Watson & Holmes Game Rules

Introduction:

Welcome to Watson & Holmes, a thrilling detective game where I get to play the role of Sherlock Holmes and you, the player, take on the character of Dr. Watson. Together, we will immerse ourselves in the intriguing world of Victorian London as we try to outsmart each other and solve the most baffling cases of our time. Are you ready for the challenge?

Objective:

Our goal in Watson & Holmes is to be the first player to correctly solve the mystery presented in the case. Throughout the game, we will gather clues, investigate crime scenes, and interrogate suspects to gather information. With wit, deduction, and a little bit of luck, we will decipher the truth and emerge as the victor.

Components:

To play Watson & Holmes, we will need the following components:

– A game board depicting the streets of Victorian London

– A set of case booklets, each containing a unique mystery to solve

– A clue deck consisting of various clue cards

– A location deck with different locations for us to visit

– A witness deck filled with potential suspects for us to question

– A set of Holmes’ reports that contain additional information about the case

Gameplay:

The game is played over a series of rounds. In each round, we will take turns performing actions to gather clues and investigate the case. On our turn, we can choose to either visit a location, question a witness, or consult Holmes’ reports. These actions will provide us with valuable information to piece together the puzzle.

When we visit a location, we will draw a location card and read its description. This will give us new leads and clues that could help solve the mystery. We can also choose to question a witness by drawing a witness card and asking them specific questions. Their responses might point us in the right direction or mislead us. Finally, consulting Holmes’ reports allows us to gain additional insight into the case and potentially gain an advantage.

Throughout the game, we will collect clue cards that provide us with vital information. These clues can be used to deduce the correct solution to the mystery. By analyzing the clues, cross-referencing information, and using our deductive skills, we can determine the truth and solve the case.

Conclusion:

In Watson & Holmes, we will embark on thrilling adventures, solving intriguing mysteries, and putting our detective skills to the test. By working together and using our wits, we can outsmart each other and emerge as the ultimate victor. So, are you ready to join me on this exciting journey through the streets of Victorian London? Let’s begin!

• A set of 13 Case Booklets
• 207 Location Cards
• 2 Special Cards featuring Watson and Holmes
• 7 Player Pawns in 7 different colors
• 7 Player Tokens in 7 different colors
• 57 Carriage Tokens
• 6 Police Tokens
• 6 Call Off Tokens
• 2 Lockpick Tokens
• 8 Character Cards
• 1 Carriage Stop Card
• 1 Toby Token
• 1 Wiggins Token
• 1 Start Player Token, known as the Diary

Listen up.

You better not read any card or look inside those Case Booklets. If you do, you’ll spoil the whole game! So make sure you read the Instruction Booklet all the way through before rummaging through the game stuff.

Game Goodies

Case Booklets: I’ve got you covered with case booklets! These booklets are essential for each investigation. They lay out all the information about the mysterious incident we’re about to solve. They also present the questions we need to answer correctly in order to crack the case and emerge victorious, just like Sherlock Holmes would. And that’s not all!

The booklet also includes any extra rules specific to that particular case. So, you’ll have everything you need right there in one convenient place. No need to worry about missing any details or being left in the dark. I’ve got all the bases covered for you. With these case booklets, you’ll be fully equipped to uncover the truth and bring justice to the mystery at hand!

Location Cards: These cards represent the various places connected to the investigation. One side lists the name and number of the location, while the other side contains text with potential clues, evidence, and witness information found at that spot.

Some cards are named after the character you’re visiting or the object you’re examining, rather than explicitly stating the location. However, they still fall into the category of Location Cards.

Watson and Holmes Cards: You’ll find these cards sprinkled throughout the game. They’re there to give you a helping hand from the game’s main characters.

Let me explain how they work.

Player Pawns: These little pieces represent you and your fellow players. They’re used to show where you want to go during the Visiting Phase and to mark your location during the Investigation Phase.

Player Token: Player tokens play a key role in a game. They represent each player’s unique color and are used to show where each player is on the game board.

Carriage Tokens: Carriage tokens are like little transportation tokens that I can use to get around different places. They’re super handy when a bunch of us want to go to the same spot and we need to decide who gets to go first. They also help me do cool stuff on some of the character cards.

When you start playing the game, each player begins with 10 points. You can get more points by going to places that have the symbol, as well as by using the Carriage Stop Card.

Police Tokens: When you see these, it means that the police are keeping an eye on something or someone.

You’ll find them on the Location Card that you just read. They limit your access to that location in future turns. Usually, you start the game with one Police Token.

