
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,980
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Ratzzia
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2019

2022
Rules assistance for Mada
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mada is a board game released in 2022 for 2–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Sophia Wagner and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Push Your Luck.
In this hand-management and risk-taking game, you are playing ring-tailed lemurs living on the island of Madagascar. Your goal: collect as many prickly pears as possible. Each turn, players must choose 1 of 3 actions: play a card, draw or take a risk. The card played has to be equal or higher than the previous one. Playing high cards will bring you more points, but it will also end the round faster, to your advantage or the one of your opponents. If special cards can help you, they will definitely surprise the others and bring interaction. Players win prickly pears at the end of each round, unless they lost it. Game stops when a player has collected 5 cards. —description from the publisher
Mada supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Mada is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Mada for ages 6 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Mada has a complexity rating of 1.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Mada belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Push Your Luck. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Mada are: Sophia Wagner. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Mada as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.