How to Play Munchkin

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Munchkin is an exciting fantasy card game with plenty of monsters, dungeons, and sorcery, but how do you get started? Just grab a Munchkin deck and 3-6 players—we'll walk you through everything else you need to know, including setup, the rules of gameplay, and how to win. Each game lasts about 1 hour, so get ready for an evening of sword-wielding fun!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Game Setup

1
Give 10 small objects to each player. This is how you’ll keep track of the level everyone is on. You can use coins, poker chips, paper clips, or anything you have on hand!^{[1]
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- If you can’t find 10 separate pieces, you can also use a notepad and a pencil to keep track of everyone’s level.
2
Separate the door cards and the treasure cards. Every deck comes with 2 separate card types: the door cards and the treasure cards. Make sure these are separated, then shuffle each deck and put them into 2 piles face down.^{[2]
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- Set the cards in the center of your group so everyone can grab them.
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3
Pick up 4 cards from each deck. Have every player take a turn grabbing 4 door cards and 4 treasure cards. It doesn’t matter who starts, but you can roll a die to decide if you want to!^{[3]
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- If you have an older version of the game, the rules might tell you to pick out 2 cards from each deck instead of 4. That’s fine, and the rest of the rules are all still the same.
4
Put down a race card and a class card to create your character. Your character is determined by your race and class cards. Every card has its own strengths and weaknesses, so pick out the ones you want carefully.^{[4]
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- For example, you could be an elf thief, someone who gains levels for helping others while backstabbing players.
- Or, be a halfling wizard, someone who can charm monsters and gain their treasure without fighting them.
- If you have a half-breed or super munchkin card, you can put down 2 race cards and 2 class cards at the same time.
5
Set out any item cards you have. Your item cards give your character weapons and objects to use during battle. Check the bottom of your item card to see how many “hands” you need to hold it. You can only use 2 “hands” worth of small items and 1 “hand” worth of big items at one time.^{[5]
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- You can put down any items you have right now, or you can save them for later. It’s up to you!

Method 2

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Objectives

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Win the game when you reach level 10 by fighting a monster. Even if you’re at level 9 and you could level up by selling items, it won’t win you the game. You must defeat a monster to get to level 10 to win the whole thing.^{[6]
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- However, there are a few treasure cards that give you the power to win the game without defeating a monster. Keep an eye on your cards as you play to see what kind of special moves you can do in order to win.
2
Sell your items for gold to level up. Every item card is worth a certain amount of gold (it’s written on the bottom of the card). Discard your item to get the gold, and go up a level for every 1,000 gold pieces you receive.^{[7]
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- If you sell an item that’s worth more than 1,000 gold pieces, that excess gold does not get carried over to your next turn.
- Remember, you can only have 2 hands worth of items and 1 large item at a time. If you want to put down a new item, you can sell the old one by discarding it.
3
Trade cards with other players at any time. Even when it’s not your turn, you can chat with other players to trade and barter with them for treasure and door cards. Trade back and forth as much as you’d like to gain treasures and boosts that will help you level up.^{[8]
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- You can even trade with the player who’s taking a turn right now, so don’t be shy!

Method 3

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Game Play

1
Draw a door card face up. You’ll either pull a monster card, a curse, or something good! Make sure everyone around you can see what you got before you continue your turn.^{[9]
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- In the rules, this is called “kicking down the door.”
- If your card is a curse card, it applies to your character straight away. Follow the instructions on the card, then discard the curse.
- If you got something good, you can either keep it in your hand or play it right away. You might get an item card or a boost to use for your character.
2
Play a monster card or draw a second card if you didn’t draw a monster. If you drew anything from the door card pile that wasn’t a monster, you have 2 options: you can “look for trouble” by playing a monster from your hand to defeat, or you can “loot the room” by grabbing a second card from the door deck and putting it in your hand.^{[10]
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- You should only play a monster card if you know you can defeat the monster! Otherwise, you could go down levels.
3
Begin combat if it’s a monster card. If you drew a monster card, you have to start fighting it. Your power is determined by your character’s level plus the amount of bonuses and items you have on the field (check the numbers at the top of each card). If your level and your bonuses are more than the monster’s, you win!^{[11]
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- Make sure you read the instructions on your monster card carefully. Some monsters can be “bribed” with gold or items to let you go.
4
Ask a friend for help if you can’t defeat the monster. If you have a lower level than the monster you’re fighting, you might need some help. Ask the other players to give you bonuses and items to help you out (if they’re willing). They might ask for some of your cards in return.^{[12]
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- The other players don’t have to help you out, so don’t get offended if they say no!
5
Go up a level if you defeat the monster. If you manage to defeat the monster, good job! Discard the monster card and go up 1 level by marking it on your notepad or with your small object. Check the bottom of the monster card to see how much treasure they were holding, then draw that amount of treasure cards from the deck.^{[13]
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- Fighting monsters is a great way to level up.
6
Roll a die if you can’t defeat the monster. If the monster beats you, that’s okay. Roll a die to see what happens to your character.^{[14]
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- If you roll a 5 or a 6, you get to run away and nothing happens.
- If you roll anything else, check the monster card under “bad stuff” to see what happens to you.
- If you die, each player gets to steal one card from your “corpse,” and you’re out of the game.
7
Give excess cards in your hand to the lowest-level player. When your turn is done, you can only have 5 cards in your hand. If you have any excess, hand them off to the player who’s at the lowest level. You might want to hand off any low-level items that aren’t worth much gold or boosts that you don’t want to keep for your own character.^{[15]
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- If any other players want your excess cards, you can trade or barter with them.
- If you’re the lowest-level player, just discard your extra cards.
8
Play cards on other players during their turn. If your friend is fighting a monster and they’re doing well, you can throw down some curses to make it way harder on them. Or, give the monster an extra boost with a “make it huge” card. Whatever your play is, the goal is to stop your friends from reaching level 10 before you!^{[16]
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