Mischief at the Museum

Playtested at Gencon.

I had a chance to demo Mischief at the Museum in its current prototype state at GenCon 2021 in the First Exposure playtest hall. The game is already shaping up to be a fun little meeple movement and resource gathering game. One of the most memorable and parts was at the beginning where the players all choose a theme for the museum and then construct the floorplan together. We also each got a random character - from grandparent, to rebellious teen, to custodian - and the game definitely benefited from a bit of a roleplaying element as everyone got very into playing their character. Each character also falls into one of three age brackets - Teen, Adult, or Senior.

From there the game was a relatively easy to learn process of spending each turn - representing an hour in the museum from open to close - using your action economy to move your character, move other characters and NPCs populating the Museum, and collecting resources like Knowledge, Romance, and Mischief, each of which has specific requirements. For instance, your character must be alone in a room to perform Mischief (and you're encouraged to describe what exactly you're doing to cause havoc in the Museum), but must be with one and only one other character or NPC of the same age bracket to collect Romance. There are also specific unique actions you can take depending on the hour, from Rushing to any room in the Museum to Restocking a resource.

Overall the game shows a great deal of promise, particularly with a strong theme resonating throughout the entire design. I look forward to seeing it on shelves!

Light strategy game, great theme, would be a good “intro” game for new gamers and I could see it being a go-to. Played well at 2 players, would love to try it with more.

Designed by the incredible Shawn Patton!

Play-tested at GenCon 2021. Solid theme, emphasis on silly player interaction, and significant strategic choices all make this a game I would heartily suggest. Looking forward to seeing a more polished version with additional art.

Played at First Exposure Playtest Hall at GenCon 2021. Very enjoyable and could definitely see a ton of replayability! Nice mix of co-op and competitive. Fun mechanics and set-building with an almost-asymmetric character sheet. Got to chat with the developers and learn about the thought process and I think it'll be super tight and streamlined once it launches.

Loved playing this at GenCon. My kids really got invested in the emergent storytelling aspects, and I love the strategy elements that make for deeper gameplay. I can't wait to see what the final look and aesthetic of this game ends up being!

Got to play at Gencon. Really fun game that can be played by most ages. Can be played as simple or strategic as you make it. If you get a chance to ply it, don’t pass it up!

Good replayability

Loved playing this 1v1! It plays quite differently based on how many players you have, but its always a unique experience. The light improv/roleplaying elements keep it awesome each time, too.