It was October recently, which means it’s time to highlight some spooky games! I’m calling this our Spooky Game Spotlight, and today we’re taking a quick look at Mysterium!
Mysterium is a game for 2-7 players in which one person is a ghost trying to help the other players (mediums) figure out who killed them. They can’t communicate with the mediums other than to give them cards with surreal pictures on them that they use as clues to figure out the details of the murder. It’s a moody, fun, spooky game.
Table of Contents
What Is The Spooky Game Spotlight?
The Spooky Game Spotlight is a quick look at what makes a game spooky, what makes it worth playing, and who would most enjoy it.
With that said, let’s dive into Mysterium!
Back-Of-The-Box Facts About Mysterium
- Player Count: 2-7
- Time To Play: 45 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Age Range: 10 and up
- Difficulty: Beginner/Easy
- Price Range: $40-$50
- Release Year: 2015
- Publisher(s): Libellud
- Designer(s): Oleksandr Nevskiy and Oleg Sidorenko
- Artist(s): Igor Burlakov, Oleksandr Nevskiy, Oleg Sidorenko, and Xavier Collette
- Where to Buy: Amazon
How Is Mysterium Spooky?
Mysterium’s theme and art are a big reason this game is spooky. Both of them combine to create a great atmosphere that makes this an excellent game to play at night with the lights low.
First, the theme sees one player as a ghost that can’t talk or communicate with the other players in any other way than by giving them cards. These cards have surreal, dreamlike, sometimes spooky art on them that leaves lots of room for interpretation.
The other players are mediums who are trying to interpret the cards they’re given correctly so they can pick out suspects, locations, and weapons that will help solve the murder of the ghost player. They can talk to each other and try to help each other, but, in the end, they must choose a clue based on the cards they’ve been given. They will either be right or wrong, which adds to the tension and spookiness of the game.
Oh, and there’s also a clock ticking down to show how much time (rounds) they have left to solve the murder. This also adds to the tension and the spookiness of the game.
What Makes Mysterium Worth Playing?
There are lots of reasons why this game is worth playing. One reason is that the art is awesome, truly unlike what you’ll see in most other games.
Two is that it’s a relatively fast game. Games of Mysterium can drag on if players are overanalyzing the cards they’re given or if the ghost is overanalyzing what cards to give players, but beyond that, this is a game that can end pretty quickly if people are consistently guessing right. Even if people aren’t guessing correctly, as long as they’re guessing within a reasonable timeframe, the game will move along quickly. and you’ll hit the length of time the game says it will take to play.
That’s another thing that makes this game worth playing: everyone takes their turns simultaneously. Well, everyone except the ghost that is. But what’s interesting about the ghost is that they get to watch how the other players interpret their cards and make decisions on what future cards they give them based on this, so they’re always involved in some way, shape, or form.
There’s the fact that the game components feature no wording at all, so anyone can play even if they don’t speak English well. Also, there’s the fact that it’s always fun to go back and talk (and laugh) about the decisions everyone was making. There’s the fact that it’s cooperative, so you all win or lose together.
What If You Want More Content For Mysterium?
Everything about Mysterium makes it worth playing, including the fact that there are two expansions (Hidden Signs and Secrets And Lies) if you want more content. Plus, you can take the surreal art cards from other games made by this publisher such as the Dixit series, Detective Club, or even Mysterium Park.
The nice thing is you wouldn’t even need card sleeves to cover the different backs of the cards because all that matters is what players see on the front. No important information is given away from the back.
Who Would Most Enjoy Mysterium?
The card art would be hard to interpret for younger kids. I recommend playing with kids who are at least in middle school if that’s the route you’re going to go. The box says you can play with 10 and up though, so maybe they can get it.
Other than that, anyone who likes spooky games wants to play with a group of people, and folks who aren’t looking for terribly deep strategy games will enjoy this game. Also, people who want a cooperative game will like this too.
Did You Know?
(Each time you refresh the page you will get a new “Did You Know” fact!)
Did you know that art really matters for a board game? While this isn’t always the case, a unique or powerful art style can elevate a board game from good to great. The reverse is also true.
Conclusion: Spooky Game Spotlight: Mysterium
So, there you have it, all the reasons why Mysterium is spooky, worth playing, and who it’s for. I’ve had this game for years now, and I love playing it around this time of year. Give it a shot!
That said, what are your thoughts on Mysterium? Is there a spooky game you’d like to highlight? Let me know your thoughts and why in the comments below!
And, as always, keep on gaming, fellow board gamers.
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