General FAQ

What are the Mind Games® judging criteria?
What does the Mensa Select® seal mean?
Does Mind Games include any educational opportunities?
Can my city host Mind Games?
What is Mensa?

What are the Mind Games^® judging criteria?

Judges rate each of more than 50 games on originality (structure, concept, creativity), game play (enjoyment, excitement, challenge), play value (repeatability, longevity, price), aesthetics (look, feel, style) and instructions (brevity, clarity, completeness).

What does the Mensa Select^® seal mean?

The Mensa Select seal signifies that a game has been chosen as one of the top five new games in a given year by members of American Mensa. Indirectly, it indicates that a game is original and creative in concept, challenging, a good value for the price, easy to comprehend and play, and, above all, fun!

Does Mind Games include any educational opportunities?

Not in itself, no — but many of the Mensa Select winners do. In fact, we've developed a lesson plan to encourage the growth of the skills required to do well in many games — skills like critical thinking, strategy assessment, spatial ability, spelling, arithmetic, logic, etc. Download this lesson plan from the Mensa For Kids Web site.

Can my city host Mind Games?

Sure — if your local Mensa chapter turns in a bid to host the event. Like all Mensa events, Mind Games is planned and staffed mainly by volunteers, so nothing happens without a commitment from the local members. Find your Local Group, or email our Marketing Department for more information.

What is Mensa?

Mensa is an organization for anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted, standardized intelligence test. The organization has more than 56,000 members in the United States. Learn more at www.us.mensa.org/about.