The base game Mycelia was released in summer 2023. At that time, the accessible mix of deckbuilding and sliding puzzles centered around dewdrops was available. Test Completely convincing. Now, the first expansion, Prisma, has been released. Our review will show what it has to offer and whether it's a worthwhile addition.
Simply more deckbuilding
The new expansion introduces another deckbuilding option. This second card display is located at the root field, which is attached to the shrine. These cards are purchased with a new "currency." The favor track is now located on the top of the shrine, between the edge and the rotating disc. Players move their mushroom figures along this track through the three sections (green, yellow, purple), which also represent the three cost levels of the new cards.
The main source of favor is the new Prism Drops, of which all players start with 10 on their tableau. In return, there are only 12 regular Dew Drops. This means there are two more drops to remove. Two new double-sided cards are included for setup.
Removing a prism droplet grants a favor, allowing you to move your mushroom figure one space forward. Spaces occupied by other mushroom figures are skipped. In a two- or three-player game, unused mushroom figures are placed on the first few spaces.
Everyone receives a new starting card, which also grants favor. In addition to the new starting and favor cards, the expansion also includes new cards that can be purchased with the cards. These, too, naturally have effects that grant favor.
Once you've accumulated favor, you can, of course, spend it. The favor cards come in three different colors, corresponding to the different sections on the favor track. To buy a card, your mushroom marker must have reached at least the corresponding colored section. After the purchase, you move the mushroom marker back to the starting space on the favor track. If you buy a card from a lower tier, you don't receive any "change."
Favor cards, like other cards, are placed on the draw pile after purchase. When you draw one for your next turn, you place it face up and usually get to draw additional cards to maintain a hand of three cards (or even more) for your next turn. The effects of the favor cards then remain in effect for the entire turn.
Otherwise, the only noteworthy innovation is the recycling mechanic. This allows a card to be moved from the discard pile back to the draw pile.
Information about Mycelia – Prisma
| Number of people: 1 to 4 people Age: from 9 years Playing time: 45 minutes Difficulty: Family game Long-term motivation: very good Mechanics: Deck builder Game idea: Daniel Greiner Illustrations: Fabian Jödden, Justin Chan Publisher: Ravensburger Official Website: Mycelia – Prisma Year of publication: 2025 Language: German Cost: 20 Euro |
Conclusion
Prisma is the perfect extension for Mycelia. The focus remains firmly on deckbuilding around the sweet mushrooms, yet the new additions bring so many more possibilities. The familiar gameplay is essentially unchanged, merely supplemented by the new cards.
The Favor cards allow for even more targeted deckbuilding. Because more cards are available, the deck becomes larger, slightly reducing the probability of drawing the perfect combination. This is where the recycling mechanic comes in. It's also a great addition, without which the expansion wouldn't work as well.
It can still happen that you fall behind in the game if the cards simply aren't drawn in the right combination. This was already the case in the base game and is generally a problem with deck-building games, but it's somewhat amplified with the expansion. However, by the end of the game, this luck-based imbalance usually evens out enough that the game never feels frustrating.
Even though you now have to remove two more drops, the expansion doesn't actually make the game take any longer. The new possibilities with the gift cards allow for larger combos without significantly increasing turn time or overall playing time. The game still has a very pleasant playing time, perfect for a family game.
The components, both visually and tactilely, as well as the rulebook, are of the same high quality as the base game. The solo rules remain unchanged. Gwydion (the solo opponent) moves his mushroom figure when the draw pile is empty and also swaps the display of favor cards once. While it's slightly easier, Gwydion can simply start with only 18 or 17 dewdrops.
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