Recommendation: Mysterium
Good Morning!
For my second recommendation, I am going to show you that here at Quixotic Quill, we like to mix it up. I was debating whether to tell you about one of my favorite authors, or one of my favorite artists, or the book I’m reading but then…I got a game.
My family is one of those strange ones that mostly gets along pretty well. And we love to play board games. My mom prefers the cooperative and team based ones to the games that pit us against each other in what turns into an epic battle to test the strength of our familial bonds. To be fair, I’m not too keen on it either sometimes. So, in the interest of finding a game that we could all play without threatening to ruin Christmas, I Googled “co-op board games” and found Mysterium.
This game is amazing. The gist is this: one player is a ghost whose murder is unsolved. The other players are psychics attempting to solve the murder and let the ghost rest in peace. The ghost, unable to speak, must give the psychics visions to lead them to the correct suspect, location and murder weapon. The ghost player gives the psychics cards with images that they must interpret in order to guess the correct combination and win.
The cards in this game are beautifully illustrated. The surreal art is fantastical and dreamlike. Some are whimsical while others are downright creepy. All of the pieces that help you lay out the game are also wonderfully designed. It even includes a link to a soundtrack. (It’s not the best but does add some ambiance to the experience.)
At first, the rules make the game look daunting. Once you figure out the names for all the pieces, however, and play through once, it isn’t hard to follow. There is so much room for interpretation that this game has serious replay value. Even so, I’m already excited to try the Secrets and Lies and Hidden Signs expansions.
And, to top it all off, it’s hard not to create little stories for the ghost every time you play. I highly recommend Mysterium for anyone who likes board games, especially the kind with some role-playing. It’s great for the whole family and will keep you coming back over and over again.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite co-op board game is.
