cards in their hand, hidden from their opponents. From here on, take turns; on your turn, draw a card from any other player. If you made a pair, then put it down. In the end, all cards except the "old maid" (the one queen left in the deck) will be down in pairs. Whoever holds that card loses! Everybody else wins! The best part of this game is seeing another player draw the old maid away from you. You're supposed to keep it a secret when this happens (because other players will avoid drawing from the victim if they know that they risk the old maid by doing so), but young children usually laugh or gloat when the old maid gets taken from them. Adults playing can make the victim feel better by trying to draw the maid away from them.