This week we played the game Mysterium and generally, I really enjoyed this game. Two of my favorite games are Codenames and Clue, so I love how similar this game relates to both. The only thing I would change about this game to match those of the others is the cooperative aspect. I like that there’s collaborative elements about the game, like there is in Codenames, but I wish there were teams against each other in Mysterium, rather than everyone collectively winning or losing. I am not sure how this game could be switched out of being collaborative, but I would be interested to see someone try. I also disliked how some of the cards are extremely unrelated or up for too much interpretation, because it feels like you’re wasting a ton of time discussing a card that really doesn’t relate to anything, or relates to too many things to the point where you have to just take a wild guess.
The first time I played this game I thought it was a bit complicated to figure out because of all the pieces and things happening each turn, but it was extremely easy to figure out the second time around, I hardly had to pay attention to the instruction videos. Because I felt like I had more of a clue what was happening than my group members, I had anticipated that I would probably be the ghost in the game, since that’s such an important role that can’t be messed up. However, when I got to class someone else had already decided to be the ghost, but I think it worked out for the best. Because the ghost can’t talk, I think it was beneficial for me to be in a role that can actually help and guide my team members so they could understand the game better. Despite being brand new at the game, I think our ghost did well with the clues.
Some of my favorite things about the game are the artwork, and the guessing interpretation. l the artwork on the cards is very beautiful and it creates a dynamic where every game is not going to turn out the same each time. I like all the different options and possibilities. I also really enjoy the theme of the game, since I’ve always been into mysteries. I felt as if we were really a part of a novel or mystery movie, and I like the immersion effect. I also enjoy guessing and trying to analyze the cards, as well as trying to think like the ghost would. Playing with people who are 1. Experienced in playing this game and 2. Know each other very well, would totally change the dynamic of the game, and I think that would be fun to experience.
I think my friend Annie from back home would really enjoy this game. Growing up, we always played Clue together, specifically the Harry Potter version and we also watched the movie Clue every Halloween. We both really enjoy mysteries and spooky feeling things, so she would enjoy that aspect of this game. However, it would be hard to play with her though because we would basically have to have a decent sized group to play with, which I guess could be another negative to this game.
As for how this game relates to leadership, I feel like the ghost is somewhat the leader because they are guiding the rest of the team. The people who are doing well and are advancing to the next levels also somewhat act as leaders because they have figured out the ghosts way of giving clues and are mostly good at interpreting them, so they can help others interpret. Because of the element of agreeing or disagreeing with other people, it could possibly create conflict between group members, which also is an important part of leadership, since we won’t always agree with leaders or teams that we work with in general. It’s important to learn how to manage this conflict in a constructive way, and to not take things too personally, because at the end of the day, it’s just a game. This game has a lot of team building elements because we need to work together and are trying to help each other through the puzzle. I feel closer to the students that I played this game with, as a result of this activity. We all either were going to win together or lose together, and even though we lost, it was still very fun. I would love the opportunity to play this game again.