So like many of you I recently jumped on the Mystic Messenger bandwagon and while the game is fun, there are a few things I wish I had known beforehand. Now, I’m not going to post a full walkthrough or how to guide, because it’s been done before by better bloggers than myself. So, nothing fancy, just a rundown of some things I learned while going through my first playthrough of the game.
If you want the game, you can download it from the App Store or from Google Play for free, but there are options for in-app purchases!
So You Wanna Chat with Hot Guys? There’s an App for That: Mystic Messenger First Impressions Review
Mystic Messenger is a free to play real time mobile game from Cheritz, the company behind PC otome games Dandelion- Wishes brought to you and Nameless- The one thing you must recall. In the game while looking for a new game in the app store, the MC (you) accidentally download a strange messenger app.…
Tip #1- Sleep is for the WEAK
Before you open Mystic Messenger make sure you get 8+ hours of sleep the night before, you’ll thank me later. Because once you start this game, you can kiss that luxury goodbye, this is not a game conducive to a healthy sleep cycle. Chat rooms can and will occur at all hours of the day and night… and I mean ANY time! The worst chat rooms for me are the ones that occur between 12AM- 4AM… yeah let that sink in… there will literally be a chat room that opens up at 3:15AM. Why? Because Cheritz is cruel! Because that’s just how real life chat rooms function, not everyone runs on the same schedule, some folks are night owls and others day people… So be prepared to loose a bit of sleep, because when it’s a choice between sleep and hot 2D guys… more times than not the guys win!
I swear, those first three or four days after starting MM, I was a wreck. Sleep deprivation is real and it is horrible. I had to take naps throughout the day just so I could function and even that wasn’t enough. So I suggest, naps, LOTS of naps. But, if you can’t take naps, God have mercy on your soul!
Tip #2- Start after Midnight!
Okay, I know this sounds odd after I just talked about how little sleep you’ll get playing this game, but I promise I have my reasons! Mystic Messenger is in real time, what that means is that chat rooms open up in real time (Ex: A 4:30PM (16:30) chat room opens up at 4:30PM), so if you start the game at anytime prior to midnight (0:00) you’ll miss out on every single chat room that occurred before that point. For example, if you start a 4:30PM, you miss out on every chat room that opened up before that point…
I had to restart my game twice, because I started before midnight and wound up missing out on chat rooms. *sobs* Just start after midnight, a few minutes after will do…
Tip #3- Alarms are a girl’s best friend
We’ve all seen the memes and vines circulating on Twitter and Tumblr, and like you I scoffed at the though of using an alarm for a game. Let alone a free to play game, but the truth of the matter is that alarms make all the difference when playing Mystic Messenger, so I suggest you get a good one!
I don’t mean the generic ring once and snooze alarms, I mean one that’s loud enough to wake the dead! Because at 2AM, a good alarm is the difference between a successfully completed chat room and missed chat room. While the notification sound effects on my Galaxy S7 are nice, they’ll never wake me up at the unholy hour of 3:15AM like the 2nd Death Note OP does.
Tip #4- Never leave the house
No, I’m so serious…never leave the house! Put on your comfy sweatpants, close the windows, lock the doors, and settle comfortably into bed; you’re not going anywhere for awhile. Either have your food delivered or have a designated buddy bring you food and essentials for the duration of your Mystic Messenger playthrough! Okay, I kid, but if you have to leave the house and fear you’ll miss chat rooms during your time away, I suggest saving the game or at the very least buy 24 hours worth of chat rooms with your hourglasses. Without spending money or using Hourglasses, one playthrough of the game takes 11 consecutive days! That’s a few days shy of two weeks, so be prepared to hunker down for a bit.
But, make sure to plan your playthrough accordingly. I know it’s hard to plan for every single outcome in the real world, but you can do things to help minimize life getting in the way of your gaming. For example, DON’T start playing Mystic Messenger the same week you have three papers due and a midterm. Or try not to start playing the game when you have a crazy work schedule coming up or a family member/friend coming into town for a visit… save yourself the heartache later and just wait a few days. I promise the game will still be there afterwards.
