"Mysteria" is a youth board game launched by the renowned soda brand, The Coca-Cola Company, in the early 2000s, which was discontinued for supposedly possessing those who played it.
"Mysteria".
Marketing campaign.
“Mysteria” was released to the public in 2001 in Mexico as part of a Day of the Dead promotional campaign for Delaware Punch, a soft drink owned by The Coca-Cola Company.
The game.
Like a strange cross between a Ouija board and Snakes and Ladders, the game consists of a board with 25 spaces, 35 tokens or cards featuring mysterious images “carved in stone” and secret messages, a die, and 8 characters to choose from.
It should be noted that in order to read the hidden messages on the cards, the board features a small viewer (a sort of cardboard magnifying glass with a window made of translucent red cellophane or mica). These messages can only be read in total darkness, forcing players to engage in the experience at night with everything turned off.
Rules.
Designed for 2 to 10 players, the goal of “Mysteria” is to survive the journey through the 25 stages (squares) on the board and be the first to escape the world of Mysteria and return to reality.
Each player takes turns rolling the die and moves forward the corresponding number of spaces. Most of the spaces on the board are engraved with strange symbols. If a character lands on one of these, they must draw one of the 35 face-down cards. If the symbol on the drawn card matches the one on the space you’re on, you’re safe. End your turn, and return the card face down to the table. If the symbol doesn’t match, you fall victim to the board. Depending on the space, the penalty may be moving back a certain number of spaces, skipping your next turn, or being “trapped” until someone else lands on the same space or rolls a specific number on the die.
The Legends.
As part of the game, the board contains two legends about its origin. The first dates the board’s creation to the year 1785. It explains that an ancient tribe from the humid forests of North America built this artifact with the intention of mentally traveling to a dimension of suspense and absolute terror called “Mysteria.” The text reveals that the entire tribe eventually became extinct because of this, since those who dared to play the game became trapped in that alternate reality and never managed to return alive to the real world.
The second story connects the legend to the present. It tells how, many years after the tribe’s tragedy, a young boy unearthed the game from among the roots of a large tree. The story goes that the boy played the game, managed to complete all 25 levels, and escaped the dimension alive. However, shortly after his victory, the boy mysteriously disappeared without a trace, ending with a direct challenge to test your luck if you have the courage to play it.
Controversies.
Disturbing commercials.
In mid-2001, the Delaware Punch brand was known in Mexico for its disturbing television commercials as part of the “Drink It If You Dare” campaign. These featured various horror themes, such as ghostly girls (twins) in schools, children lost in caves, and voodoo dolls. The common element was that the children who drank the soda ended up with bright green, slanted eyes, similar to those of a reptile (the same logo on the can). To parents, these commercials suggested that the soda and the brand were promoting “demonic possession.”
Occult and Esoteric Symbolism.
Instead of using regular numbers, the game uses planetary, astrological, and alchemical symbols as part of the squares on the board. Various religious groups and conservative parents of the time analyzed these symbols and accused the company of including imagery related to Freemasonry and the occult. Many began to classify the game not as a simple toy, but as a disguised Ouija board and an “introduction to Satanism” for children.
Urban legends.
Soon, chilling rumors began to circulate in schools and neighborhoods across Mexico about children who, upon reading the hidden messages on the cards, began to speak in strange tongues or were even possessed by demons, and poltergeist activity was reported in homes where the board was kept.
Visceral reaction.
Faced with an impending public relations disaster, a boycott by religious organizations, and formal complaints from parents' associations, the Coca-Cola Company decided to cut its losses and discontinue the game.
The “Drink It If You Dare” advertising campaign was abruptly canceled, the commercials were taken off the air, and all “Mysteria” billboards were removed from circulation and destroyed. The company eliminated all official traces of the product to clean up the brand's image.
Cult classic.
Today, the game “Mysteria” has become a cult classic among collectors of macabre items, and its value has risen significantly, making it extremely difficult to find. Since it has been discontinued, only a few copies remain on the market, most of which are incomplete—either missing their storage sleeve or several of the cards.
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