How to Play MASH

How to Play MASH on Paper (Step-by-Step)

Prefer not to use paper and pen? You can play MASH online free right in your browser - no paper or pen needed.

Step-by-step instructions for playing MASH:

1. Choose the story categories.

   

   First, choose the categories that will make up your final story. The number of categories you put in will change how long the game takes to play and how long your story will be. If you only have a few minutes to play, start with the basics: four categories (you choose these), and four options for each category (your friend chooses these). This part should go in the top half of your paper (leave space at the bottom of the page).

   Start at the top and write each of these four categories, moving clockwise on the page.

   • M A S H. The letters M A S H go at the top of the page. Write these with some space between each letter.

   • Potential partner. This is who you'll marry or end up with someday. Two of these should be someone you'd want to marry, one person you're indifferent about, and the last should be someone you would never, ever want to end up with.

   • Number of children you'll have. In the classic game you'll just write numbers like 1 2 3 4, or wilder options like 0, 2, 5, and 17 - this will line up with the M A S H that you put at the top.

   • Type of car you'll drive. This last category will go at the left of the page. Choose two cars you'd really want, one you don't care about, and one you'd totally hate.

2. Draw a spiral to determine the "magic number".

   

   Tell the other person to close their eyes while you draw a spiral (from inside to outside) on the bottom half of the page. The other person should say "STOP" when they want you to stop drawing (he can open his eyes now). Count from outside to inside the number of lines you drew. It can help to draw a line through the center of the spiral and count how many times that line crosses your spiral, too. The number you come up with is your magic number.

   

3. Count each of the category options until you reach the magic number.

   Start at the M at the top and, moving clockwise, count each option (A, S, H, each of the names, each of the numbers, each of the cars) until you reach the magic number. Cross off the option you land on.

4. Continue around the page, skipping over the marked off options.

   Start the count over with the spot just after the option you crossed off in step 3, then keep moving around the paper, counting each option as you go. Every time your count hits the magic number, cross off the option you landed on.

5. Circle the final option in each category.

   

   Each category will end up with all options but one eliminated.

6. Use the final options in each category to tell your friend his or her MASH story!

   You can add as many or as few embellishments to the story as you like. Your story could go something like: "In your future you're going to marry Niall Horan and live in a Mansion! You'll have two kids and drive a Porsche!"

Want to skip the pen and paper? Play MASH online for free right in your browser, or download the MASH app for iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

The MASH Categories Explained

The categories are the heart of any MASH game. Every game needs at least four: the M-A-S-H dwelling category plus three more that will make up the player’s predicted future. Each category gets four options, and the spiral counting process eliminates options until one remains per category - those survivors become the story.

The four classic MASH categories are:

• M-A-S-H - The dwelling: Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or House. This one never changes. It’s baked into the name of the game.
• Future Spouse - Four names: two appealing, one neutral, one the player would never want. The more specific and personal the names, the more fun the reveal.
• Number of Kids - Classic options are 0, 2, 5, and 17. The absurd high number is half the fun.
• Car - Range from a dream car to something humiliating (a shopping cart, a horse). Contrast is everything.

Once you have the basics down, you can layer on extra categories - job, city, pet, salary - to build a longer and more detailed story. See our full guide to MASH game categories for 50+ ideas organized by age group and theme.

Make your MASH story longer

The classic game of MASH is even more fun when you make the story longer. Add extra categories to tell a more detailed future.

• Where you'll go to college

• What you'll major in

• How your partner will propose

• Age when you'll get married

• What your wedding colors will be

• Where you'll go on your honeymoon

• What city or place you'll live in

• What your job will be

• How much you or your partner will make per year

• What type of pet you'll have

• What your pet's name will be

(For older kids and grown-ups waxing nostalgic, you might even put when and how you'll die. Gasp!)

What Does MASH Stand For?

What is the MASH game?

MASH (sometimes written M∗A∗S∗H, or M.A.S.H.) is a classic pen-and-paper fortune-telling game played by kids and nostalgic adults. You fill in categories, draw a spiral to generate a random number, then count through your options to eliminate them one by one until a single option remains in each category - those survivors become your predicted future. The game typically takes 5–10 minutes and requires nothing but pen and paper (or a web browser).

MASH is an acronym. The letters stand for the four types of homes your fortune might land on:

• M – Mansion: A sprawling estate with more rooms than you know what to do with. The dream outcome.
• A – Apartment: A cozy urban flat (for the British, a flat is a small apartment). Could be a chic downtown loft or a cramped studio - MASH doesn’t specify.
• S – Shack: A humble, drafty (often wooden) dwelling. Traditionally the worst outcome, which is exactly why it’s hilarious.
• H – House: The safe, respectable middle ground. Not glamorous, but nothing to complain about.

The “S” is the most flexible letter in the game. Depending on who you ask and where you grew up, it might stand for Shack, Street, Shed, Sewers, or even Swamp. The more creative (and humiliating) the S-word, the better the game. In some versions, players are allowed to swap out the S for any terrible dwelling they can think of - tent, trailer, cardboard box, you name it.

The four-letter structure is what gives the game its satisfying rhythm: everyone knows what the letters mean, so the moment the game board is revealed, the laughs start immediately.

A Brief History of MASH

MASH has been a schoolyard staple since at least the 1970s and 1980s, though its exact origins are murky. Like most playground folklore, it spread by word of mouth rather than any official publication. Kids across North America, the UK, and Australia all claim it as their own, which suggests it may have emerged independently in multiple places at roughly the same time.

