I can say with a fair amount of confidence I never had this much fun when I was still alive.

On the other hand it’s a terrible trial, not speaking to the living. We passed-on folk don’t do so well with vocalization, contrary to popular belief, even with all of these oh-so-helpful psychics wandering about the mansion.

Perhaps I should explain.

You see, I’ve been murdered. It was years ago, somewhere on the grounds of this grand estate. It’s so hard to remember exactly where, or who, or even how. My mind truly isn’t what it used to be these days. At the time, the police bungled the investigation so badly that I decided to remain, just in case. Just in case I could remember. Just in case I could tell someone. Just in case, perhaps, justice could finally be served with my own cold hands from beyond the grave. Then, at last, I could rest. Please, let these Psychics be … not stupid.

*****

Mysterium is a cooperative game of abstract communication and deduction. One player takes the role of the murdered Ghost, and the rest are Psychic investigators. Each Psychic is attuned to one Trio of elements: a suspect, a location, and a murder weapon (think Clue). However, they don’t know which Trio is theirs to discover. The Ghost must communicate to them using Vision cards, each bearing a beautiful, haunting piece of abstract artwork.

The Psychics have seven turns (representing one hour each) to correctly deduce the Ghost’s Visions and identify their Trio. Once they do, the Ghost produces a shared Vision to all Psychics, attempting to lead them to the correct Trio, representing the scenario of their own murder. If the group votes correctly and the true killer is discovered, the Ghost is released from its earthly bounds. If not…

Mysterium is an absolute joy to play! This type of game truly tests the bounds of communication and collaboration on a level that feels both familiar and fresh. As a Psychic, it’s a challenging thrill to deduce your Trio, bickering with the other Psychics about who is right and who is wasting their time. As the Ghost, you have a front row seat to the humorous and often puzzling interactions of the living, as they try to interpret your Visions. Both roles are an absolute treat, each of a different flavor. Besides, each game takes about than an hour, so a group can easily play a few games back to back and switch roles.

Mysterium is unquestionably in my top 10, and it’s floating up there rather high. Ghosts float, after all.

We all float down here.

Score: 5 out of 5

Designer: Oleksandr Nevskiy, Oleg Sidorenko

Artist: Igor Burlakov, Xavier Collette

Publisher: Asmodee

 

PROTIPs:

  1. When playing as a Psychic, your first instinct may not always be correct. I’ve seen many make a snap decision, then hunt for justifications, when they should be challenging that decision instead. Be a good detective. Keep an open mind and challenge your instincts!
  2. The official rules don’t explicitly state when the Ghost knows the Murderer’s Trio. For an easier game, determine this by choice or randomly at the beginning of the game. The Ghost can then keep their eyes open during the game for concrete imagery in clue cards and save those for the final round. Having a irrefutable clue when revealing the culprit is a lifesaver.
  3. Dumping cards. As the Ghost, there will frequently be times when a Psychic has narrowed their decision down to two or three options, then simply guessed wrong. This is a great opportunity to refresh your hand. Giving 4 or 5 or even all 7 cards is a great way to say “These clues are obviously garbage. Take another look at what I’ve given you already.”

(HAUNTED) HOUSE RULES:

  1. If you want a more challenging game, randomly choose the Murderer’s Trio after all the Trios have been discovered, instead of at the beginning of the game. Just be sure you have a Crow handy.
  2. Let’s be honest, a silent ghost is a boring ghost. As long as you’re not trying to directly affect the Psychics’ choices, like growling when they point to the wrong card, there’s no harm in adding some atmosphere.