This week in class, we played Mysterium. Like every single game in this class, I had no idea how to play when I got to class, even though I read all the instructions and watched the video. However, I was pleased to experience that game play was much more simple than I was anticipating. I know a lot of people around me said this, but Mysterium was like a more advanced version of Clue.

There were four players and one “ghost.” The ghost was recently killed and is trying to avenge their murderer. To do this, the ghost hands a photo card to each player. The photo card is meant to give some indication to the player about who the murderer was, the location in which it happened, and the murder item. Each player has their own scenario but can share information on their cards to see who has what scenario. When a person decides on a person, place, or thing, they move their player to that card and people can vote if they think that person is right or wrong. The ghost provides feedback about who is right or wrong and whoever is right proceeds to the next level. When everyone figures out all the pieces to their puzzle, the ghost reveals a few more images to show who the killer is. Each player then votes on the scenario they think is right. If the majority guess right, everyone wins.

The ghost is, without a doubt, the leader in this game. They provide the proper images for each scenario and guide each player into correctly figuring out who the murderer is. The ghost is unable to talk, so they can only communicate through the image cards. This takes an immense amount of leadership because the ghost has to be able to figure out everyone’s communication styles quickly and silently to point them in the right direction.

This game was really fun and I am considering getting it for personal use. My cousin Elsa is 10, and I recently introduced her to Clue, which she quickly fell in love with. The thing with Clue is that is does not have as many options as Mysterium and we both quickly got bored. I will show her this game if I purchase it when I get home.