In Schlacht am Buffet, each player holds nine cards. In each turn, each player simultaneously selects a card and places it face-down on the table. Then the players take turns showing their card and moving their mice around the buffet table. After all cards have been revealed, the mouse which is alone in last place is eliminated and has to take the least valuable dish currently on the table. When all but two mice have been eliminated, the leading mouse gets the best dish (as long as it is alone on its field). The second placed mouse gets nothing. Afterwards, all players fill up their hands to nine cards.

Additional dishes of the same kind have to be stacked on previously earned ones. At the end of the game, only the top dish of each kind counts. When all dishes have been distributed, the game ends and the player with most points is the winner.