If you’re looking to get more tokens in the game, I’ve got a great tip for you. When you visit Scotland Yard or any other location with this symbol , you can get some extra tokens. It’s a really cool way to boost your game progress!

Call Off Tokens: Let me tell you about these special tokens called Call Off Tokens. They’re like a secret signal from the police telling everyone to stop watching a certain place or person. When you use a Call Off Token, you make all the Police Tokens disappear forever, and nobody can use them anymore.

Having these Call Off Tokens is really handy if you want to get rid of the police presence and keep your plans a secret. It’s almost like having a hidden power that can wipe away any signs of police surveillance.

Picture this: you’re playing a game where you’re trying to outsmart your friends. They might have placed Police Tokens on certain spots to keep an eye on things. But guess what? You can use a Call Off Token to make all those police tokens vanish into thin air. Poof! Just like magic, they’re gone, and you can move around freely without being watched.

It’s pretty cool, right? Just imagine how surprised your friends will be when they realize their cleverly placed Police Tokens have suddenly disappeared. They won’t have a clue what’s going on.

Now, before you get too excited, remember that these Call Off Tokens are limited. You can’t just use them whenever you want. So, it’s important to think strategically and save them for the perfect moment. Use them wisely, and they can really give you an advantage in the game.

So, the next time you play a game with Police Tokens, don’t forget about the powerful Call Off Tokens. They’re your secret weapon to remove all signs of police surveillance and outsmart your friends. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll never want to play without them again.

Have you ever wondered where detectives get their badges? Well, I was curious too! It turns out, these badges are commonly acquired at Scotland Yard or other places marked by the symbol .

Lockpick Tokens: These tokens are like special keys that let me unlock and read information on cards in certain places. These places are being watched, meaning there might be police around or a symbol () indicating that it’s not safe to access the information without something special like a lockpick token.

If you have the Lockpick Token, it doesn’t get rid of the Police Token entirely. However, it does let you go past it. You can find Lockpick Tokens at places with the symbol .

Toby and Wiggins Tokens: Only players who have the Toby or Wiggins Character Cards can use these Tokens.

Start Player Token: This little token is like a special marker that shows who gets to go first in each round. It’s always given to the player who got their location card last in the round before.

Hey, have you heard of the Carriage Stop Card? It’s a pretty cool spot in the game where you can get some nifty Carriage Tokens. These tokens are super useful – you can snag yourself 3 of them every time you stop at the Carriage Stop Card during your turn.

Meet the Allies: These are the friends who help Sherlock Holmes the most. When you have one of their cards, you get an extra advantage to use in the game.

Remember: There’s a limit to the game pieces. If there are no more tokens available for a certain category, you can’t get any more of that token during the game.

You can only have one Police Token, one Call Off Token, and one Lockpick Token at a time. That means you can have one of each kind of token, but not more than that.

Get Ready

Before we start playing the game, we need to do a few things. First, we need to carefully punch out all the tokens. Next, we need to unpack the cards and separate them. It’s important not to read the text on any of the cards at this point.

Now, it’s time to choose a case to play. Take out the Case Booklet and the Location Cards that belong to that particular case. Remember, don’t open the Case Booklet or read any of the text on the cards just yet.

Note: The cases are organized by difficulty level. It’s recommended to start with Case “0” for the first game. Save the more complex cases for when you have some experience with the game.

Okay, let’s get started! Here’s what you need to do:

First, place the Location Cards in the middle of the table, face up. Take a look at the Case Booklet for instructions on how to arrange them. Make sure everyone can see the Watson and Holmes Cards, as well as the Carriage Stop Card.

Next, we need to decide who’s going to be in charge. The person with the best acting skills and reading voice gets to be the “Detective” and gets the Case Booklet and the Start Player Token (which is called the Diary).

Now it’s time to choose your pawn and your magnifying glass token. Each player should pick one, and you’re ready to go! Unless the Special Rules say otherwise, each player gets 10 Carriage Tokens, 1 Police Token, a piece of paper, and a pen.

Note: If there are more than 5 players, only the first 5 players will receive Police Tokens. The players who start with the Start Player Token will be the first to receive them, and the distribution will continue clockwise. If there are 6 or 7 players, the sixth and seventh players will each receive a Call Off Token at the beginning of the game.

After shuffling, each player will receive 1 Character Card. Make sure to keep your Character Card hidden from the other players by placing it face down on the table next to you.

Note: If there are less than 4 players, the Wiggins Card should be put back in the box.

