Mantis is a competitive card game based on collecting colors, scoring sets, and taking cards from other players. The deck contains 105 cards divided equally among seven colors, along with a comic book explaining the rules. Each turn presents one decision: attempt to move cards into a permanent Score Pile or try to steal a matching group from an opponent. There is no storyline, campaign, or character progression.

Reading the Two Sides of a Card

Every card has a white front and a black back. The front displays a mantis shrimp character in one color, while the back shows three possible colors. The actual color on the front is always included among those three options. Players can therefore estimate the result before revealing a card, but they cannot know it with certainty. At the beginning, each participant receives four face-up cards that form a personal area called the Tank.

Choosing Between Score and Steal

Before touching the top card, the active player must announce whether they will try to score or steal. To score, the card is revealed inside their own Tank. If its color matches a card already there, every card of that color moves into the player’s face-down Score Pile. If there is no match, the revealed card simply remains in the Tank and may become useful later.

The main actions and outcomes include:

• Try to Score by revealing the next card in your own Tank.
• Move a complete matching color group into the Score Pile.
• Keep an unmatched revealed card inside the Tank.
• Try to Steal by revealing the card in another player’s Tank.
• Take all matching cards of that color when the attempt succeeds.
• Leave the revealed card with the opponent after an unsuccessful steal.
• Pass play clockwise after resolving the selected action.

Progress Through Collected Cards

Mantis does not contain levels, locations, missions, or unlockable abilities. Progress is measured by the number of cards secured in each Score Pile. Cards obtained through stealing are transferred only to the successful player’s Tank, so they are not protected immediately. To convert them into points, that player must later choose Try to Score and reveal another card of the same color. Until then, opponents can attempt to steal the group again.

The first participant to collect at least ten cards in their Score Pile wins. Scored cards remain face down, and their colors no longer affect the game, although players must state how many cards they have when asked. In a two-player match, the target increases to fifteen cards, and each successful steal grants another turn. Effective play depends on comparing the three colors shown on the next card with the visible Tanks around the table. A player can choose a safer scoring attempt when their own Tank contains several possible matches or target an opponent whose large color group is likely to match the available options.