Misterio (1984) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Misterio is a deduction board game that was first released in in 1984. Designed by Ricardo Fernández, Paula Martínez, and Isidre Monés, this game has players taking on the roles of paranormal investigators trying to solve a mysterious murder. With elements of fantasy and horror, Misterio offers a unique gaming experience that challenges players’ deductive skills.

Game Components of Mystery Mansion

Rooms: 24 rooms, including 16 box rooms and 8 bean tile rooms, each with different artwork.

Staircases: 12 plastic staircases to connect rooms on different levels.

Secret Passage Doors: 8 plastic secret passage doors to create hidden paths.

Treasure Chests: 7 treasure chests, with one containing the real treasure.

Search Cards: A deck of 72 search cards.

Clue Cards: A deck of 56 clue cards, including key cards, person cards, and item cards.

Door Die: A six-sided die with “open” or “locked” faces.

Player Pieces: 8 player pieces, with 4 boy and 4 girl figures.

How To Setup Mystery Mansion

To set up the game, start by placing the foyer room face up in the middle of the table, next to the front door card. Shuffle the clue and search cards separately and deal five search cards to each player. Randomly place one cobweb or treasure token in each treasure chest without looking at the numbers on the bottom. Players choose their pawns and place them on the front door card. Rooms are placed face down off to the side, ready to be drawn and added to the mansion as players explore.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Objective

Be the first player to leave the mansion with a treasure chest containing the real treasure.

Gameplay Mechanics

Roll Door Die: Move through the mansion by rolling the door die to determine if a door is open or locked.

Play Search Card: Use search cards to search furniture in a room and draw a clue card.

Play Clue Card: Use clue cards to steal keys, treasures, or create secret passages.

Travel Through Secret Passage: Move between rooms connected by secret passages without rolling the door die.

Build the Mansion: Add new rooms to the mansion as players explore, ensuring doors and walls match and levels do not change more than one level at a time.

Player Experience

**Mystery Mansion** offers a highly interactive and dynamic experience. Players build the mansion procedurally, adding new rooms as they explore, which ensures no two games are the same. The game features a cutthroat atmosphere where players can steal keys and treasures from each other, adding a layer of strategy and competition. The 3D setup of the mansion and the variety of rooms and clue cards keep the game engaging and visually appealing.

Pros

High Replayability: The procedural building of the mansion ensures each game is unique.

Interactive Gameplay: Players can steal keys and treasures, creating a competitive atmosphere.

Visually Appealing: The 3D rooms and varied artwork add to the game’s aesthetic appeal.

Cons

Potential for Quick Wins: If everything aligns, a player could win the game in a short amount of time, which might feel too easy.

Complex Setup: The initial setup and rules can be somewhat complex, especially for younger players.

Personal Thoughts on Mystery Mansion

**Mystery Mansion** is ideal for families and groups of friends who enjoy adventure and strategy. The game’s unique mechanics and procedural generation make it a standout in the board game world. It is particularly suited for those who enjoy games with a strong exploratory element and a bit of competitive edge. However, it may not be the best fit for very young children due to the complexity of the setup and rules.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.