by KRWoods1
I have to start off by saying that I’m a total Plaid Hat Games fanboy. I preorder everything, and I try to evangelize Summoner Wars to anyone and everyone who will listen. I will try to divorce myself from my love of the company and its products for the purpose of this review, but just keep in mind that it is written by a fan.I received my copy of Mice and Mystics this week. The very same day, I punched everything out and started my first game. I played the first chapter, as seemed logical. So far, I have played the first chapter only, so that is the sole basis of this review.
In this review, I will break apart the various aspects of the game that I consider important and discuss each separately. This review will not discuss how to play, as that is covered extensively elsewhere, including a very thorough video tutorial on the PHG website.
THEME:
As has been mentioned elsewhere, this game is extremely heavy in the theme department. The story involves some people turned into mice having adventures. This comes through strongly. As I play, each move I make feels like I am one or more mice meeting very mouse-like obstacles on an adventure.
That being said, this game relies very heavily on its story. If you were to take the story away from the game, skip the story moments from the scenario book, and just play the game, it wouldn’t be as fun. Unlike Summoner Wars where the story is an afterthought, this game feels more like the story came first, with a game added (successfully) secondly. So if you’re looking for abstract strategy, look elsewhere! In order to get the most out of this game, you have to be story-focused.
The game is fun by itself, but as I mentioned, it is really the means of telling a story. I have heard others say that the game feels similar to Wrath of Ashardalon and its family, and I can see that. However, those games rely on external story elements. As a non-D&D player, I can enjoy the games for their gameplay, but I never found the story to be very developed. Rather, it was a few short paragraphs here and there, and if I wanted more, I would have to find an external source. The biggest difference between those games and Mice and Mystics is the story itself. Also, the rules are a bit tighter here than in those games.
COMPONENTS:
Mice and Mystics has some great components. The figures are very nice, quite detailed, and easy to use. The plastic is high quality and doesn’t feel flimsy. However, I wish they would offer a pre-pained set. I have absolutely no painting talent, and I know that colored figures would just make the gameplay so much more fun!
The game tiles are a mixed bag. The artwork on them is very very nice, but the tiles themselves scuff easily and don’t stay looking new very long. However, I like that they are large and look great on the table.
The cards are a minor disappointment. Though they are nicely illustrated and easy to use, they feel a bit rough and thin. They work just fine, but they feel like those cards from Summoner Wars first edition: not as glossy or smooth as the newer ones. This is not a dealbreaker by any means, but I just wish they were a bit thicker. On the other hand, this is not a game where you handle the cards much at all: they are mostly kept on the table in front of you. Therefore, they might not wear out as easily.
I have to say, though, that the dice are really nice. They are very pretty, and they are engraved, so the symbols don’t wear out. I wish there were a few more, though, in case of larger attack rolls.
The tokens are nice, but nothing special. They are functional, feel nice, and look good, which is pretty much all you can ask of tokens.
One thing that I feel this game is missing is a summary card. Though taking mouse actions is fairly intuitive, it would be nice to have a reminder of the options each turn, as well as a summary of the round, and a quick reference for placing and activating enemy minions. I found that for the first few games, I had to keep going back to the rulebook to remember my options. As I have taught new players the game, I also noticed that they would have appreciated a quick reference as well.
RULES AND RULEBOOK PRESENTATION
The rulebook and the scenario book are both very nice. They are full-color, with lots of pictures. The rules are presented in a logical way, and are easy to understand.
That being said, the game screams for a quick reference guide. I found I had to keep turning back and forth within the rulebook to nail things down. The first time I played, I missed several things, which made the game confusing. There are a few situations I did not feel were adequately explained in the rulebook, so I had to make my own interpretations. Later, I found some of these were indeed explained, but I just couldn’t find them easily. True, PHG has improved a lot over its less-than-stunning Dungeon Run rulebook, but it still has a ways to go. At least there is an index, but a a Codex, in the style of Mage Wars, would have been really nice.
