Mysterium - Game Overview
In Mysterium, players are divided into two teams: the psychics and the ghost. The psychics are tasked with solving the mystery of the ghost's death, while the ghost must use its visions to guide the psychics to the truth.
The game is set in the haunted Mysterium manor, where the psychics must explore the rooms and gather clues to solve the mystery. The ghost, on the other hand, must use its visions to provide the psychics with the necessary information to solve the mystery.
The game is played in rounds, with each round representing a single night in the haunted manor. The psychics must use their intuition and the clues provided by the ghost to solve the mystery before dawn breaks and the ghost disappears.
Mysterium is known for its immersive gameplay and innovative mechanics. The asymmetrical roles of the psychics and the ghost add an element of intrigue and guesswork, making it a highly engaging and fun game to play.
The game was designed by Oleksander Nevskiy and Oleg Sidorenko and features artwork by Xavier Collette and Igor Burlakov. It was first released in October 2015 and has since gained a loyal following among board game enthusiasts.
Game Components: The Ghost
Mysterium is a board game that centers around a group of psychics who are trying to solve a murder mystery. The game is set in a spooky old mansion, and the players take on the roles of the psychics who are communicating with the ghost of the victim.
The Ghost, also known as the spirit, is a central character in the game. The Ghost is represented by a screen that is placed in the center of the game board. This screen is used to conceal the Ghost's cards from the players, and it also serves as a way for the Ghost to communicate with the players.
The Ghost has two sets of cards: character cards and location cards. The character cards represent the different suspects in the case, and the location cards represent the different areas of the mansion where the crime took place. The Ghost uses these cards to provide clues to the players, who must then use their psychic abilities to interpret the clues and figure out who the culprit is.
In addition to the character and location cards, the Ghost also has six culprit tokens and three crow tokens. The culprit tokens are used to keep track of which suspect the Ghost thinks is the culprit, and the crow tokens are used to indicate when the Ghost has given a clue that is particularly difficult to interpret.
The Ghost also has 84 vision cards, which are used to provide more detailed clues to the players. These cards feature images of different objects, people, and scenes, and the Ghost must use these cards to provide additional information to the players about the case.
Finally, the Ghost has six ghost tokens, which are used to keep track of the Ghost's remaining energy. As the game progresses, the Ghost will use up its energy by providing clues to the players, and when all of the Ghost's energy is gone, the game will end.
Overall, the Ghost plays a crucial role in Mysterium, as it is the source of all of the clues and information that the players must use to solve the case. The Ghost must use its cards and tokens wisely to provide helpful and meaningful clues, and the players must use their psychic abilities to interpret these clues and solve the mystery.
Game Components: The Psychics
The Psychics in Mysterium are an integral part of the game, as they are tasked with uncovering the truth behind the mysterious murder that has occurred in the haunted mansion. The Psychics are represented by six Intuition Pawns, which are used to track their progress throughout the game.
Each Psychic is also given a set of Psychic Cards, which are used to communicate with the Ghost and help solve the murder. These cards come in three types - Character, Location, and Object - and each Psychic is given six of each type. The Character cards represent the various suspects in the murder, the Location cards represent the various rooms in the mansion where the murder may have taken place, and the Object cards represent the various weapons or objects that may have been used in the murder.
The Psychics also have access to Clairvoyancy Level Tokens, which are used to indicate the level of accuracy in their communication with the Ghost. The Ghost will provide the Psychics with visions, which the Psychics must interpret and use to make their guesses. If the Psychic's guess is accurate, they will receive a higher Clairvoyancy Level Token, which will help them solve the murder more quickly.
The Sleeves in Mysterium are used to keep the Psychic Cards hidden from other players, as the Psychics must work together to solve the murder but must also keep their cards hidden to avoid giving away too much information. This adds an element of strategy and deception to the game, as the Psychics must carefully consider how much information to share to solve the mystery.
Overall, the Psychics play a crucial role in Mysterium, as they must use their intuition and communication skills to unravel the mystery of the haunted mansion and solve the murder.