Tip #5- Horde hourglasses like your life depended on it
Hourglasses are gold, horde them! What are Hourglasses and why are they important? Hourglasses are like in-game currency, you can use them to open up chats ahead of schedule, replay missed chats, unlock Deep Routes (Jumin and 707), or use them to call the main love interests in the game. They are important and must be protected and used wisely. Let me say that again for the people in the back chit chatting, DON’T WASTE HOURGLASSES!
When you start the game you get 30 Hourglasses just for reading the Prologue and you earn them randomly by participating in chat rooms. You can also earn 10 Hourglasses every time Cheritz updates the game, which happen fairly often given the game still has some kinks to work out… In addition to that, you can also get Hourglasses by exchanging Hearts (1 Hourglass= 100 hearts) or just buy them with money, but I suggest doing that as a last resort.
Tip #6- You don’t have to read a chatroom the minute it opens up
You don’t have to read a chat room as soon as it opens, BUT you must read chat rooms before a new one opens up! So, if a chat room opens up at 3:45AM and the next chat room opens up at 8:30AM, you’d better be damn sure you read the 3:45AM chat room BEFORE 8:30AM. If you don’t it will be marked as missed and you’ll have to spend hourglasses making it up later and that comes with it’s own setbacks.
But, on the plus side, that also means that you can double up on some chat rooms. Using the example above; instead of waking up at 3:45 for the first chat room and 8:30 for the next one, you can set an alarm for 8:20 (or 8:25) do the first chat room and then immediately knock out the new chat in one fell sweep. Man, I wish I had known about this when I started! Thinking back on all the lost sleep makes me weep, but you live and you learn!
Tip #7- Pick a bae from the start
As much fun as free playing is, I highly suggest you pick your chosen love interest early on and make sure to tailor your choices to that person! You don’t want to end up on Yoosung’s route when you really wanted Jaehee or vice versa… It a tad irksome, but couple it with the lack of sleep and it can turn into a full Hulk out moment.
The suggested play order I see floating around is: Zen, Yoosung, Jaehee, Jumin, and 707. The only thing I know for sure is that you have to play 707 LAST, his route is the most spoilery of the bunch! So hold off on the megane troll lord cinnamon bun Seven until the end.
Tip #8- Have Fun!
Just have fun, Mystic Messenger is a really fun game with a unique premise and I highly recommend giving it a try if you have the chance. However, don’t kill yourself trying to keep up with it. Know your limits, when it gets to be too much, quit, it’s okay no one will judge you. There’s no use making yourself sick over a free to play game, so take it at your own pace. If you need a break, utilize the save feature… Save the game (and remember what time you save your game) and Load the game when you’re ready to play. The game picks up right where you left off, granted you load the game a little after your original save time. So, no worries!
*If you want to see a short first impressions review of Mystic Messenger, check out my earlier post, So You Wanna Chat with Hot Guys… There’s an App for That: Mystic Messenger- First Thoughts*
So have you played Mystic Messenger? What do you think about it? Is it really worth all of the hype? What character are you most looking forward to? Let me know what you think in the comments section and as always THANK YOU for reading!!!
Gah! I really want to play this game but I know it’s going to suck the life out of me timewise!!!! I need to be wise in when I choose to play it lol.
The game is really fun. The worst days for me were Days 1-3… it took me a bit to get used to the chat rooms and the schedule.
But, yeah planning is key with this game.
I think you don’t need to miss sleep to get good ending. I definitely can’t play the 3am chats on weekdays because of work. So the latest I chatroom I join is 12-1am then I join the 3am in the morning when I wake up. But sometimes I’d miss some chats but don’t want to waste hourglass to join the chat. Most important is always make sure to earn most hearts from main love interest than others, and not do what they hate. I’m on Zen’s route and it’s going pretty okay. I assume it’s one of the easiest(in casual). I made a mistake doing the prologue at 4pm since it’s my first playthrough but things seem to be okay so far. I hope I get the good or at least normal ending, unless I get too pissed off by Jaehee lol
That’s good to know! I really REALLY need to get on this.
