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7+, 2022, Card Game
WISE Score
A neon-soaked card game where you win by either playing it safe or stealing your kid's entire collection of rainbow shrimp.
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Mantis is what happens when you strip a card game down to its most impulsive, addictive parts and paint it in neon. It’s fast, loud, and rewards the kind of ruthless thievery that kids usually get in trouble for, which is exactly why they love it.
It’s not a deep strategic experience, but it’s a fantastic 'palate cleanser' game. If you need something to bridge the gap between dinner and homework without a 40-page rulebook, this is a top-tier pick.
Perfect for ages 6 and up. While the box says 7+, the rules are simple enough for any kid who understands basic matching. Adults will find it a fun, mindless filler for game nights.
Vibrant, colorful art and a focus on lighthearted social interaction. While it involves 'stealing,' the tone is silly rather than mean-spirited.
The art style is quirky (from the Exploding Kittens team), but the gameplay is purely mechanical set-collection rather than world-building or creative expression.
Mechanically and thematically very safe. No mature content, gambling, or dark themes. The only 'danger' is the emotional fallout of a well-timed steal.
Teaches basic probability, risk assessment (push-your-luck), and the social-emotional skill of losing a hard-earned set of cards with grace.
Most families have a battered deck of Uno in a drawer that everyone is tired of playing. Mantis is the modern upgrade. It occupies that same 'matching colors' space but adds a layer of 'push-your-luck' that makes every turn feel like a mini-gamble.
The game is published by Exploding Kittens, and it carries their signature DNA: quirky art, high player interaction, and a hint of chaos. The 'Mantis Shrimp' theme is mostly just an excuse for the psychedelic color palette, but it works.
In many board games, 'attacking' another player feels personal. In Mantis, stealing is half the rules. Because it's so baked into the loop, it actually helps kids build a thicker skin regarding in-game conflict. Since a game only lasts ten minutes, losing a pile of cards doesn't feel like a life-altering tragedy—you'll probably steal them back in three minutes anyway.
While the box says 2-6 players, the sweet spot is 4. With only two players, it can feel a bit like a back-and-forth tug of war. With four or more, the 'score piles' become targets for everyone, and the game reaches its intended level of colorful mayhem. It’s one of the few games that truly scales down to younger kids without needing 'junior' rules or parent-hand-holding.
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