Mice and Mystics
A cooperative board game where players become mice fighting evil.
In this cooperative board game from 2012, players become fantasy heroes who have been shrunk down into mice. Designed by Jerry Hawthorne and released through Plaid Hat Games, *Mice and Mystics* sends its tiny adventurers on a dungeon crawl to stop an evil witch. What sets the game apart is its inventive setting: instead of conventional weapons, the mice wield buttons and sewing needles, and their enemies are rats and cats rather than the usual goblins or dragons. The game also earned praise for using a storybook as the playing board, a novel approach to mapping out the adventure.
The title has collected several award nominations and wins, including the 2013 Golden Geek award for Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation, as well as a nomination at the UK Games Expo for Best Family Game. On BoardGameGeek, it has consistently ranked as a popular thematic/adventure game since its 2012 release. Reviewers have noted its appeal as an entry-level roleplaying experience, with *Black Gate*’s Andrew Zimmerman Jones calling it a standout for introducing the genre to younger players.
In October 2018, DreamWorks Animation secured the film rights, tapping horror director Alexandre Aja to co-write and direct alongside David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Producers Roy Lee and Jon Berg of Vertigo Entertainment are also attached to the project.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Mice and Mystics
- Italic Title
- yes
- Designer
- Jerry Hawthorne
- Publisher
- Plaid Hat Games
- Players
- 1 to 4
- Ages
- 7 years and up
- Skills
- Dungeon crawl
- Date
- 2012
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mice and Mystics was released in 2012 by Plaid Hat Games, designed by Jerry Hawthorne. The game's premise involves players assuming the roles of fantasy characters who have been transformed into anthropomorphic mice, embarking on a quest to defeat an evil witch. The game's theme is notable for its substitution of traditional fantasy elements: characters use buttons and needles as weapons and armor, and they battle rat warriors and cats rather than goblins and dragons. The gameplay map is presented as a storybook, an innovative feature that received positive reviews.
Reader's Guide
Mice and Mystics has been recognized for its original theme and innovative use of a storybook as the gameplay map. It received several award nominations and wins, including the 2013 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation Winner and the 2013 UK Games Expo Best Boardgame Winner. Since its release in 2011, the game has consistently ranked around the Top 350 position of the most popular wargames on BoardGameGeek. In a review in Black Gate, Andrew Zimmerman Jones noted that the game caught his eye as a good entry-level roleplaying game for his oldest son. In October 2018, DreamWorks Animation acquired the rights for a feature film adaptation, with Alexandre Aja set to direct and co-write the script with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, and producers Roy Lee and Jon Berg attached. The game's legacy includes its influence on family-friendly dungeon crawling and its potential expansion into film.
Did You Know?
- The game uses buttons and needles instead of shields and swords.
- Players fight rat warriors and cats instead of goblins and dragons.
- The gameplay map is a storybook.
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