Mäxchen (Mia): Rules and How to Play
Two dice sit under a cup; only the roller sees them. Mix in bluffs, challenge false bids and protect your lives to be the last player remaining.
Objective
Two dice sit under a cup; only the roller sees them. Mix in bluffs, challenge false bids and protect your lives to be the last player remaining.
Setup
- 2–8 players, 6 lives each (3 or 10 in settings). A draw selects the first player.
How to play
- Read the larger die first. Mixed values 31–65 are below pairs 11–66; 21 is strongest.
- Announce a stronger value. On challenge, a sufficient actual value costs the challenger lives; a lower one costs the last bidder. A tie satisfies the bid.
Winning and scoring
- Players with no lives watch; the last player wins. If all humans watch, remaining CPUs are ranked by lives (ties by seat order) and the game ends.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–8 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| LivesLivesPlayers with no lives left watch. The last player with lives wins. Fewer lives make a shorter game. | Everyone starts with this many lives. | 6 lives (about 5–8 min with 4 players) | Changeable |
| Strength of 31Strength of 31Normally 31 is weakest and 21 is strongest. Little Mia puts 31 just below 21, making 32 the weakest. | Choose where 31 belongs on the ladder. | Classic (31 is weakest) | Changeable |
| A bid of 21A bid of 21Double costs the losing player 2 lives when 21 is announced. Giving up unopened costs 1. An actual 21 does not double a different bid. | Lives lost when 21 is announced. | 21 is double (2 lives) | Changeable |
| Pass unseenPass unseenAfter believing, you may announce a stronger value without rolling or looking. If that bid falls short when challenged, the passer loses lives. | Pass a stronger bid without rolling. | Off | Changeable |
| Next round starterNext round starterBy default the loser starts next. If they have no lives, the next living player to their left starts. You can instead choose the winner. | Who rolls first after a reveal. | Loser | Changeable |
Terms
- Challenge
- Question the bid and open the cup.
- Mäxchen
- Dice showing 1 and 2 make 21, the strongest value.
FAQ
Why is 21 strongest?
It is the traditional ranking: 1 and 2 make 21, above every other value.
What about a tie?
An equal actual value satisfies the bid, so the challenger loses lives.
Why is 31 weakest?
The classic order puts 31 last. Little Mia instead puts it just below 21.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-07 · Run by Qdan, Inc.