I so want to play the game. It sounds so fun, unique and interesting and the guys are definitely eye candy. However, I don’t think it’s worth all the trouble this point in time when I’m busy studying. I would personally prefer to just buy the route, but is there even an option for that? ><
Yeah, if tou have a lot od studying or sxhool work to do… MM can be a bit of a hassle. But its so addictive lol
I wish there was an option to buy full routes at a time. Maybe Cheritz will add that feature later…
yeah it there were, I probably just buy it instead. this is basically the reason why I haven’t played it yet.
Hahahahaha xD loved this post omg!!!
True!! No sleep for 11 days or more XDD
But I do sleep lol I don’t care if I miss one or two chats. I got Yoosung’s good end even thought I missed some in the night(1am, 3am…)
I started with Yoosung and it’s been fine until now. I intend to leave 707 to the end too. I read about his route being the most spoilery one
I don’t set an alarm clock but one I woke up because of the sound notification XD so I played
I’m a light sleeper so if I wake up to play every single night I’ll be dying in the end of the month xDDD
But I do play outside xD if a new chat opens I don’t care where I am in the moment haha
Awww, Thank you!!
Really? I keep hearing that you don’t have to participate in every chat, but I didn’t want to risk it lol
If it were up to me, I’d have played Seven first… but friendly council advised against it… much to my dismay.
I am a heavy sleeper, so I need the alarms. Otherwise I’d have missed every single late night chat lol
I tried, but I would always hit dead zones so it was a pain. 😛
Yeah, I don’t think you have to read ALL the chats, but, last night I woke up to read it anyway lol
I’m on Day 6 with Yoosung already.
I’ll play Zen after him but yeah, I wanted to play with Jumin last, but… ;-;
Seven is funny lol
Hmmm that is something to consider when I try my next route thanks!
Jumin is going to be interesting. I wonder if Elizabeth the 3rd gets jealous during his route lol
You’re far stronger than me, and your tips are gold~ <3 May Hell be easier for your future and those that follow MM with them~
I've heard about being able to miss some chats and still getting good endings, but I'm lazy.
Once quit, just youtube them, sit back and enjoy the drama w
lol, I keep hearing that, but I’m too chicken to risk it lol.
I do get it, it’d be a bummer to have to redo and losing days of progress. Specially once loading is paid/isn’t available :’D
yeah exactly lol… So I’ll be dotting every I and crossing every t 😛
But, I have no intention of writing a full review so I’m taking the rest of the game at my own pace.
You do well, it’s not like you have to do everything in one go. Specially since they’ll be adding new content~
yeah
lol how do you choose a bae im still trying to choose my fave one
Very carefully lol
But for me Seven is bae!
Oh my word, everything here is so, so true! But setting the alarm before the next room comes up so you can hit two birds with one stone, never thought of that. I always set an individual alarms for chatrooms so that was some quite helpful advice. 😀
YES, it was a lifesaver! I couldn’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner :'( my poor sleep cycle lol
Mystic Messenger is one game that has managed to take over my life.
Friends advised me to not do Seven’s route until the end, and I advised friends to shut up because my fandom group had already spoiled the hell out of me, so I played Seven route right after finishing Yoosung’s. To be honest, Seven and Vanderwood are my favorite characters!
I followed your advice and set up alarms with some loud sounds. Not the 2nd Death Note OP, but some others like MysMe try not to laugh compilations converted into MP3s. Damn, the way I woke up to the sound of MM crack at 3 AM every night.
Sleep deprivation didn’t have much effect on me;; I don’t know how and why, but it’s been 5 days since I finished my precious Seven’s route, and I don’t feel the need to sleep anymore. The first days were hard to get used to, but now I regularly stay up until 4-5 AM or so without any bad consequences.. ??
You said never to leave the house. Even if it was a joke, I actually did not leave my room let alone the house for 11 days. I remember so clearly that I had a notepad and a calculator with me at all times to keep track of my hourglasses and missed chats and stuff. I’m currently planning for another Seven playthrough.
