10 Paper-and-Pencil Games Like Mash [2023]

You know, I totally get it – we’re all so busy, and sometimes you just can’t find the time to unpack a board game and set it up for a fun evening with friends.

But guess what? There’s a whole bunch of amazing paper-and-pencil games out there that don’t need any special equipment!

So, in this article, I’m going to introduce you to 10 fantastic games that’ll help keep your mind sharp and your friendships strong during those hectic days when you need something fun and engaging to do without much fuss.

Let’s dive in!

Hangman

So, Hangman is a super cool game that you can play with two or more players.

The goal?

You’ve gotta guess words correctly and dodge getting hanged by the other players. Each player takes turns guessing letters in a word, and every wrong guess leads to an ‘X’ filling in part of their stick-figure drawing. Watch out, though – once all but one limb is complete, you’re out!

Fun fact: Hangman has been around for quite a while! It was first published in 1810 by an English writer named James Smith, and he called it “The Game at Hangman.”

Nowadays, people of all ages love playing it – from kids looking for a fun activity after school or during weekends to adults needing entertainment while waiting at airports or doctors’ offices.

Scrabble

Scrabble is a word game that has been popular for decades. There are many versions of Scrabble, including electronic ones and even one that you can play on your smartphone or tablet. You can also find board game versions and computer versions of the game.

Scrabble has been adapted for many languages and cultures worldwide so that people who speak different languages can enjoy it together (or against each other).

Trivial Pursuit

Trivial Pursuit is a trivia game where you and your friends try to answer questions about various topics. The game board has spaces for question-and-answer cards, plus a die for rolling (or dice if you have more than one).

The game’s object is to get all six of your pieces in different colored circles on the board before any other player does. You can do this by answering questions correctly. Still, there are also opportunities for stealing tokens from other players or moving ahead on your turn when someone fails to answer correctly.

Monopoly

Monopoly is a board game that was first published in 1935. It’s one of the most popular games ever made, with over 275 million copies sold worldwide.

In Monopoly, you buy properties and build houses and hotels on them. You aim to become the wealthiest player by collecting rent from other players’ properties when they land on your spaces.

You can also sell houses back to the bank if they aren’t making enough money for you or use “Chance” cards that give you special abilities like getting free parking spaces or buying a property without paying full price for it (but only if someone else lands on your space).

One key difference between Monopoly and mashup: In mashup, once someone goes bankrupted out of their money supply (which happens when their debt reaches zero), then they’re out of the game; but in monopoly, there is no such thing as being “bankrupted out”–you keep playing until everyone else decides they’ve had enough fun!

Tic Tac Toe

Games like Tic Tac Toe
Games like Tic Tac Toe

Tic Tac Toe is a game played on a 3×3 grid. The game’s object is to get three of your pieces in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. If you can do this before your opponent does, then you win!

If neither player manages to get three in a row within 9 turns (or less if both players agree), then it’s considered a draw, and both players lose their turn.

Battleship

Battleship is a game of strategy, skill, and luck. It’s played on a grid, with each player having their grid.

One with five columns and five rows, the other with five columns and five rows. In each turn, players guess where their opponent’s ships are located on their grid based on coordinates given by them (e.g., top left corner means column one, row one). If they’re right, they get to hit that square; if they’re wrong, nothing happens!

A fun fact about Battleship? It was created during World War II as an educational tool for Naval officers who wanted to learn how naval battles were fought at sea!

Uno and Skipbo

Uno and Skipbo are popular, easy-to-learn games that people of all ages can play. Both games require players to match the color or number on their cards with those on the table.

Uno is a card game where players try to discard their cards sequentially by matching them up with other players’ discarded cards.

The first person who discards all of his/her cards wins!

In Skipbo, you play all your cards at once instead of one at a time, like in Uno; this makes it easier for younger kids who may not know how to play well yet but still want some fun!

Sudoku

Sudoku is a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a nine-by-nine grid with digits so that each column, row, and 3×3 box contain the digits from 1 to 9 without repeating them. The puzzle setter provides an example of how to complete the first few lines of the grid; these examples are often called “warmers.”

Sudoku has been called “the world’s most popular puzzle.” Over 100 million copies have been sold worldwide in book form since its release in 2004, and this does not include all other media, such as newspapers or websites where it is published daily (or weekly).

Mad Libs

Do you love to use your imagination? Are you a fan of the funny things that come out of it? If so, then mad libs are the perfect game for you.

Mad Libs are a great way to practice vocabulary and improve reading comprehension. They’re also fun to spend time with friends or family while improving writing skills!

Dots and Boxes

Dots and boxes are a game played on a grid. The players take turns placing their pieces on the grid, aiming to get more dots than their opponent.

If you place your piece in a box, you get that box’s contents (with some caveats). Nothing happens if you place your piece in a dot, and it’s time for someone else to take their turn.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this list of paper-and-pencil games like mash.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us in the comments.