The Scenario Book, on the other hand, is a work of art. Great care was taken in writing it, and it is clear from the first page that it was a labor of love. My only criticism is that I wish it were hardcover, like the Memoir 44 campaign books. I think that would have added an air of class to the game.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is simple, straightforward, and logical. You move your mice, attack monsters, collect cheese, and search for items. The objectives are set forth in the storybook very clearly.
I actually found the game to be much more challenging than I expected. I played through the first scenario 3 times unsuccessfully before I finally beat it, and that was only by one turn. Time is really tight in the game, and with the cheese wheel getting filled potentially with every attack, I found that I ran out of time very quickly. As I mentioned, the game has a similar flare to Wrath of Ashardalon, but I find Mice and Mystics to be much more challenging.
I have a love/hate relationship with the combat system. Basically, you roll dice for attacking, and look for matching symbols. Then you roll dice for defense and look for the right symbols. It is very straightforward, but it also keeps the battles very challenging. My mice have a tendency to roll lots of bows when attacking with swords, whereas my minion rolls were sword and cheese heavy. But, other than bad luck, at no time did the battles feel stale or too complicated.
I also wish the items in the search deck were more accessible. Especially if you are going to play as a campaign, it would be nice if there were some way to get weapons and items that you will specifically need. As it is, there isn’t enough time to do much searching, and I found that most of the items stayed buried in the search pile and never saw the light of day.
BOX INSERT:
Major minus points here. The box insert is unusable. The game comes with no realistic storage suggestion. It is a game where you will have to bag all the pieces separately. I wish that PHG had included some sort of divider or card holder.
PRICE:
The game is really expensive! The official retail price is a whopping $75! True, you can buy it online for around $45, which I highly suggest. The components and gameplay are nice, but I would never suggest paying full retail for it. However, if you pay the $45 online price, it’s definitely worth it!
FUN FACTOR:
Overall, the game is lots of fun to play. This is a game I can bring out in almost any group. True, it is not the strategic delight that Summoner Wars is, but it’s a different genre of game. In Mice and Mystics, the theme is immersive, gameplay relatively straightforward, and rules intuitive. Everything makes sense, and the game is lots of fun to play both solo and with friends. Even though it is story based, I find that replaying a scenario is still fun, even though there may not be surprises. I think I will get lots of mileage out of the game, as I don’t think there is anyone in any of my game groups who will dislike it.
RANKING WITH OTHER PLAID HAT GAMES:
Well, this is still easy, as there are now only 3. I would still say Summoner Wars is PHG’s best game, and I doubt anything will ever eclipse that. However, I like Mice and Mystics much more than Dungeon Run (that’s not to say Dungeon Run is bad, just that Mice and Mystics is better).
WISHLIST:
The things I wish that PHG would come out with next for this game are the following. If enough people ask, maybe it will happen. At any rate, this is the list of things I wish the game would get in future expansions.
1) Turn and round summary cards – this would make the game easier to teach and remember.
3) Painted figures – the figures are nice, but set against the backdrop of the beautifully-illustrated tiles, they feel unfinished.
3) More monsters: the game comes with only a few creatures to fight. I wish there were more, as that would add more variety to the game than just hacking away at cockroaches!
4) Special dice: I think it would be nice in future expansions if some abilities allowed you to use different dice with different face counts. For example, a die geared toward ranged attacks or melee attacks, or a die with more star symbols for finding treasures.
5) A functioning box insert.
6) More characters with specific items for that character.
7) Of course, more storybooks!
FINAL WORDS:
Overall, Mice and Mystics is a fabulous game. It will be enjoyable for any age player, be it serious gamers looking for a lighter adventure as a break between heavy games, or for families looking to have an enjoyable experience together that isn’t just a roll-and-move game. Especially if the scenarios and characters expand, the game will be lots of fun for years to come.