Other Game Components
The game is played with a clock board, which has a timer that counts down the number of rounds available for players to solve the mystery. The clock board also has a space for the hourglass, which is used to time each round.
The game also includes three progress boards, which represent the players' progress in solving the murder. Each player has their own progress board, where they can track their guesses and eliminate suspects and weapons. The progress boards also have spaces for clairvoyancy tokens, which players can use to gain additional information about the murder.
The clairvoyancy track and final progress board are used to track the players' overall progress in the game. The clairvoyancy track has spaces for each player, where they can place their clairvoyancy tokens as they gain them. The final progress board has spaces for the suspects, weapons, and locations that players must identify to solve the murder.
Overall, the clock board, progress boards, and hourglass are essential components of Mysterium, as they provide the structure and rules for the game, and allow players to track their progress and make strategic decisions. The clairvoyancy track and final progress board add an additional layer of complexity and challenge and provide players with a sense of progress and accomplishment as they work together to solve the mystery.
Game Setup
The game setup involves deciding who will be the Ghost and having that player take the screen, placing the vision cards and ghost tokens behind it. The Ghost also receives crow tokens depending on the difficulty level chosen for the game.
The Psychics choose their characters and receive clairvoyancy tokens based on the number of players. The clairvoyancy track is placed in front of the screen, and the clairvoyancy level tokens are placed on 0 on the track. The hourglass and clock board are also placed within easy reach of the Ghost and Psychics, respectively.
The character, location, and object psychic cards are shuffled and a certain number is drawn based on the difficulty level and the number of players. These cards are then announced to the Ghost, who takes the matching cards from their own deck and places them on the top line of the screen, assigning one to each Psychic. The process is repeated for the location and object cards. The Ghost then draws 7 vision cards to form their starting hand and the game is ready to begin.
Playing the Game
Phase 1 - Reconstruction of Events:
During the first phase of Mysterium, the goal is for each Psychic to figure out which Character, Location, and Object have been assigned to them by the Ghost. The Ghost, who has already been given a clue card for each of these elements, must use their intuition and visual clues to guide the Psychics towards their correct answers.
The game begins with the Ghost placing their clue cards face down on the table, organized into the three columns corresponding to the Character, Location, and Object. The Psychics will then take turns trying to deduce which cards are their own by asking the Ghost questions and examining the clues provided.
Each turn, a Psychic may choose to either ask a yes or no question about a card or to try and guess which card is their own. If a Psychic correctly guesses their card, they move it to their screen and mark it as solved. If they are incorrect, they may still ask a question or try guessing on their next turn.
The Ghost must provide a visual clue to each question or guess, using the art on their clue cards to give the Psychics hints. The Ghost must also be careful not to give away too much information, as revealing the correct answer too easily will result in a lower score for the team.
As the Psychics continue to ask questions and make guesses, the Ghost must carefully balance providing helpful clues without giving away the answers. The Psychics must use their deduction skills and intuition to figure out which cards are their own, and the Ghost must use their knowledge of the clues to guide them in the right direction.
By the end of the 7 turns, each Psychic should have figured out their Character, Location, and Object. If all Psychics have completed their objectives, the team moves on to Phase 2. However, if one or more Psychics were unable to solve their cards, the game ends in defeat for the entire team.
The Game Turn
Step 1: Interpreting the Visions
In the first step of the game turn in Mysterium, the Ghost creates visions for the Psychics and sends them to each Psychic. The Ghost first chooses a Psychic and uses their Intuition Pawn's position on the progress track to determine which type of card the Psychic needs to guess. The Ghost then creates a vision using one or more Vision Cards from their hand and gives them to the Psychic. The Ghost then draws new Vision Cards until they have 7 cards in hand. This process is repeated for each Psychic until all Psychics have received their vision.
Once the Psychics receive their visions, they can discuss and try to interpret the cards to figure out which card they need to identify. Psychics can use their Clairvoyancy Tokens to agree or disagree with each other's guesses. The Psychics must place their Intuition Pawn on the correct card before time runs out. If multiple Psychics place their pawn on the same card, at least one of them is wrong because each Psychic has a unique combination of cards.
