M.A.S.H: A Silly Prediction Game for All Ages

MASH is a fun game that you can use to try to predict what your life will be like when you’re older. All you need to play is a paper and pencil. Start by writing “MASH” at the top of the piece of paper, which stands for mansion, apartment, shack, and house. These are the types of homes you could end up living in. Below that write the names of 4 people you know, celebrities, or a combination of the two. These are the people you could end up marrying. Under that, write “1, 2, 3, 4,” or any other combination of numbers. This is how many children you could end up having. On the next line down, write 4 types of cars, like “sedan, luxury car, SUV, cardboard box on wheels.” These are the cars you could wind up with. You can add additional categories if you’d like, like different jobs, types of pets, and incomes, as long as every category has 4 options. Now choose a random number, and count each option on the page until you get to that number, starting with M, then A, then S, then H, and so on. When you reach the number you chose, cross off the item you landed on. Then choose another random number and start counting from the next available option from where you left off. Keep choosing numbers and crossing off options like this. Skip counting any options that you’ve already crossed off. Once you’ve crossed off 3 options in a category, circle the last option in that category and skip counting it for the rest of the game. When you have 1 option in each category circled, you’re finished! Look at each circled option to predict your future. For example, you might predict that you’ll live in a mansion, get married to James, have 3 kids, live in Asia, and drive a luxury car. If you want to learn how to play a more advanced game of M.A.S.H., keep reading the article!