They can leave you feeling that a good win is down to luck over skill, and that a bad loss is never down to poor choices but rolling a cheese wedge over rolling a sword. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. While I have less experience playing RPGs as some of my fellow BRB crew members (check out Michael’s articles for more educated RPG thoughts), I thought the game was perfect for me. Mice and Mystics can be played with 1-4 players (yes, you can play by yourself) and is suitable for ages 7+ (although at Shiny Games we’d recommend that at least one of the players was a bit older).

Those set of actions can be narrative summarised into ‘we attacked that enemy and then we killed that enemy’. Mice and Mystics is a boldly innovative game that thrusts players into an ever-changing, interactive environment, and features a rich storyline that the players help create as they play the game.However, if you are looking for a game that you can just pickup and play, this probably isn’t the game for you. I think that children would enjoy the story and could grasp the basics of the game play fairly easy. If you’d like to see a more detailed explanation of how to play Mice and Mystics, check out the Mice and Mystics rulebook (PDF). You will also grapple with bigger foes like the dastardly crow that patrols the courtyard and Brodie, the castle cat.

Even when fighting against someone particularly buff, defeating that enemy, even by the skin of you teeth, does not feel particularly satisfying. I think this is a great choice for people looking for a role-playing experience in a board game, especially those who are just getting into modern board games. I then wrote that I was favourably impressed with the presentation but it was too early to really judge it after only one play. For each cheese spent, remove 1 poison wound marker or 1 effect marker from a mouse on the same space as this mouse. In my book, any board game that encourages people to play more board game, is doing something right.So, honestly, my first pro for Mice and Mystics is that it is a wonderful choice if you are looking for a way to have a laid back role playing experience that can easily include non-gamers and younger kids (probably as young as 8-12). For those who are willing to take their time and play the game by its own rules, you’ll be looking at one of the most stunningly presented and lovingly created games you’ll play. Where as I wish that there would be more of ‘we have a plan how to sneak through those rat warrior guards, but something went wrong and we have solved it all together by making narratively exciting decisions! The opponents also use the cheese by adding it to the cheese wheel, which both speeds up the game and brings out more enemies.