The game hit its peak popularity in the 1990s, when it was a fixture of sleepovers, lunch breaks, and boring car rides. Long before smartphones, MASH was one of the few portable, zero-equipment ways to burn 15 minutes with a friend. All you needed was a scrap of paper and a pen.

In 2008, Magnate Interactive launched the first digital MASH app for iPhone, bringing the game to a whole new generation who had never played the paper version. The app kept the core mechanics: the spiral, the counting, and the categories, while adding dozens of new category options and the ability to save and share your story. Today MASH is available on iOS, Mac, Windows, and the web, but the paper version is still just as fun as it ever was.

The enduring appeal of MASH isn’t hard to explain: it’s a game about the future, which is inherently fascinating at any age. The categories hit on universal wants (love, home, wealth) and the randomness of the spiral means no two games are alike. Whether you end up in a Mansion with your celebrity crush or in a Shack with 11 kids, the result is always worth a laugh.

MASH Variations and Rule Variants

Once you have the basic game down, there are plenty of ways to mix things up. Here are the most popular variations:

Fortune Swap

In this variant, each time you cross off an option, that eliminated option becomes the other player’s fortune instead. So if you cross off “Shack” while counting through your game, your friend now gets the Shack in their story. This version makes the game more interactive and strategic - players start rooting against each other in a friendly way.

Group Play

MASH works great with three or more players. One person is the “subject” (the game is about their future), one person draws the spiral and counts, and the rest of the group contributes category options. The more people chiming in on the options, the wilder the stories get. You can also play a round-robin version where each player takes a turn being the subject.

Expanded Categories

The classic four-category game is just the beginning. Veteran MASH players often use eight, ten, or even twelve categories for an epic storytelling session. Common additions include job/career, annual salary, city you’ll live in, type of pet, pet’s name, how you’ll meet your partner, and your wedding location. The more categories you add, the longer the story - and the more opportunities for absurd combinations.

Classroom and Party Use

Teachers have adopted MASH as a low-key classroom activity because it requires no technology, reinforces counting and turn-taking, and gets students talking and laughing. It works especially well as an icebreaker or a creative writing prompt. At parties, a giant whiteboard version with audience-voted categories is always a hit.

Timed Spiral

Instead of saying “stop,” the player drawing the spiral draws for exactly 10 seconds (or 5, or 15 - you choose). Then count the loops. This removes the element of control from the “stop” caller and makes the magic number feel more random.

Tips for a Better Game of MASH

• Balance your options. The classic rule is two good options, one neutral option, and one terrible option per category. This balance is what makes the reveal exciting - there’s always a chance you’ll end up with the nightmare result.
• Count the spiral carefully. Draw a line straight through the center of the spiral and count how many times it crosses. This is more accurate than trying to eyeball the number of rings from the outside.
• Keep the spiral small. A tiny spiral means a small magic number, which means a faster game. If you draw a huge spiral, you might be counting for a while.
• Make the categories personal. The best MASH games use real people the subject knows (potential partners), real places they’ve talked about living, and real cars they’ve mentioned wanting. Inside jokes make everything funnier.
• Don’t peek. The subject should genuinely close their eyes while the spiral is drawn. The suspense of not knowing the magic number is part of the fun.

How to Play MASH Online

No pen or paper? No problem. You can play MASH online free right in your web browser - the digital version handles the spiral, the counting, and the story automatically. It works on any device.

If you prefer a dedicated app, MASH is also available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The app includes more than twice as many categories as the classic paper version, plus the ability to save and share your story.

Download MASH for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac:

• Find MASH on the App Store for iPhone and iPad:

  Apple iOS App Store

Frequently Asked Questions About MASH

What is the MASH game?

MASH (Mansion Apartment Shack House) is a classic pen-and-paper fortune-telling game where players fill in life categories, draw a spiral to generate a random counting number, then eliminate options one by one until a single answer remains in each category. Those survivors become your predicted future. It only requires pen, paper, and a friend - or you can play free online.

What does MASH stand for?

MASH is an acronym that stands for Mansion Apartment Shack House. It’s a classic fortune-telling game played by kids to predict their future.

How do you play MASH?

To play MASH: (1) Choose story categories (M-A-S-H, potential partner, number of children, type of car). (2) Draw a spiral until your friend says “stop” and count the lines to get your magic number. (3) Count clockwise through all options, crossing off the option you land on when you reach the magic number. (4) Continue counting and eliminating options until only one remains in each category. (5) Use the remaining options to tell your MASH story!

What do you need to play MASH?

You only need a pen, some paper, and a friend to play MASH. You can also download a free printable MASH game PDF or play the digital version online or on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows.

What are the basic categories in MASH?

The four basic categories in MASH are: (1) M-A-S-H (the type of dwelling you’ll live in), (2) Potential partner (who you’ll marry), (3) Number of children (typically 1, 2, 3, or 4), and (4) Type of car you’ll drive. You can add more categories to make the story longer.

Can you play MASH without pen and paper?

Yes! You can play MASH online for free right in your web browser, or download the MASH app on iPad, iPhone, Mac, or Windows.

What categories can you add to make your MASH story longer?

You can add extra categories like: where you’ll go to college, what you’ll major in, how your partner will propose, age when you’ll get married, wedding colors, honeymoon destination, what city you’ll live in, your job, your salary, type of pet, and your pet’s name.