DD Mau, or UNO+

10 Comments

1. Steven McClain on 09.02.2010 at 18:14

   UNO can’t even compare to DD MAU. It’s like day vs night. In UNO you can only hit the players to your immediate left or right. In DD MAU, you can hit any player on the table. In UNO you can only lay down 1 card at a time. I’ve gone out with 15 cards in my hand before. In DD MAU you can lay down runs. In DD MAU you can multiply other players scores. The strategy is endless. Unless you’ve played the game you should not rate it!

   Ed Note: Steven is the designer/publisher.

2. Kas Cahill on 09.02.2010 at 19:33

   I’ve played DDMau and I’ve played UNO. DDMau is significantly more complex than UNO. Similar to learning chess, there are strategies that you learn as you play DDMau that are not apparent from the start. I’ve held as many as twelve cards in my hand and was able to go out. I’ve multiplied the losses of the other players on some hands, while multiplying my gains on the same hand BY EIGHT TIMES. I can cause any player on the board to pick up extra cards. I’ve seen players have to pick up 10 or 12 cards on a single hand! The extra control cards, plus the extra things that some of the cards do makes it a MUCH more strategic game. For instance, I’ve reversed the direction of play, skipped three players and caused the fourth player to pick up six cards thus eliminating seven cards in my hand ALL IN THE SAME TURN! I’ve made runs with a card that allows runs of different colors. I can stack similar cards on either end of a run:10-15 card runs are not unusual. I’ve been hit with a penalty of ten cards but didn’t have to pick them up because of a SINGLE card in my hand! I’ve been stuck being the dealer for three hours because the cards in my hand said so. I can fool people into thinking it’s impossible to go out when in reality, good players know you can go out with an enormous handful of cards. There is no comparison between the two games-winning DDMau is based on strategy, while winning UNO is based on luck.

3. Robert Pool on 09.02.2010 at 19:34

   Its not really fair to bad mouth DD Mau. More times then not new games that come out have a concept that is like another game. Sure DD Mau is some what like UNO but there is more that you can do in the game that you cant do in UNO which is what makes it different and in my opinion makes DD Mau better. I have played DD Mau more times in the last month that I have had the game then I have played UNO in my life time.

4. jess G on 09.02.2010 at 23:15

   If you feel that DD Mau is just like UNO…then you are a HORRIBLE DD Mau gamer. You can learn how to play UNO in ~5minutes; it takes HOURS to learn how to play DD MAU secondary to all of its complexities. You are right, there are similarities to UNO but I think i can count the similarities on one hand, whereas you’ll need all fingers and toes to count the differences. It takes brainpower and poker-like strategy to get through a hand of DD MAU. Once someone learns to play DD MAU they are ADDICTED. Our friends are having DD MAU nights similar to those who have poker nights…they are intense, hilarious, and mind boggling all at the same time. I cant say that much about UNO.

5. Beth Mahoney on 10.02.2010 at 10:11

   I think you have commented on a game that you have never played. DDMau has a couple cards like UNO but you can do more than what uno allows with those cards. It is also like crazy 8’s with runs, but you can do more with runs in DDMau. It is extremely complex. The Link Master has often been a difficult card to manage properly without understanding the game. And tell me what card in a game tells who the dealer is? It has strategy like chess. The more advanced players I have watch do impressive things with their cards. There are no card games where picking up more cards is advantageous but digging for power can help a powerful player. I’m a psychiatrist and have found this game very complex. I have become very skilled and can make the statement that DDMau has a complexity that keeps your mind sharp. Strategy is a must if playing with skilled players. I have spend all night playing this card game and have had a lot of laughs. It is true that you can watch the sun come up with DDMau as playing is almost addicting and you just can’t stop playing the game!

6. Amber H on 17.02.2010 at 12:44

   I agree with the others…. If you think DD Mau is like UNO you are not playing the game properly or to its full potential. If you are going to critisize a game you better know how to play it first!!!

7. Stephen on 18.02.2010 at 09:03

   I didn’t read any negative criticism into Yehuda’s brief writeup. He merely said that DD Mau is essentially UNO. The differences may be in the details, but the basic mechanics of the two games are very similar. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you happen to hate UNO.

   On the other hand, comparing the strategy DD Mau (or *any* card game that isn’t Bridge*) to Chess is a bit of a stretch, and for the designer/publisher to make wild claims about his own game is borderline poor form. “The strategies are endless?” Really? For that matter, all the gushing about DD Mau in these comments makes me immediately suspicious.

   * For the record, I have zero interest in playing Bridge.

8. Yehuda Berlinger on 18.02.2010 at 18:26

   Stephen, all of the gushing messages are from acquaintances and/or early customers known to the publisher, and were asked specifically to leave a comment by the publisher after he read the article.

   Yehuda

9. Ryan on 23.02.2010 at 00:18

   Hey there Stephen, Yehuda, et al.

   I am not an acquaintance of the publisher/designer. I picked up DD Mau today at a local used bookstore in Tucson (Bookman’s). I’ve been seeing it there for a while, and finally decided to go for it.

   Let me say that I love UNO — it’s a fun, simple game. DD Mau is definitely more complex — a bit intimidating at first. I read the rules, then tried to explain them to my girlfriend. This was tricky, as the rules as they are described in the pack are not entirely clear. They aren’t bad, but they could be a bit more clear. After about 4-5 clumsy hands, we managed to get the basics down, and after watching the videos up on youtube, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on things. It definitely builds on UNO, but it also adds in the strategy of the role-playing card games (like Magic) and games like Hearts/Spades.

   In other words, it’s a lot of fun, and I could see easily getting addicted to the game, just like with something like Hearts. I think the complexity (numerous “Power” cards with different abilities) will turn off some people, but if you’ve got a good group of gamers, you can have a lot of fun with this.

10. David Gu3 on 25.05.2010 at 21:37

    This is the best game I have seen in a while. I don’t own it yet but that will change soon. I was at a gathering with some friends and a deck was brought out. At first I thought this game was as bad as a fresh foot deuce, but after 3 rounds I was hooked. I played for 8 hours straight and it rocked. I agree the game needs some updating with the artistic design but if you play with people who love loopholes and exceptions you will have a blast. I also think it would be cool if the creator made the rules availaible online for printing or just fold up some paper and slip it into a deck. The rule cards are kind of tough to keep in order. It may be availaible online but I am not sure. Also make a simple version for less hardcore players. As far as the deck master cards go, after researching exceptions you can surely find a use for them. Even with the non-idiot proof rules this is a great game. If I wanted a simple game I would play old maid.

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