Mating Season is played with a set of 36 insect cards/tiles. Each card is a unique combination of one of six colors, one of three wing patterns, and having or not having antennae. The cards are double-sided, with a male on one side and a female on the other. In the two-player game players start with five-card "hands" (the cards are actually face-up on the table) and a single card to start a common insect family tree. Players take turns playing one or more cards to the tree; before playing a player may draw up to five more cards from the deck, choosing their genders. Two insects will only mate if they are of different genders, of complementary colors, have different wing patterns, and have opposite antenna status. Their offspring (up to two) will have the wing pattern different from either parent's and any of the other four colors. There can only be five generations in play; if a sixth is started the top one is shuffled and placed at the bottom of the deck. The first player to empty their hand wins. In the solitaire game an insect is set aside at the start and the goal is to evolve a mate for it within five generations.