The Ghost can discard their hand of Vision Cards and draw new ones at any time, but they can only do this a limited number of times depending on the difficulty level chosen. The Ghost must be careful with their visions, as they only have a limited number of them and need to help the Psychics figure out the correct cards without giving away too much information.
Step 2 : Spectral Manifestation
In the second step of the game turn in Mysterium, the Ghost reveals to the Psychics whether they correctly interpreted their visions. The Ghost chooses one of the Psychics and checks their Intuition Pawn to see if they chose the correct card. If the card is correct, each Psychic that placed a Clairvoyancy Token next to the Psychic's Intuition Pawn will move their Clairvoyancy Level Token one space forward.
All used Clairvoyancy Tokens are then discarded to the Clock Board on the matching colored spots. The Psychic then moves their Intuition Pawn to the next Progress Board, takes the correct card and slides it into their Sleeve, and discards all of their Vision Cards. The Ghost moves the Psychic's Ghost Token back from the Screen.
If the Psychic chose any other card, the same actions occur with the Clairvoyancy Tokens, but the Psychic moves their Intuition Pawn back to the Progress Board where it was at the beginning of their turn. They keep all of their Vision Cards and the Ghost will complete their vision with new cards on the next turn.
If a Psychic completes their objective by finding their assigned Object after their Character and Location, they move their Intuition Pawn to the final Progress Board, move forward their Clairvoyancy Level Token as many spaces as turns are remaining, and no longer receive visions from the Ghost but may still help other Psychics and place Clairvoyancy Tokens. The Ghost sets aside their Ghost Token until the end of the game.
The process continues until all Psychics have been addressed and the Ghost moves on to the next step of the game turn.
Phase 2 - Revealing the Culprit
In the second step of the game turn, the Spectral Manifestation phase takes place. This phase only occurs if all Psychics have completed their objectives before the end of the 7th turn.
During this phase, the Ghost sends a final vision to the Psychics to help them identify the culprit, location, and object of the crime. This vision is a combination of the personal objectives of each Psychic, which were determined earlier in the game.
The Psychics must use their intuition and knowledge of the game to decipher the vision and come up with the correct answer. They have only one chance to get it right, so it is important for them to carefully consider the clues provided by the Ghost.
If the Psychics can correctly identify the culprit, location, and object, they win the game and the Ghost can find peace. If they are unable to do so, the Ghost remains trapped in the realm of the living and the game is lost.
The Spectral Manifestation phase adds an exciting element of mystery and tension to the game, as the Psychics race against time to decipher the vision and come up with the correct answer. It also encourages teamwork and collaboration among the Psychics, as they must work together to piece together the clues and come up with a solution.
Overall, the Spectral Manifestation phase is a crucial part of the Mysterium board game and adds to the overall excitement and challenge of the game.
Step 1: Suspect Line-Up
During the Revealing the Culprit step of the Game Turn, the Psychics must use the information they have gathered to identify the culprit. To begin this step, the players need to prepare a new setup.
First, the Progress Boards are set aside as they are no longer needed. Any Psychic Cards that are still on the table, but have not been assigned to a Psychic, are also set aside.
Next, each Psychic removes the cards from their Sleeve to form a group of three cards: Character, Location, and Object. These cards represent the Psychic's interpretation of the crime and the potential culprit.
Each Psychic then receives a Ghost Token and places it next to their group of cards with the numbered side facing up. This number represents the order in which the Psychics will reveal their theories.
The Ghost takes as many numbered Culprit Tokens as there are groups on the table. For example, if there are four groups, the Ghost will take four tokens numbered 1 to 4. These tokens represent the potential culprits that the Psychics have identified.
The Ghost then flips back all of the Ghost Cards on their Screen so that they can see all of the cards. This allows the Ghost to compare the Psychics' theories to the actual culprit.
