A game of nerve at a masked ball. Every guest holds four masks: three gold and one black . Win two unmaskings to win the ball, or be the last guest with masks left.
A round
Everyone lays one mask face down on their own pile. Only you know what yours is.
In turn, each guest either lays another mask on their pile, or opens the bidding: "I can unmask 3 gold masks." Once bidding opens, no more masks are laid.
In turn, guests raise the bid or pass. A guest who passes is out of the bidding for this round. Bids can't go higher than the number of masks on the table.
When everyone else has passed (or the bid equals every mask on the table), the top bidder must unmask that many: first their whole own pile, then masks from the tops of other piles, one at a time, choosing whose.
The unmasking
Reach the number with only gold masks and you win the unmasking (★). Two wins the game.
Turn a black mask (even your own) and you fail: you lose one of your masks, chosen at random. Nobody else sees which kind you lost.
Lose all four and you're out. The last guest still holding masks wins.
The top bidder starts the next round. If they were knocked out, the owner of the black mask starts.
Tips
Your own pile is turned first, so a black mask in your pile means you must never win the bid, but it's a trap for anyone who does.
Guests who bid usually have clean piles. Guests who pass quickly might be hiding a black mask.
Playing friends
Tap ⋯ → Play friends online and send the link to 2–3 friends (3 or 4 guests at a table). Each of you sees only your own masks until an unmasking turns them.
On this screen
The guests sit round the table. Each shows their pile, masks left (dots), wins (★) and their bid or pass.
Your masks are at the bottom: tap one to lay it. Use − / + and Bid to bid, or Pass.
When you unmask, tap the pile you want to turn next.
Tap a guest to see their details. ⋯ → Game info has every round's result.