Here are English translations of the twelve levels of The Mind!
mind-back.pdf (print double-sided with mind-front.pdf)
mind-front.pdf
I bought the German edition of The Mind because I knew the game is gloriously language independant. The Internet quickly yielded up an English translation of the rules. Thanks Internet! It also easily translated the only German on the game's components, the names of the twelve levels of the game.
The playful names of the Levels in the game add a fun dimension to the game's mindiness. By careful application of these mental faculties players can master the mind!
But what IS the mind? Translation is a slippery thing. The designer of the game, Wolfgang Warsch, chose to title the game with an English phrase not a German one. Did he think the English evokes the mystery of the game more than German can?
I do not speak German and have never studied it, but the Internet tells me there are several German words used to denote the mind. Verstand is a ready translation but it leans towards 'understanding' and the logical. Geist, 'spirit,' 'ghost' is also a common translation of 'mind' and it appears to describe 'psyche,' 'wit' and the more mysterious qualities of the intellect. But after playing The Mind a bunch, I think the best translation of the game's title is Der Sinn, 'sense,' 'meaning,' 'point,' 'feeling,' 'signification.'
It strikes me that all of these German words are too precise and that the last one is a little too on the nose.
I included the set-up key because, although set-up is simple, since my game group cycles through lots of games, returning to an old favourite like The Mind sometimes leaves my mind blank on such details.