The Mirroring of Mary King

About this board game

The Mirroring of Mary King is a two-player game for a 45-minute battle between a living woman and her hungry ghost ancestor. During a week’s holiday in Edinburgh, contemporary Mary King visits Mary King’s Close and attracts the spirit of her long-dead ancestor, a 17th-century Scottish merchant burgess with the same name.

The ghost wants to live again in Mary’s body, while the mortal Mary fights to keep control. Each player uses control cards and power cards to influence Mary’s psyche, represented by 12 tiles arranged in a 4 × 3 grid. As control shifts, the tiles are flipped back and forth between the players.

The game unfolds across five days, from Monday through Friday. The ghost always takes the first turn each day, followed by the mortal player. As the week progresses, both sides become more exhausted and desperate: the number of control cards they can play decreases, while the number of ideas they may pursue increases.

• Play as the contemporary Mary or her hungry ghost ancestor.
• Compete over 12 tiles in a 4 × 3 grid.
• Use control cards and power cards to influence Mary’s psyche.
• Endure penalties based on the tiles controlled by your opponent.

At the end of each player’s turn, both players suffer penalties determined by the tiles their opponent controls. A player can win immediately by completing their image of Mary using all 12 tiles, or when their opponent runs out of cards.

If neither player completes their image by the end of Friday, The Mirroring of Mary King uses a final scoring system based on remaining cards and control of Mary. Every turn brings the two Marys closer to a decisive struggle for one mortal body.