Product test
Superclub: playing football manager at your dining table
by Simon Balissat
Game of the Year " Kids " 2023: a musical and cooperative treasure hunt
2/11/2023
Translation: machine translated
In "Mysterium Kids - the treasure of Captain Bouh", children set off in search of a fabulous treasure. To help them, a ghost playing a tambourine gives them clues. We tried out this really cool game.
"Mysterium Kids" has been named Game of the Year 2023 in the "Children" category. My verdict after many games: the designers (Antonin Boccara and Yves Hirschfeld) have created a cooperative game that richly deserves this award. Indeed, it is both entertaining and very funny.
To find the treasure, we communicate through sounds
A game that convinces with its simplicity
Players: 2 to 6;
age: from 6 years old;
length of game: 20 to 30 minutes per game
The rules of the "Mysterium Kids" game are easy to understand, so children can quickly start playing. This simplicity also appeals to adults who hate reading endless pages of explanations (me, for example). This ease of access is appreciated when children are eager to play.
On each turn, one player becomes the ghost and has to guess the card from a randomly drawn location. The other players close their eyes and listen carefully to the sound made by the tambourine. Then, together, they must find the right card to win the treasure. This clear structure makes Mystery Kids an ideal family or group game. It's very easy to understand what to do.
In the world of sound, creativity is essential
An inclusive and collaborative process
The genius of "Mysterium Kids" is that it demands a shared solution in order to move forward. The children work together to interpret the sounds correctly and obtain useful clues for their treasure hunt. This cooperative challenge encourages their group work. What's more, the interpretations and arguments are often very funny.
An aesthetic, tactile and varied game
The materials in the "Mystery Kids" game impress with their quality, detail and the care taken in their manufacture. From the Manor board to the various cards (including the Noise cards and Treasure tiles), every element has been lovingly created. Of course, the tambourine was a unanimous favourite in our tests. As for the illustrations by Olivier Danchin, they perfectly underline the mysterious atmosphere.
My conclusion: an ideal discovery game for children
"Mysterium Kids" clearly deserves its title of Game of the Year 2023 in the "Kids" category. It stimulates creativity and team spirit, and offers players the chance to solve puzzles cooperatively. Easy to understand and very reasonable in length, it's ideal for families or playgroups. Captain Bouh's mysterious messages invite juniors to embark on a treasure hunt full of sound and mystery.
Headline photo: Mery Ochoa/Vie numérique
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
