Running out of ideas for your MASH game? Whether you're playing the classic paper version or using the MASH app, the categories you choose can make or break the fun. We've compiled over 50 creative category ideas to keep your fortune-telling sessions fresh and exciting.

The Classic Categories (The Essentials)

Every MASH game needs a solid foundation. These tried-and-true categories have been part of the game since playground days:

Future Spouse — The names that make everyone giggle. Mix celebrity crushes with real-life possibilities (and maybe one wildcard everyone dreads).

Number of Kids — Classic numbers include 0, 2, 5, and 17. The extreme options are what make it fun.

Career — Doctor, teacher, YouTuber, professional dog walker. Blend dream jobs with silly ones.

Car — Ferrari, minivan, shopping cart, horse. Range from luxury to ridiculous.

Location — Your hometown, Paris, Antarctica, "in a van down by the river."

Pet — Dog, cat, goldfish, llama, pet rock.

Categories for Different Age Groups

For Kids (Ages 7-11)

Keep it lighthearted and imaginative:

• Superpower — Flying, invisibility, super speed, talking to animals
• Best Friend — Mix real friends with fictional characters
• Favorite Food You'll Eat Every Day — Pizza, ice cream, broccoli (the dreaded option), chicken nuggets
• Pet's Name — Fluffy, Sir Barksalot, Mr. Whiskers, Sparkle
• Color of Your House — Rainbow, invisible, glow-in-the-dark, polka dot
• What You'll Be Famous For — Video games, singing, inventing something, world's biggest bubble

For Tweens and Teens (Ages 12-17)

Add some drama and social relevance:

• Social Media Followers — 100, 10K, 1 million, "account deleted"
• First Date Location — Movie theater, fancy restaurant, awkward family dinner, escape room
• College/Future School — Mix real universities with fictional ones (Hogwarts always gets a reaction)
• Side Hustle — Babysitting empire, TikTok star, tutoring, professional gamer
• Age When You Get Married — 22, 30, 45, never
• Honeymoon Destination — Hawaii, Disney World, camping in the backyard, space

For Adults (Nostalgia Night Edition)

Lean into real-life humor:

• Retirement Age — 45, 65, 80, "what's retirement?"
• How You'll Meet Your Spouse — Dating app, grocery store, work, "they rear-ended your car"
• Mortgage Status — Paid off, underwater, renting forever, living with parents
• Work-From-Home Days — 0, 3, fully remote, "what job?"
• Midlife Crisis Purchase — Sports car, boat, questionable tattoo, alpaca farm
• Number of Streaming Subscriptions — 2, 7, 15, "still using someone else's password"

Themed Category Sets

The Celebrity Edition

• Celebrity Spouse — Current heartthrobs and unexpected picks
• Celebrity Best Friend — Who's in your squad?
• Celebrity Neighbor — Dream neighbor vs. nightmare neighbor
• Celebrity You'll Be Mistaken For — Flattering and not-so-flattering options
• Award You'll Win — Oscar, Grammy, Nobel Prize, "World's Okayest Employee" mug

The Travel Edition

• Country You'll Live In — France, Japan, Australia, your home country
• Vacation Style — Luxury resort, backpacking, staycation, cruise ship
• Languages You'll Speak — Spanish, Mandarin, emoji only, pig latin
• Airline Status — First class for life, middle seat forever, private jet, road trips only
• Souvenir Collection — Magnets, shot glasses, sand from every beach, nothing (minimalist)

The Career Deep Dive

Go beyond just "job title":

• Salary — Minimum wage, comfortable, millionaire, "paid in exposure"
• Commute — Walking distance, 2-hour nightmare, work from bed, helicopter
• Boss Personality — Best mentor ever, micromanager, absent, "you ARE the boss"
• Office Snack — Unlimited snacks, sad vending machine, bring your own, fancy espresso bar
• Work Bestie — Instant BFF, "it's just a job," drama llama, no coworkers (solo operation)

The Home Life Edition

• House Style — Modern, Victorian, treehouse, houseboat
• Backyard Feature — Pool, garden, trampoline, parking lot
• Kitchen Situation — Chef's kitchen, microwave only, takeout every night, personal chef
• Neighbors — Best friends, feuding, never see them, celebrity
• Chore Division — 50/50, you do everything, robot does it, hire someone

The Wild Card Categories

When you want to get weird:

• Theme Song That Plays When You Enter a Room — Epic orchestra, sad trombone, pop hit, silence
• Unusual Talent You'll Develop — Juggling, speaking backwards, competitive eating, predicting rain
• Embarrassing Moment Frequency — Once a year, weekly, daily, "what embarrassment?"
• Ghost That Haunts Your House — Friendly, mischievous, none, "you become the ghost"
• Conspiracy Theory You'll Believe — Aliens, Bigfoot, birds aren't real, "none, you're normal"

Tips for Creating Great MASH Categories

Balance is everything. Each category should have a mix of good options, bad options, and wildcard options. If every choice is great, there's no suspense. If every choice is terrible, it's not fun.

Know your audience. Playing with kids? Keep it silly and age-appropriate. Playing with your college roommates? Go for the inside jokes and real-life references.

Add one "chaos" option. Every category benefits from one answer that makes everyone groan or laugh. The shopping cart car. The 17 kids. The "paid in exposure" salary.

Use specific names and details. "Fancy restaurant" is fine, but "the Olive Garden where you had that disastrous first date" is memorable.

Update for the times. Classic MASH used careers like "doctor" and "lawyer." Modern MASH can include influencer, content creator, or remote worker. Keep it relevant.

Quick-Start Category Sets

Need to start playing right now? Here are three ready-to-use sets:

Classic Set

1. Future Spouse (4 names)
2. Number of Kids (4 numbers)
3. Career (4 jobs)
4. Car (4 vehicles)
5. Location (4 places)
6. Pet (4 animals)

Modern Set

1. How You Meet Your Spouse (dating app, mutual friends, work, random encounter)
2. Combined Income (struggling, comfortable, wealthy, "we don't talk about money")
3. Work Situation (office, remote, hybrid, unemployed)
4. Vacation Frequency (never, once a year, quarterly, permanent vacation)
5. Pet Situation (dog, cat, exotic animal, "landlord says no")
6. Weekend Activity (Netflix, hiking, brunch, side hustle)

Silly Set

1. Unusual Pet (dragon, invisible horse, swarm of bees, sentient houseplant)
2. Weird Hobby (competitive napping, collecting belly button lint, yelling at clouds, professional hide-and-seek)
3. Unexpected Skill (burping the alphabet, predicting elevator arrivals, finding parking spots, remembering everyone's birthday)
4. Random Claim to Fame (viral video, world record for something weird, "that's my cousin" about a celebrity, local news interview)
5. Unusual Fear (butterflies, the letter Q, people who chew quietly, escalators)
6. Secret Identity (vigilante, alien, time traveler, "actually a cat")

Make It Your Own

The best MASH categories are personal. Reference inside jokes, real crushes (if everyone's comfortable), local landmarks, and shared experiences. The game is funniest when the options feel specific to your friend group.

Ready to put these categories to use? Play MASH online or grab a printable MASH sheet and start predicting your future.

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Looking for even more ways to play? Check out our 15 Creative MASH Variations for themed gameplay ideas.