How to play Mudwater

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The rules at a glance

Two players compete for control of a 3×3 board. The larger territory wins; equal totals draw.

Your hand

13 cards: five Level I, three II, two III, two IV and one V. Play one per turn.

Capturing

Compare adjacent, touching edges. The higher attacking number takes the slot; equality leaves ownership unchanged in standard mode. The Advanced rule in the official game client (not explained in its How To Play panel) says a tied edge captures only when the attacker’s family dominates: Club → Mutant → Cosmic → Arcana → Club. Captures never cascade.

Placing and upgrading

Empty spaces accept Level I (Common). On your own slot, play precisely one level higher, even if you captured it. Upgrades also attack neighbours.

Face-down rocks

Any card can become a rock in an empty space. It neither captures nor can be captured. It counts as Level I; only one per player. A Level II upgrade releases that allowance.

Exhibition

The game deals the hand; your wallet cards are not used. Our planner is a design exercise, not an import into an exhibition match.

Forfeiting

Tap Forfeit twice. The official help panel says forfeiting before move six costs no rating.

Ending

Filling the final empty space ends play. Two consecutive passes also end it; passing requires no legal move.

Timer and opponent

Turns last 60 seconds; expiry selects a random legal move. A disconnect allows two minutes before forfeiture. The computer opponent, Oracle, cannot inspect your hand.

Guest access is available. Source: official game’s How To Play panel ↗, and official game client (Advanced rule), checked 21 October 2026. Rules can change.

Three things to think about

MrDeeds strategy notes, inferred from the rules:

• Look at the touching edges. A strong number facing away from an opponent does not help that capture.
• Keep an upgrade available. A high-level card needs a controlled slot at the preceding level; it cannot simply start anywhere.
• Count before filling the last space. That move ends the game, so check ownership after its captures.

From the board to your collection

Browse card artwork · Check your collection · Explore rarity and finishes

This guide describes the browser game linked above. It does not establish that wallet-held cards are used in that mode or that Foil has a gameplay advantage. The issuer presents Ante and Otherside play as parts of Mudwater, and its Ante link opens this browser game. Demo/exhibition play does not establish that staking or wallet-card play is available in every mode. Rarity, finish and market price should not be read as a win guarantee.