Zoë J. Osik is an Evergreen Staff Writer from the United States. She is a gamer, storyteller, and artist who combines her passions whenever possible. With several years of professional writing experience and a BA in Creative Writing, she knows how to tell a story. Her favorite niches with games include well-written RPGs and cozy games.
When she’s not writing, Zoë can be found curled up at her desk listening to ambient playlists while working on her novel. It’s a fantasy adventure, of course.
Though Where Winds Meet is an open world RPG, there are minigames scattered throughout the regions you traverse. Each of these games offers a break from the traditional gameplay while also giving you an opportunity to earn some money and increase your stats. One of these games is Madiao, which is difficult to play without clear instructions.
While the in-game tutorial goes over everything, it takes a few rounds of the game to get the hang of its mechanics. We’ll break things down so that you can bluff your opponents, be they NPCs or other players, so you can claim the spoils.
How To Play Madiao
Before you can sit at a Madiao table, you’ll need to make sure you have the corresponding coins and resolve stat. This may vary per table.
Once you do get to sit at the table, the game begins and goes by quickly. Each turn, you’ll get a chance to either play your cards truthfully or bluff your way into the next turn.
For the purpose of this guide, we’ll go over the game against NPCs, but the same strategy can be applied to co-op games.
In Madiao, the player who goes first will choose a number and play their cards, declaring exactly what they placed down. For example, they can declare that they’ve played four cards (pieces) with the number ten on them.
You’ll have no way of knowing what cards they have, save for deducing their possible hand based on your own. You can either choose to challenge them, forcing them to reveal their hand, or let it pass. If you let it pass, the game progresses until someone challenges.
When you challenge, you’ll either be successful or fail. If you’re successful, that means you called the other player’s bluff and they now have to take all the cards at the center of the table, and they have to take a drink. You can then start the new round by declaring a new number.
Each time you drink, you gain a +25 percent chance to pass out, which will boot you from the game.
If it turns out that the other player is telling the truth, you’ll have to take the cards yourself and drink the wine at the table. The game continues like this until someone discards their entire hand without passing out.
Where To Play Madiao
Most of the Madiao tables can be found in Kaifeng, with one located just north of Blissful Retreat. Below are all the Madiao tables you can find:
In the northwestern corner of the city, at the foot of the bridge across the river, you can find a Madiao table.
Along the western wall inside the imperial city, you can find this Madiao table in the northern quadrant.
Just north of the docks, in the restricted area, you’ll find a courtyard where you can play Madiao.
Along the eastern wall of the inner city, outstide the palace, you can find this Madiao table in the northern quadrant.
Just northeast of the fairgrounds, you can find another Madiao table across the water.
At the southern entrance to the city, make a right and hop over the courtyard wall to find a Madiao table.
Outside the city, in the East Kaifeng Suburbs, there’s another table playing Madiao by the water.
To the west of the city walls, just outside the entrance and over the bridge, you can play Madiao.
Between the imperial gardens, west of the Jadewood Court, there’s another Madiao table here.
Head to the Masterwood Hamlet and look around the southernmost building to find this Madiao table.
East of Plainfield, north of the Granary of Plenty, there’s a small settlement where you can play Madiao.
There are several things you can do to improve your odds of winning. From starting off truthful to purposely revealing your hand to deceive your opponents. Below are various tips and tricks you can use to help win the game.
Challenge when four or more cards are played. It’s always suspicious when someone plays four or more cards in one turn. While there’s a chance that they have wild cards, which count as any number when played, it’s unlikely that someone plays a hand of six sevens. This is an ideal time to challenge, but be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Start with a few false cards, then play truthfully. When a new turn begins, only put down one or two cards. Save the truthful number cards for your next turn in the round, when other players are more likely to challenge you. This way, you get rid of cards and minimize the risk of having to drink.
Constantly challenge one player. If you constantly challenge one player after you start the round, you can repeatedly call a new number. Doing so enables you to truthfully get rid of your cards in batches while also eliminating the competition.
Use Wild Cards to trick others. Wild cards take on any number when played, so if you say you set down six pieces of seven, but played five wild cards and only one seven, you’re technically right. Spamming a large number of wild cards in a round will easily trick other players, so use it wisely when the pot is full.
Try to keep track of what cards each player is holding to increase your odds of calling their bluff!
When you win a game of Madiao, you’ll receive various rewards! This includes coins, echoing jade, exploration experience, and resolve points. See how many tables you can win at to increase your character’s stats and fill their wallet!
Hope you’re nailing the combat in this game – you’ll need to be a swift swordsman with some of these achievements.
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