Obsession

2018

Immerse yourself in Obsession, a strategic board game set in Victorian England! Renovate your estate, host prestigious events, and rise in social ranks.

90
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Obsession is an enthralling board game that transports you back to Victorian England, a time of sophistication, elegance, and grandeur. Nestled in the heart of Derbyshire, you are entrusted with the task of restoring your family’s glorious estate to its former splendor. The game combines elements of strategy, planning, and competition, offering an incredible journey through the opulence and intrigue of the Victorian era.

The game is set against the backdrop of the 19th century English countryside, where you, as the head of a respected but financially troubled family, must impress your wealthy and influential neighbors to climb the social ladder. By hosting grand events, improving your estate, and making shrewd strategic decisions, you will be able to gain the favor of the gentry and restore your family’s reputation.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

In the board game ‘Obsession’, players step into the shoes of the heads of prominent families in Victorian England, striving to increase their social standing and reputation. The following HTML content will detail each component included in the game, their purpose, and how they interact with the game’s mechanics.

1. Game Board

The game board is the central hub where all the actions take place. It is divided into various sections that represent different aspects of the Victorian estate, including the builder’s market, village fair, and the money track. Players move their pieces around the board to perform actions and gain victory points.

2. Service Tiles

The service tiles represent the staff members available for hire in the game. These tiles include the Butler, Housekeeper, Footman, and more. Players can hire these staff members to provide services and benefits that can help them gain an advantage in the game.

3. Improvement Cards

The improvement cards represent various upgrades that players can make to their estate. These upgrades can include things like adding a new garden, building a new wing for the mansion, or hosting a grand ball. Each improvement card provides different benefits and requires a certain number of resources or staff members to activate.

4. Guest Cards

The guest cards represent the various guests that players can invite to their estate. These guests can provide various benefits, such as increasing a player’s reputation or providing additional resources. Players must carefully choose which guests to invite, as some guests may prefer certain types of events or improvements.

5. Family Cards

The family cards represent the player’s family members. Each family member has unique abilities and stats that can influence the game in different ways. For example, some family members might be better at hosting events, while others might be more skilled at managing the estate.

6. Victory Point Tokens

The victory point tokens are used to keep track of each player’s progress throughout the game. Players earn victory points by completing various tasks and goals, such as hosting successful events, improving their estate, and increasing their reputation. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

7. Money Tokens

The money tokens are used as the currency in the game. Players can earn money by hosting events, inviting rich guests, or through certain family member abilities. Money can be used to hire staff, make improvements, and more.

8. Reputation Cubes

The reputation cubes are used to track a player’s reputation level. As players improve their estate and host successful events, they can increase their reputation. A higher reputation can attract more prestigious guests and provide other benefits.

9. Player Markers

The player markers are used to indicate each player’s position on the various tracks on the game board. This includes the money track, the reputation track, and the builder’s market.

10. Player Boards

Each player has a player board, which represents their estate. Players can place improvement cards on their player board to show the current state of their estate. The player board also has spaces for keeping track of the player’s service staff and family members.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Obsession is a strategy board game that transports players back to Victorian England, where they are tasked with restoring their family’s estate to its former glory. Here’s how to set up the game:

1. Player Roles:

Each player takes on the role of a respected but impoverished family from the Derbyshire region, aiming to increase their social standing and wealth.

2. Board Placement:

The main game board should be placed in the center of the playing area. This board represents the county of Derbyshire and includes segments for the Builder’s Market, the Season Track, the Round Track, and the VP Track.

3. Initial Resources:

Starting Tiles: Each player receives a set of starting tiles which includes a Butler’s Room, an Organized Stable, a Morning Room, and an Estate. These tiles are placed on the individual player’s estate board.
Starting Money: Each player starts the game with £300.
Starting Servants: Each player begins with one Butler, one Housekeeper, and two Footmen. These are placed in the appropriate spaces on the player’s estate board.

4. Random Elements:

Victory Point Cards: Shuffle the Victory Point cards and deal five to each player. Each player then chooses three to keep and discards the others.
Improvement Tiles: Shuffle the Improvement Tiles and place five face up in the Builder’s Market on the main game board.
Fairchild Courtship: Shuffle the Fairchild Courtship cards and place them face down on the designated space on the main game board. Reveal the top card.
Guest Cards: Shuffle the Guest Cards and deal four to each player. These represent the visitors that players can invite to their estate.