I also remember clearly that I spammed multiple people multiple times with the lyrics of Mysterious Messenger in caps, that my diet consisted of chips and Dr. Pepper for a very long time, and that my parents were seriously worried about me because I would kind of lock myself in my room and get triggered to every single thing that included slight references to MysMe, like a friend texting “that’s v nice” (Jihyun!!!) or words like Eureka or paprika.
ps, I am still obsessed
LOLOLOLOLOL this game has a way of taking over your whole life!! My sleep, my social interactions, everything! 😛
I wanted to do the same thing you did, after Zen, I wanted t jump right into Seven’s route… but NOOOOOOOOOOOO, I had to take a break! I haven’t touched the game since 😛
OMG that song was in my head for weeks! Oh snap, it’s back!!
So every morning I wake up to that same sweet sound~
Yep. Every morning. And I’m back at being mystic trash™.
I’ve done Jaehee and Zen’s routes, so only Jumin remains now. The only thing is that whenever I’m in the deep story I collect hearts from Seven s o fast. T_T
This game really does have its own way of taking over you, doesn’t it? I literally feel blessed that I’m alive in the year 201-7.
I still ditch studying and social life for any new chatroom or 1-2 day DLC that comes up. Not like i had a social life anyway, lol.~
In the time after I posted that comment, I have managed to turn half my class into MysMe trash cans and cosplay as the first MC multiple times.
Hope you’re having a good night, day, morning, whateve– Every morning I wake up to the same sweet sound…..~
LOL Meme Lord Seven is always out there stealing hearts 😛
OMG yes! MM took over my whole life for a solid two weeks and it was a bit overwhelming, but so satisfying!!
If I even so much as opened the app again I’d never be able to break free again, so I avoid the updates as much as I can LOL
Yess! Spread the word of MM, corrupt all who have not gazed upon our beloved 707’s face! LOL you too sweetie!!
Gaaah now that song is in my head again- Picking up my cellphone that’s been ringing~
omg lol the “megane troll lord cinnamon bun” Seven XD
Those are holy and true words.
oh my god…..
i only just started using alarms lolol
im on yoosungs route
but i badly want sevens lolol
Alarms are a beautiful thing! Yoosung’s route was angsty LOL
SEVEN! OMG I love Seven!!
My tips are to start the game at 10 am to get the full experience. If a chat pops up when you’re out and you can’t read it right then, open up the app, select the chat that opened up at the time and then lock your phone but do NOT restart the app. It should still be there when you unlock your device and you’ll be able to read both the old and the new chat if one pops up. It’s quite useful if there’s two chats close together and you don’t have time to read them at the moment. Be sure to read them before a new one appears. Make sure that you have 11 days that do not have events taking up the entire day (like theme parks for example) or you will be behind and it’ll take forever to catch up. It’s fine if you have errands or appointments but make sure you have some time in between to read the new chats. An important thing to know is that the hearts you earn during the game can be used to buy hourglasses. If you have your heart set on a guy or would like a thorough walkthrough, I would recommend looking up ‘Mystic Messenger Walkthrough’ on Google and the first website ‘Otome Obsessed’ will give you a complete guide to the entire game and, if you choose, to other otome games as well. It’s ok if you’re confused at first but after time, you’ll understand and get used to it. Hopefully my tips helped you in some way! ^^
Why do you wake up at 3 am? You can get a good ending even playing 50% everyday. I usually miss 3 or 4 chat everyday and I got Yoosung and Zen good ending,and now I’m starting Jumin. I can’t stay 11 days without sleeping 😱 and I must keep all my hourglasses to unlock the secret ending,so I try to play when I can
I had all sorts of issue with the app. It would freeze up on me all the time. It would only work properly right after updates. I spent a ton of hour glasses. I even spent google play point on it. Thank goodness for google rewards. But I only got through both Zen and Yoosung stories before I had enough. Took me two tries to finish zen and weeks to finish Yoosung’s.
I always thought the game was based on Korean time because most chats took place in early morning hours. It would be afternoon out there because of the 12 hour difference.
Zen called me one time at 4 am. I use to get emails at all hours when the game worked properly. But overall, I had fun.
