In this episode, we work together to solve a murder in the game with no words… Mysterium!
Have you ever heard of a game that sounds so good, you find yourself ordering a copy from Poland because the US edition hasn’t come out yet and you want it right now? Probably not, but I’m the kind of guy who does that kind of thing. And that’s how I got my copy of the game Mysterium back in late 2014.
Mysterium is the English name for a 2013 Polish game called Tajemnicze Domostwo designed by Oleksandr Nevskiy and Oleg Sidorenko. It’s a cooperative game where two to seven players work together to solve the mystery of a murder in about 45 to 60 minutes. Like the classic game Clue, you’re trying to figure out who, where, and what—who is the murderer, where did it happen, and with what weapon. But unlike Clue, there’s no deduction involved; in Mysterium, you’re trying to interpret dreams to point you to the culprit. Those dreams take the form of a stack of oversized cards, each depicting some fantastical or surreal scene. Each round, the ghost player draws a hand of seven of these dream cards and selects the ones that will point the other players to the elements of the crime. This is why I could play the original Polish version of this game. The game has no words!
This episode features a review of Mysterium by our supernatural correspondent (age 11) and some color commentary on the game from my wife the artist! Listen here or search for “First Player Token” in your podcast app.
Artists for the original Polish version of the game: Mateusz Bielski, Igor Burlakov, Mariusz Gandzel, Oleksandr Nevskiy, Oleg Sidorenko, and Karolina Węcka
Mysterium rules options:
Polish rules (translated to English)
Ukranian rules (translated to English)
North American rules (in English)
And the usual links…
Visit the First Player Token website.
Order a First Player Token coffee mug.
Join the First Player Token Facebook group.
Follow @firstplayertoken on Instagram.
Music: “Open Road,” “The Concept,” and “Sunbeam,” https://www.purple-planet.com/.
