Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Read the morning paper, pick your leads, and see how you stack up against Holmes.
What it is
A co-op mystery first published in 1981 and winner of the 1985 Spiel des Jahres. Space Cowboys now sells it as The Thames Murders and Other Cases, with ten cases, a London map, a directory and ten copies of The Times. You choose where to go, read what you find, then compare your score with Holmes. It suits readers and anyone who likes to argue over a clue.
What we love
- Each case has its own newspaper, full of clues and red herrings.
- Over a dozen contacts can be consulted, from a coroner to Lestrade and Mycroft.
- Every lead Holmes did not need costs you points, so wandering is punished.
Honest trade-offs
- Once the ten cases are solved, there is little reason to replay them.
- It is mostly reading aloud, so it needs a group happy to sit and listen.
AI summary of player sentiment
Across the tables we polled, players consistently praise the game's approachability and pacing. The most common complaint is once the ten cases are solved, there is little reason to replay them..
This summary is regenerated from new reviews each week. Astra will wire the generation job to the Vercel Cron detailed in the handoff doc.
Content advisory
Mature themes handled with restraint. Fine for most adult tables.
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