I played one route the first time I played it saying I would’t go back because I love the Yoosung route…I went back later on and played all of the routes (including the i had already completed) all in one go. No breaks no nothing, that I would say is true hell. But being sleep deprived for almost 10 weeks during a school year was worth it. I only became very mad when after I played the game when I found the game save feature.
So I started playing MM a week ago and HOLY HELL has it been literally life-changing. Before, I’d wake up at noon and laze around, but now it’s like get up at 7:30AM, go to bed around 3:30AM, rinse and repeat. NOT TO MENTION THE NIGHTMARES: Having an alarm is my second strategy because every night since my first missed chat on Day 2, I’ve been waking myself up from a recurring nightmare that goes along the lines of “What do you mean I overslept for an ENTIRE DAY!? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CHATROOMS I’VE MISSED?!” It’s soooo stressful, but addictive; and I can’t say it isn’t making me more aware about how to plan my days so that it doesn’t conflict with my chatrooms. In short: this game has made me a better, albeit sleep-deprived, person.
I’m super late to Mystic Messenger and otome games in general. I don’t usually research games before I start playing them, however, I opened MM up this morning and didn’t have time to start playing it. I figured I would read a few things on it first and HOLY CRAP, I am so glad I did! This was super helpful and I am so excited to start playing.
Wowowow, ive been a fan of MysMes for ages now and played most of the routes already but only just found this XD and yesss, this is so true lolol
For me, when I first played it, and it plays the opening song, instead of making it easy and choosing a bae from the main guys, I saw Searan and was like “HIM! I WANT HIM” So it was painful, since he didnt have a route at the time, but I enjoyed the game nevertheless. But OH BOY when his route finally came out last year, I died and played it asap. I got the good end straight away somehow, but damn, I didnt come out of it well. Im still emotionally broke to this day. Never mind deep story, another story, wrecks you on every level possible.
I love him way too much, and Chertiz better come out with his after ending soon i swear.
Just wanted to tell you, that I absolutely ADORE your writing style!
You should do something with that, like writing for newspapers or writing stories.
You got a lot of talent there, love. ❤
Also thank you for the tips, I recently started playing MM and I have a question, maybe you could help me?
I’m on day 5 and apparently missed every chat, even though I didn’t even do anything to miss them. I don’t own enough Hourglasses to unlock ANY chat.
Is that normal or did I just mess up?
Aww thank you for all your kind words and I’m glad you enjoyed the post!!
Huh, that’s weird… which route are you on? All the chats should be open for Zen, Yoosung, and Jaehee.
This is a lifesaver…and mysmes has changed me completely, I stay up till 3am then sleep till 7:30, so I basically get 3 hours sleep;
I’m currently on day 6 on yoosungs route and I’m soo sleep deprived. My friends try to get me off mysmes, they think it’s bad for me and my health, but I dont listen to my friends(I love mysmes too much)
Also, I’ve got school…..so I have to play mysmes during school hoursT_T. And tests coming up T_T, I’ll study for them soon tho.
I feel like this really needs to be put out here but you only need a minimum of 30% chat participation. In my first Zen route, I didn’t participate in the chatrooms late at night. So it is really possible (very easy in fact) to get plenty of sleep even while you enjoy Mystic Messenger.
I also advise not to spend hourglasses on missed calls or a couple chatrooms that you missed. They’re kind of difficult to find. Have fun 🙂
Ok, so I am a latecomer to this game but my current real life situation fits the protagonist to a tee! I am currently stuck in my Shanghai apartment in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak (although I’ll be making an escape to Japan in two days). I really LOL-ed when Seven said I can’t leave the apartment. I just want to say that I absolutely love this blog and its name. As an academic (Japan/minorities/settler colonialism), I really like the contents here. Hope you keep this up!!
Aww thank you for stopping by and thank you so much for your kind words! We’re at the height of this COVID-19 pandemic, but I hope you are safe!
Man I wish I had known about the “choose your love interest from the start” thing when I had downloaded the app 💀 I started off with Zen but then halfway through I decided I wanted Yoosung so obviously that was a lot of missed green hearts…