Obsession

Overview

Obsession is a Victorian-era board game where players renovate country estates and improve their family’s reputation by hosting events, inviting guests, hiring servants, and purchasing improvements. The game is played over 16 rounds (standard) or 20 rounds (extended) divided into 4 seasons, each ending with a courtship round. Reputation, prestige, and victory points determine the winner.

Components

Player boards (family estates), Alderley Hall board (round/courtship track)
Derbyshire board (builders’ market, servants for hire, guest decks)
Improvement tiles (rooms/spaces), Gentry cards (family + guests), Servant meeples
VP cards, Theme cards, Objective cards, Coins, Reputation counters

Setup

Place Alderley Hall board (16 or 20 round side up). Place white pawn on round 1.
Shuffle VP cards and theme cards; stack face down on board spaces.
Each player takes a family with: player board, 5 starting tiles, reputation counters (start at 1), 5 starting servants, 4 family member cards, 2 starting guest cards.
On Derbyshire board: shuffle casual and prestige guest decks, place servants for hire, fill Builders’ Market with allowed tiles.
Deal 5 objective cards per player.

Turn Structure

The game flows through 4 seasons on the round track. Each season has ordinary rounds and ends with a courtship round.

Ordinary Round

Reveal a theme card at start of each season.
Each player (clockwise) takes a Standard Turn or Passes.

Standard Turn

Refresh servants (Servants’ Quarters -> Available; Expended -> Servants’ Quarters).
Host an Activity: Choose an improvement tile with an activity. Your reputation must meet or exceed the tile’s prestige.
Invite Guests: Play required gentry cards from hand. Reputation must meet guest prestige.
Provide Service: Assign available servants to tile and cards.
Enjoy Favors: Gain money, reputation, new guests, VP cards, or other benefits from the activity.
Buy from Builders’ Market: Purchase 1 improvement tile (pay cost + any modifier).
Clear Board: Return tile and servants; discard used guests.

Passing Turn

Move all servants to Available Service.
Recover discarded guests to active hand.
Gain £200 or free market refresh.
May still buy from Builders’ Market.

Courtship Round

Compare VP totals in the current theme category. Sole winner takes a Fairchild card. Each winner draws 1 VP card. Discard 1 objective card. Pass first-player pawn.

Actions

Special Actions (anytime during turn)

Gain £100 at cost of 2 reputation increments (repeatable).
Refresh 1 servant at cost of 3 reputation increments (repeatable).
Refresh Builders’ Market at cost of 4 reputation increments (once per turn).

Servant Types

Butler, Housekeeper, Valet, Lady’s Maid, Footman, Underbutler. Some substitutions allowed (e.g., Housekeeper for Lady’s Maid).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At game end, sum:

VP on improvement tiles
VP on gentry cards
VP for completed objective cards
VP for reputation level
2 VP per servant
1 VP per £200
VP from retained VP cards

Highest total wins. Tiebreaker: Fairchild card holder, then reputation.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Reputation system: Main level (1-Max) with incremental marker (1-5). Increments cycle to raise main level. Never goes below 1.
Black rose tiles: Flip once when first used; show different side after.
Hybrid (white flower) tiles: Flip each time used; change category.
Monuments: Provide reputation each turn at start.
Servants’ Hall: Allows gossip action (reduce opponent reputation, gain yours).
Fairchild guests: Prestigious temporary guests won during courtships.
Market reserves: Service tiles and prestige-1 tiles move to reserves after courtships 1 and 2.

Player Reference

Season Event	Effect
Theme card revealed	Sets courtship VP category
Courtship	Compare VP in theme category; winner gets Fairchild
After Courtship 1	Service tiles to reserve
After Courtship 2	Prestige-1 tiles to reserve

Scoring	Points
Improvement VP	As marked on tiles
Gentry VP	As marked on cards
Objectives	As specified
Servants	2 VP each
Money	1 VP per £200