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  • Writer's pictureIan Thompson

Quick Boardgame Review: Sherlock Holmes 221B Baker Street

Updated: Apr 20, 2020


"The Finest Detective Game Ever Devised. 221B Baker Street is the London address of the most celebrated fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his dedicated companion, Dr. Watson. In this detective game you start at 221B and travel through the streets and alleys of London picking up clues and attempting to solve the most intriguing cases Holmes and Watson have ever faced.

" Each player assumes the role of Holmes and matches wits with the other players to determine who possesses the most skilful powers of deduction. The game includes 75 cases and each case is represented by a card that features a crime told in story form, a selection of probable suspects and a list of locations involved in that crime.

"Clues are hidden throughout London, one in each of fourteen locations. Players must collect clues from each location, noting them down on their checklists as they attempt to find the answers to the questions listed on the case card." -Official Game Blurb

The game components are of top quality and the game design is so simple you can play within minutes of opening. This could be an ideal family game, as children (around 10+) won't have any difficulty.

How much you enjoy it will depend of what you are looking for:

Want a Sherlock Holmes game that is very like Cluedo? It's perfect, then.

Want a game that makes you feel as if you are really investigating (as the blurb suggests!)? Well, in that case, you will find this one lacking. In each case you have locations to visit and clues to collect - but the locations don't really have great relevance to the story (you can visit them at random if you like) and some of the clues are puzzles rather than pieces of information to be out together (eg. three puzzles that each give pieces of the killer's name). Holmes never had it this easy!

For me, the gameplay was a little disappointing. I was hoping to have to brainstorm, to link chains of evidence, to do some "Sherlock Holmesing". Still, the game is fun and there are 75 puzzle-cases included, which will keep us buy for a long time. An expansion-pack of 50 more cases is available.

If you want real investigations, look at Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective or Mythos Tales.

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