REVIEW: Mysterium (PC, iOS, Android)

I have an affinity for board games. Games like Lords of Waterdeep, Pandemic, 7 Wonders, and so on. When one of the games I enjoy get a videogame adaptation, I’m usually right on top of it. Some of the best adaptations include the iOS version of Lords of Waterdeep and Puerto Rico. Others, like Ra, aren’t as well translated. One game in particular, 7 Wonders, seems to be in an eternal beta.

However, one of the less likely board games to get a videogame adaptation is Mysterium. The game can best be described as a cross between Clue and abstract picture game Dixit. The theme of Mysterium is that one player is a murdered ghost, and the other players are psychics at a seance. The ghost sends the psychics clues related to their own murder, but the clues come in the form of wildly abstract pictures that Salvador Dali would be proud of. Using those vague clues, the psychics have six game turns to determine who killed the ghost, with what and where.

The game manages to represent the board game well, which lush, moody 1920’s art deco graphics. The single player campaign is basically an extended tutorial, framed in a story where the player spends time as both a psychic and a medium channeling a ghost. The game features multiplayer modes, including a Blitz mode that promises a faster game.

The game plays best with other humans, because playing with a computer requires the player to do a sort of reverse Turing Test in figuring out either what the computer ghost is trying to say or, even more difficult, figuring out how to find out what connections the AI will make. For example, putting 4 yellow cards may not influence the computer to select the yellowest option in front of them.

Playing with other humans is a pleasure, as always. A co-op game, you’re not going to find hostile players. The interface is good enough to allow players to communicate with each other, advising which evidence they should vote for or against. Mysterium is one of those games that never fails to present a compelling session.

It’s unfortunate, then, that the population of Mysterium players is very low; matchmaking is poor, and it’s very hard to coordinate with strangers to start a game. Gamers are lucky to start four player games (1 ghost, 3 psychics), and the game really sings with far more psychics than that. Tn fact, I was never able to get a game of Blitz going.

For fans of Mysterium, this game is a must-buy, but it’s advisable for players to coordinate scheduled games to avoid the dearth of online players out there. The game is currently only available on PC, iOS and Android — hopefully, word of mouth will get more players to enjoy this faithful adaptation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

As Seen On TV – Casual Game Label (Wii and DS)As Seen On TV – Casual Game Label (Wii and DS)

A 3D version of Deal or No deal sound desirable to you? Perhaps you’re a game show fan and just can’t get enough Howie, if so, you’re in luck. Koch Media announced their new casual games label As Seen On TV which will bring popular TV brands to the console.

At first we were thinking “a games division based on infomercials?” No, their intention is to bring familiar casual game experiences into the home. Many families sit down and share their experiences of TV viewing together when it comes to watching game shows, Koch Media plans to make this a bit more interactive and competititve.

When can we expect the games to hit the market? “We are delighted to be launching the As Seen On TV range during the key Christmas retail period,” said Craig McNicol, Managing Director at Koch Media.

(Thanks, CasualGamerChick)

Read on for full press release…

(more…)

Casual Gamer Chick’s Peggle Nights Review!Casual Gamer Chick’s Peggle Nights Review!

Last year Popcap developed Peggle, a title which received 2007 casual game of the year and dozens of media and industry accolades. Now, Popcap has produced the next game in the Peggle series called Peggle Nights. If you’ve never played Peggle, you can read a full review of the game as it will apply to Peggle Nights as well.

It’s tough to think Popcap can improve upon a sleeper success but it just might be possible. Peggle Nights brings back the famous Peggle masters with their classic power-up moves and increases the master count by one with a new Squid Peggle master known as “Marina.” In this installment, you’ll experience another 60 newly designed levels with five stages per Peggle master, this time with a “dream world” theme.

Peggle Nights is as close to an expansion as you can get without directly calling it an expansion. At first glance, you’ll probably say to yourself “this is Peggle with new levels” and, for the most part, you’re on the right track. Popcap stuck to the magic that made the first title a hit, including the same characters, the same game play elements and the same addictive quality.

Our first impressions were a bit lack luster as we spent time looking for how the game differs from the original. Six or so stages into the the game it started to grab our attention much like the original title did, causing everything from addictive shakes and strong desires to continue playing. Peggle Nights matures the level design greatly, stages are crisp artwork backgrounds with many animated pegs and bricks which you’d only find in later tough stages in the original game.

Head over to CasualGamerChick.com to read the full review!

Read on for full press release details.

(more…)

Future Gaming is Family GamingFuture Gaming is Family Gaming

Gaming is mainstream and growing, this is obvious to most video game enthusiasts. Even Jack Thompson has failed in taking down the industry in his efforts on video game violence and general FUD. In order to survive in a mainstream environment publishers and developers are going to target a broad demographic to make them as much money as possible.

The game industry, like other entertainment avenues, is a risky business in which publishers have to pick titles they “predict” will do well in the market while passing on other “risky” propositions. While a the good ol’ shooter title will break sales records, the market cannot rely on one genre to carry the business especially considering many of these titles are forgotten within two months from launch. Publishers are going to be forced in expanding their reach to “family games” in order to finance new blockbuster titles.

Enter family gaming.

The idea of designing a “family” game isn’t new to our industry, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the oldest cornerstones of video game entertainment. Pong, Centipede, Pac-Man, Space Invaders and many other classic titles were no doubt playable by the entire family, but things have changed. We’ve evolved from hit titles like Donkey Kong to hit titles like Halo. We migrated from 2D gaming to full 3D adventures and pixel graphics to pixel shaders, but where do we go next?

Nintendo has the correct vision for the next stage of the video game industry and it involves bringing the entire family into gaming. It’s mainstream, right? Mainstream isn’t your dad playing a video game in the basement after the kids go to bed, it’s replacing Sorry with Spore and bringing out Wii Sports and having little family tournaments. We must respect what the big titles have done for the industry in merchandising, novels, sequels and spin-offs but we should not rely on them to carry us into the next generation of gaming.

(more…)