Once these steps are complete, the game is ready to begin. The youngest player goes first, symbolizing the vitality of youth in the Victorian era.

Game flow Round and round we go

Obsession is a captivating board game that takes players back to Victorian England, inviting them to build their status through strategic decisions and careful management of resources. The gameplay progresses through several rounds, each with distinct phases.

The Game Structure

The game is played over a series of 16-20 rounds, with each round representing a season in a year. The game begins in the Spring of 1810, and ends in the Winter of 1815.

Rounds

Each round in Obsession consists of four key phases:

Draw Event Card: At the start of each round, the first player draws an event card. This card can bring a variety of effects into the game, such as opportunities to gain new guests, servants, or even additional actions.
Host a Activity: Players then take turns hosting an activity in their estate. They select a room tile from their hand and place it on their player board, then invite a number of guests equal to the room’s capacity. Each guest provides a different benefit, such as reputation, money, or points.
Refresh Service: After hosting their activity, players refresh their service by moving all used servants back to the available area on their player board.
Rotate Start Player Marker: Finally, the start player marker is passed to the next player in clockwise order, and a new round begins.

Player Actions

Throughout the game, players will perform a number of actions on their turn:

Draw Cards: Players draw cards from the main deck to invite new guests or to expand their estates.
Host Activities: Players host activities in their estates to gain benefits and attract prestigious guests. This requires managing their servant resources carefully.
Purchase Improvements: Players can purchase improvements for their estate, such as new rooms or upgrades to existing rooms. This increases their estate’s value and provides additional bonuses.
Manage Resources: Players must carefully manage their resources, including money, reputation, and servants, in order to host the most prestigious activities and attract the most prestigious guests.

The game ends after the final round, and the player with the highest total prestige points is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Obsession’, your goal as a player is to elevate your family’s status in 19th century England through strategic renovation, hosting events, and courtship. During each player’s turn, the following actions and strategic choices are possible:

Building Selection:

At the start of your turn, you have the opportunity to select a building from the builder’s market. The chosen building can be added to your player board, expanding your estate and providing you with more options for hosting events.

Strategic Choice: Buildings come at different costs and provide different benefits. Choosing which building to add to your estate requires careful consideration of your current resources and future plans.

Hosting an event:

Once you’ve selected a building, you can host an event there. To do this, you must have the required servants and guests. Hosting events allows you to earn victory points and other benefits, such as reputation or favor with influential families.

Strategic Choice: The type of event, servants, and guests you choose can greatly impact your strategy. Larger events require more resources but can yield greater rewards.

Inviting guests:

Each event requires a certain number of guests. You invite guests from your hand, and each guest has their own benefits, such as providing additional servants or increasing your reputation.

Strategic Choice: Choosing which guests to invite requires balance. You want to maximize your benefits, but you also need to consider the guests’ requirements for attending.

Courtship:

Throughout the game, there are several Courtship phases. During these phases, players compete to win the favor of the fairchild family by hosting the most impressive events and inviting the most suitable guests. The winner of the courtship receives a special bonus.

Strategic Choice: Winning the courtship can provide a significant advantage, so you must carefully plan your actions and resources to have the best chance of success.

Rotation of the Servant Pool:

At the end of your turn, you rotate the servants in your servant pool. This means moving the used servants to the ‘tired’ section and moving the rested servants to the ‘available’ section.

Strategic Choice: Proper management of your servants is crucial. You need to ensure you have the right servants available when you need them, which may require planning several turns ahead.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Obsession’ ends when either the ‘Victory Point’ or ‘Courtship’ end game condition is met. Both of these conditions are determined at the start of the game and lead to different paths of competition among the players.

Victory Point End Game Condition:

This condition occurs when one or more players reach or exceed a predetermined number of victory points. At the start of the game, players agree on a set number of victory points to be the target. This can be modified based on the number of players or desired length of the game.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

When this condition is met, each player completes their current turn so that all players have had an equal number of turns. Then, players calculate and add any additional victory points they may receive from their remaining resources, such as unused money or prestige guests. The player with the highest total victory points is declared the winner.

Courtship End Game Condition:

This condition is met when the fourth and final courtship card is revealed and resolved. Courtship is a major aspect of ‘Obsession’, representing the strategic pursuit of influential connections and prestigious relationships.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Once the final courtship card is resolved, players finish the current round so everyone has an equal number of turns. The courtship victory points are then calculated based on the number of successful courtships each player has won. Additionally, players add the victory points from their estate improvements and the fairchild suitor cards they’ve won. The player with the highest total victory points is declared the winner.

