06 Nov 2022

Mausritter First Impressions

2 minutes | 256 words

I’ve played Mausritter (the German version) with my two children today.

They are 10 and 6. I’ve played Tails of Equestria with them 2 years ago, but it wasn’t a big success.

I now remember why: the younger one doesn’t have the patience for role-playing games.

The older one liked Mausritter. Playing mice is cute, and the rules are easy to grasp and lightweight.

Combat is dangerous.
One of the mice had two hit points. If you fight, you’ll get hit.
Then you’ll need a new mouse.
But making a new character is a fast process.

Luckily, my kids always try other solutions first.

I like how the game handles inventory. It reminds me of Diablo: you have item slots where you can put your gear.
Interestingly, conditions (negative effects like “hungry” or “injured”) also take an inventory slot.

I am a bit rusty as a Game Master.
The game is also lightweight on material for the GM. You’ll get tips on how to run a game, rules for different situations (combat, exploration, creatures, hex crawls), but it’s all rather hands-off.

The atmosphere of the game is whimsical and charming, but it can be a bit darker and fantastic.
The example adventure in the German box has curses and cultists.
(Here’s the link to the English version.)

Mausritter reminds me of Dolmenwood, a weird fantastic setting by Gavin Norman.

Maybe I’ll try to run it solo, I can see myself enjoying the game as a player.

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