Mysterium

Pros

• Mysterium is my go-to for non-gamers/family sessions
• Most beautiful: Old King's Crown and Mysterium are the only games in my collection where someone has complimented the art per se.
• This is one of my all time favorite games, though, so good choice either way!
• So all of my favorite co-op games feature some element of limited communication or simultaneous play - some examples are Mysterium, The Crew, So Clover, and Just One.
• The Strata is indeed based on the Mysterium PCB. I have 4 Mysteriums currently haha my favorite layout and pcb design!

Cons

• Parent context: it's not a good game, maybe it had a moment years and years ago but it does not hold up. Reply: It’s an excellent game
• The character pockets had so much color, and the boards that separated the locations and stuff, too. Mysterium shines in part because of the spooky vibes, now it's like flipped house white!?
• it's not a good game, maybe it had a moment years and years ago but it does not hold up.
• For kids, I’d prioritize: bigger cards = easier handling, but the new tiny clock and candle tokens feel worse.
• Similo is a streamlined and IMO better version of Mysterium