The remaining tokens should be sorted by type and placed in a pile that all players can access. It’s a good idea to place each type of token next to its corresponding symbol on the relevant cards, if there is one.

Hey there! So, here’s how the game starts. I’m the Start Player, and I’ll read out the Introduction of the Case Booklet, which includes the questions we need to solve to win the game. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll also let you know about any Special Rules that apply to this particular case.

Now, let’s talk about those QR codes in the Case Booklets. If you want, you can use your mobile device (like a phone or tablet) to scan the codes and listen to the case presentation and the questions. It’s a cool option if you prefer to hear the information instead of reading it. If we decide to go with this option, we can randomly choose who the Start Player will be. It’s like a little surprise!

Important: Throughout the game, you can always take a look at the Case Booklet whenever you want. Just keep in mind not to open it, because that’s where Sherlock Holmes keeps the solution to the case. We wouldn’t want any spoilers, would we?

Icons

Here, you can get Police Tokens.

Here, you can get Call Off Tokens.

Here, you can get Lockpick Tokens.

This card cannot be chosen to be read aloud with the Dr. Watson Card.

A Police Token cannot be placed on this card.

To read the text here, you need a Lockpick Token.

Playing the Game

When it’s time to play, we go through two different parts: Visiting Phase and Investigation Phase.

The Visiting Phase

Starting with me, the player with the fancy Start Player Token (the Diary), and then going around the circle, each player picks a card for the place they want to visit and puts their pawn on top of it. There are two possibilities depending on the card:

• If nobody is already there: First, I have to decide if I want to walk or take a carriage. If I walk, I just put my pawn on the card I chose. If I take a carriage, I have to put some Carriage Tokens on the card.

If you want to put your pawn on a Location Card that is already occupied by another player, you have to beat the number of Carriage Tokens they have played. You have to play at least one token more than what is already on the card. If there are no Carriage Tokens, then just one is enough. Once you have exceeded the number of Carriage Tokens, you can place your pawn on the card and use the carriages to obtain it.

Now, when someone outbids another player for a card, the outbid player takes back their pawn and all but one of the Carriage Tokens they would have played. The extra tokens go into the stockpile.

So here’s the deal: when you’re playing this game and someone outbids you for a Location Card, you’ll have to wait your turn before you can try to get that same card or another one. It’s a bit of a bummer, I know, but that’s how it goes.

If you don’t have enough Carriage Tokens to compete for a specific Location Card, don’t sweat it. Just go visit a different location and try your luck there.

Now, during this stage of the game, the turn keeps going, passing from player to player, until everyone has put their pawn on one of the Location Cards. And here’s the cool part: the player who was last to place their pawn gets to grab the Start Player Token, also known as the Diary. That’s when things get really interesting, because it’s time for The Investigation Phase.

Things to Keep in Mind When Visiting

Stay Alert in Surveilled Locations

If a card I choose has a Police Token, I can use a Call Off Token to remove it before placing my pawn on the card. This frees up the card for all players by returning both tokens to their reserve piles.

If I don’t have a Call Off Token or choose not to use it, I need to have a Lockpick Token to access the location during the Investigation Phase. With the Lockpick Token, I can read the text on the back of the card.

If I don’t have either a Call Off Token or a Lockpick Token, I have to choose a location that isn’t being watched, meaning it doesn’t have a Police Token on it.

During my turn, I choose to go to the ‘Port’ location. Surprisingly, I see that I am the only one there, but there is a Police Token on the card. In order to clear the way, I decide to use a Call Off Token and remove the Police Token. With the path clear, I confidently place my Player Pawn on the card and also put down 1 Carriage Token.

However, Ivan has the same idea as me and also wants to go to the ‘Port’. He places his pawn on the card, but he outbids me by placing 2 Carriage Tokens. I am forced to take back my pawn and return my Carriage Token to the stockpile. Ivan takes my spot at the ‘Port’.

Despite being outbid, I’m still determined to go to the ‘Port’ on my next turn. I decide to outdo Ivan by playing 3 Carriage Tokens. This time, it’s Ivan’s turn to take back his pawn and one of his Carriage Tokens, leaving just one of his Carriage Tokens in the stockpile.

It’s a constant struggle to secure the most desirable locations and beat my opponents. But with strategic bidding and careful planning, I can claim my spot and triumph over my rivals.

1. Next, I decide to stop trying to go to the ‘Port’ and instead go to ‘Scotland Yard’ by walking there rather than using a Carriage Token.



