Obsession (2nd Ed)

This game has been described as Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey, which gives a good idea of what the game's about – and you do feel this when playing.

It's all about managing and, crucially, expanding the family estate in Victorian Derbyshire. The family's guests bring prestige and valuable information and encourage other gentry to visit. All of which allows you to expand your estate by adding rooms to the house (another library?) and features to the grounds (cricket pitch, anyone?). As long as you have the cash to do so – and the servants to look after your guests!

Not forgetting the goal of wooing the most eligible heirs in Derbyshire on the way to becoming the most prestigious family.

I was smitten by Obsession when I first played it and it's had a similar effect on most people I've introduced it to. There is a clever game of hand management underneath a gorgeous layer of theme. And I don't just mean managing your cards (guests), but also the nice wooden pieces (staff) and solid cardboard tiles (estate improvements).

Note that there are some changes between first and second editions.

The expansions (see below) expand the game in various ways while fitting with the game's theme.

For 1-4 players, aged 14+, playing time 30-90 minutes

Obsession was designed by Dan Hallagan and is published by Kayenta

Find out more:
    Obsession at BoardGameGeek
     Pevans's first impressions of Obsession in To Win Just Once issue 194 (PDF, 1 Mb)