Finally, the Psychics recover all of their Clairvoyancy Tokens. These tokens represent the Psychic's ability to see into the future and help them to make more accurate predictions.
During this step, the Psychics must carefully consider the information they have gathered and use their Clairvoyancy Tokens to help them make the correct identification of the culprit. Once all of the theories have been revealed, the Ghost will compare them to the actual culprit and determine the winner of the game.
Step 2: Shared Vision
In the second step of Revealing the Culprit, the Ghost sends their final vision of the game. At this point, the Psychics should have been able to deduce the group the Culprit based on the previous visions and hints provided by the Ghost.
To help them, the Ghost secretly chooses a numbered group that corresponds to the Culprit's group. This group can be identified by the Character, Location, and Object cards that were revealed in previous visions.
Once the Ghost has chosen the Culprit's group, they take the matching Culprit Token and place it face down on the appropriate spot of the Clairvoyancy Track. This allows the Psychics to see how close they are to finding the correct group.
Next, the Ghost creates a vision with 3 Vision Cards. One of the cards must be a hint to the group's Character, another one to the group's Location, and another one to the group's Object. These cards are shuffled and placed face down in front of the Psychics.
The Psychics cannot know which cards refer to which element (Character, Location, or Object), so they must carefully consider all of the information provided by the Ghost to deduce the correct group.
If the Ghost still has any Crow Tokens during this step, they are allowed to discard up to 7 cards from their hand and replace them with new ones from the deck. This can be helpful for the Ghost if they feel that their current hand does not provide enough clues for the Psychics to figure out the correct group.
Overall, the Shared Vision step is a crucial part of the Revealing the Culprit phase in Mysterium. It allows the Ghost to provide additional hints and clues to the Psychics, giving them a final opportunity to deduce the correct group before the game ends.
Step 3: Straw Poll
In the Straw Poll step, the Psychics must cast their votes without communicating with each other. The vote is divided into three steps, depending on each Psychic's Clairvoyancy Level. The higher the Clairvoyancy Level, the more Vision Cards the Psychic is allowed to see before voting.
In the first step, one of the three Shared Vision cards is revealed and Psychics with a low Clairvoyancy Level vote. These Psychics must interpret the revealed card as best as they can and associate it with one of the available groups. To do this, they take the Clairvoyancy Token that matches the number of the group they want to choose and place it on their Sleeve. They then give the Sleeve to the Psychic with the highest Clairvoyancy Level (or to the eldest Psychic if there is a tie).
Once a Psychic has voted, they cannot change their vote. Votes are kept secret until the end of the Straw Poll, and players are not allowed to check other players' votes before deciding.
In the second step, a second Shared Vision card is revealed and Psychics with an intermediate Clairvoyancy Level vote. The voting procedure remains the same as in the first step.
In the final step, the last Shared Vision card is revealed and Psychics with a high Clairvoyancy Level vote. These Psychics follow the same rules as in the previous steps.
Once all Psychics have voted, the game is over and the votes are revealed. The group with the most votes is determined to be the Culprit group. If there is a tie, the Ghost must provide additional clues to the Psychics to break the tie and reveal the Culprit.
End of the Game
At the end of a game of Mysterium, all players must reveal their Clairvoyancy Tokens and place them on the group with the matching number. This allows the players to see how well they were able to guess the correct group based on the clues provided by the Ghost.
If a group has the most Clairvoyancy Tokens, it is chosen as the suspected Culprit group. If there is no majority in a group, the Psychic with the highest Clairvoyance Level (or the eldest Psychic if there is a tie) determines which group is the suspected Culprit's group.
Once the suspected Culprit's group is determined, the players can reveal the Culprit Token to see if they have successfully exposed the culprit. If the chosen group matches the number on the Culprit Token, the players win and the Ghost's soul can move on to the afterlife. However, if the chosen group is incorrect, the players lose and the Ghost's soul remains in limbo.
Overall, the end of the game in Mysterium is a tense and exciting moment as players eagerly await the reveal of the Culprit Token to see if they were able to solve the mystery.
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