Watson

When it’s my turn, I can choose a Location Card, but I also have the option to take the Dr Watson Card for 4 Carriage Tokens, if it’s still available.

I’ll explain the purpose of this card in more detail in the ‘Watson and Holmes Cards’ section.

Carriage Stop

During this phase, I can place my pawn on the Carriage Stop card. While I’m there, I won’t read any of the clues during the Investigation Phase, but I will receive 3 Carriage Tokens from the stockpile at the end of the phase.

Multiple players can be on this card at the same time, and we don’t have to compete for it. Even if I’m on the Carriage Stop card, I can still use the Watson and Holmes Cards.

221B Baker Street

Hey, welcome to 221B Baker Street! This is where Holmes and Watson live, and it’s where we find all the answers to the questions in the Case Booklet. So, if you want to solve the case, this is the place to be. You can visit here anytime, and lots of players can come at once.

Now, when you come to 221B Baker Street, you gotta put your Player Pawn on the card. And don’t forget to let everyone know how many Carriage Tokens you still have.



Investigation Basics

First things first, when a player has the Dr. Watson Card, they get to go first.

After that, all players at the same time grab the Location Card of the spot where their pawn is and put back any Carriage Tokens they used. The pawn stays where it is.

Next, each player reads their Location Card and writes down anything they think is important. Keep it on the down-low!

If a player’s card has a Police Token on it, they have to get rid of one Lockpick Token before reading it. Unlike the Call Off Token, the Lockpick Token won’t remove the Police Token. It stays on the Location Card for the next turn!

After we’ve all finished making our notes, we put the Location Card back where it belongs and get our pawns back. Now, here’s where things get interesting. I can decide to make things trickier for the rest of you by putting a Police Token on the card I just read. This will make it harder for you to read the card on your next turn. But there are a couple of rules I have to follow. First, I can only put the token on the card I just read. I can’t mess with any other cards. Also, there are a few cards where I can’t put a Police Token at all:



• When you play the game, you can acquire Police Tokens or Call Off Tokens at different places, such as Scotland Yard;
• There is a special card called 221B Baker Street;
• Another card you might come across is the Carriage Stop Card;
• There are some cards with the (D symbol on them;
• If there is already a Police Token on a location, you can’t go there.

Things to Think About When You’re Investigating

Solving the Questions in the Base Game

If you decide to visit 221B Baker Street, you will need to write down your answers to the questions in the Case Booklet. Try to express your answers clearly. Once you’ve written them down, you can check if they are correct by looking at the answers on the back of the 221B Baker Street Location Card.

If you manage to solve all the questions, congratulations! You’re the winner and have earned the privilege of becoming Sherlock Holmes’ loyal companion. However, if you couldn’t answer all the questions correctly, don’t worry. Just let everyone know how many questions you got right, without revealing which ones. From this point on, you’ll take on the role of Sherlock Holmes himself, guiding and observing the game.

Remember: When a question asks for the identity of a guilty person, make sure to provide the full name, like ‘John Smith’. It’s important to avoid vague answers like ‘the gardener’ or ‘Martha’s husband’ since they won’t count as correct.

If multiple players want to solve the case in the same round, the order is determined by how many Carriage Tokens each player has. The player with the most Carriage Tokens goes first.

The rest of us need to wait and see if the first player answers correctly. If they don’t, then it’s our turn to solve the case. We still have to follow the order based on the number of Carriage Tokens we have.

If there are multiple players with the same number of Carriage Tokens, we all get to try and solve the case at the same time. In that case, we could have more than one winner.

Just to let you know: If you’re in 221B, you can still seek help from Sherlock Holmes, even if someone else has already tried to solve the case in the same or a previous turn.

Of course, you still need to get rid of the right number of Carriage Tokens, so the order in which players attempt to solve the case might change.

If the case remains unsolved and there are still players who haven’t been eliminated (check out “End of Game”), another full round begins with the player who has the Diary.

End of the Game

The game ends when a player decides to visit 221B Baker Street and gets all the questions in the Case Booklet right.

When someone wins the game, they get to show the other players the right answers and read them aloud from the Case Booklet, just like Sherlock Holmes.

If you’re the only player left in the game, meaning all the other players have been eliminated, you can keep playing for as many rounds as you have Carriage Tokens, up to a maximum of 4.

Your goal is to solve the case. If you succeed, you win the game. If not, everyone loses.

Note: Even if a player solves the case, the game can still continue if the other players want to keep going. In that case, the winner only announces that they have correctly answered the questions but doesn’t reveal the answers until everyone decides to end the game. Then the Solution is read.