It’s important to note that, in both cases, if there is a tie in victory points, the player with the most reputation wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most remaining money wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Obsession is a strategy board game set in Victorian England. The objective of the game is to increase your family’s reputation by hosting various events and improving your estate. The scoring system in Obsession is as follows:

1. Scoring from Reputation:

Each Reputation Level: At the end of the game, points are awarded for each reputation level. The first level equals one point, the second level equals two points, and so on. For example, if a player ends the game at reputation level 5, they receive 15 points (1+2+3+4+5).
Reputation beyond Level 5: Any reputation level beyond five awards a flat five points per level.

2. Scoring from Improvements:

Improvement Tiles: Each improvement tile provides points, as shown on the tile itself. Some tiles have a variable point value, depending on certain conditions being met.

3. Scoring from Objective Cards:

Objective Cards: Players earn points from fulfilling the conditions on their objective cards. The points vary depending on the card’s difficulty.

4. Scoring from Monument Cards:

Monument Cards: These cards award points based on the specific criteria outlined on each card.

5. Scoring from Courtship:

Courtship Tiles: These tiles are awarded during the courtship phase, which occurs at specific rounds during the game. Each courtship tile has a point value, which contributes to the final score.

6. Scoring from Money:

Money: At the end of the game, every 100 pounds a player has is worth one point.

In case of a tie, the tie-breaking rules of Obsession are as follows:

The player with the most completed objective cards wins.
If the tie persists, the player with the most money wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the highest reputation level wins.
If a tie still remains, the player who went first during the game wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Obsession is a unique board game that captures the essence of Jane Austen’s England, where players are tasked with improving their estates and increasing their social standing. While the game rules are generally straightforward, there are some rare or special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that are important for players to understand.

Firstly, it’s essential to note that Obsession is a game of careful strategy and planning. Players should always keep in mind the following:

Certain improvement cards can only be acquired in the Builder’s Market, while others are obtained during the Courtship phase.
When a player is out of servants, they cannot host an activity, even if they have the necessary improvement card.
The Casual Guest cards cannot be used to attract Prestige Guest cards.

There are also some special scenarios to consider:

Servant’s Quarters: If a player’s Servant’s Quarters are full, they cannot hire any more servants until there is room. This requires strategic planning on the player’s part to ensure they always have the necessary servants available for hosting activities.
Monument Cards: When a player acquires a monument, they immediately gain the victory points listed on the card. However, these points are not added to their reputation.
Courtship: During the Courtship phase, the player with the highest reputation wins the Fairchild suitor. In case of a tie, the player who initiated the courtship wins.

Lastly, there are some clarifications that might prove helpful:

The rotation of the Builder’s Market is mandatory after each round, not optional.
Players can only host one activity per turn, even if they have the required cards and servants to host more.
Each player’s reputation is secret and should be kept hidden from other players until the end of the game.

Understanding these special rules, exceptions, and clarifications can greatly enhance the gameplay of Obsession, ensuring that all players have an equal and fair chance at winning.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies

Focus on building a strong deck of servants. A good deck allows you to perform more actions and gives you a better chance of winning the game.
Take advantage of the market. Buy tiles when they are cheap and sell them when they are expensive. This can give you a significant profit.
Try to achieve the objectives of the game as quickly as possible. This will give you a significant advantage over your opponents.

Beginner Tips

Start by learning the basic rules of the game. This will help you to understand how the game works and what you need to do to win.
Practice playing the game with friends or family. This will give you a chance to practice your strategies and improve your skills.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re not sure what to do, ask someone who is more experienced with the game for advice.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t focus too much on one aspect of the game. It’s important to have a balanced strategy that takes into account all aspects of the game.
Avoid making impulsive decisions. Take your time to think about your moves and make sure they are the best ones for your current situation.
Don’t ignore your opponents. Keep an eye on what they are doing and try to anticipate their moves.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Use your servants wisely. Each servant has a different ability, so consider carefully which one to use in each situation.
Plan your moves in advance. This will allow you to make the most out of your turns and increase your chances of winning.
Study the board and the tiles. Understanding the layout of the game and the benefits of each tile can help you to make better decisions.