Arjun Sukumaran By Express News Service CHENNAI : Dixit is a game we’ve spoken about on a couple of occasions before — it’s a wonderful game about trying to find meaning in these gorgeously-illustrated, often psychedelic, cards. The game I’m going to be talking about today is based on the same foundation as Dixit, but adds a murder mystery to solve, supernatural shenanigans, and basically more game to that solid formula. Mysterium is set in a Scottish mansion, where the ghost of a victim murdered many years ago still haunts the halls. It’s up to you and your friends, who are all psychic investigators (just go with it), to help the restless spirit find peace. Essentially, none of you are afraid of any ghosts, which is handy — because one of you will be the ghost, who just wants you to discover the identity of its murderer who was never brought to justice. Unfortunately, being a spectral apparition, the ghost can’t just tell you who it was; it instead has to send you visions over the course of a night, and you’ll have to try to figure out what it’s trying to tell you before the sun comes up. There are few introductions in board gaming that are as compelling as Mysterium’s, and that’s aided in no small way by the production values of the latest edition. Each psychic gets a lovely crystal ball token as their player markers, while the ghost gets an amazing screen behind which he/she can see all the information they need to at a glance while also hiding any reactions they might have while listening to the others discuss the visions that they’d just handed out. You see, the ghost isn’t allowed to convey any information at all except through the vision cards, which makes the screen as necessary as it is atmospheric. The entire game would fall flat if the vision cards weren’t up to scratch, and they’re much more than that! While much of the abstract and whimsical nature of Dixit can be seen in Mysterium’s cards, there’s also a much darker and sinister vibe to them. (Which is appropriate, really, given that you’re trying to solve a murder.) The overall effect is one that would give Tim Burton a run for his money, and there are cards that you’ll remember long after the game is put away. One of the best things about this game is the fact that it’s never too easy or too difficult. For every psychic that is fully in sync with the ghost player and guesses right every time, you’ll have another psychic who just can’t seem to get the hints that the ghost is sending their way. Mind you, being the ghost is one of the most thankless tasks in board gaming — you’ve got to find some way to convey specific meanings through the use of the seven cards that make up your hand. And then to hear your friends loudly agree that your clues clearly meant somebody else entirely? It’s not easy being the ghost. That said, it’s absolutely exhilarating when a friend grasps the obscure reference you were making with your clue and guesses correctly — you’ll have some genuine punch-the-air moments as well. It all balances out in the end, win or lose, and Mysterium is some of the most fun you can have either way.

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