Watson & Holmes
Watson & Holmes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Summary
The game consists of a series of separate cases, each of which raises a number of questions that each player will try to solve before anyone else. A game begins with reading aloud the case and the questions, and then the players proceed to visit the locations where the clues are located. Each location may only be accessed by one player at any one time, so if two or more players want to go to the same place, the player who travels there the fastest (i.e. uses the highest number of Carriages) gets the clue, forcing the others to go to a different location. Once every player has a destination, they proceed to secretly read the clue that was discovered at their location. Players can discreetly take any notes they deem appropriate before returning the cards to their place, so that others can read them in later turns.
This procedure is repeated during each turn until a player believes they have found the solutions to the case; at that time, they must go to 221B Baker Street to check if their answers are correct. If all the answers are correct, that player wins. If they are wrong, they will have lost and must retire from the game, but the other players continue.
Each detective will also have the invaluable assistance of a number of Sherlock Holmes' allies and, above all, the good Dr Watson and of course the detective himself.
Attention
Do not read any card or the inside of any of the Case Booklets. This will ruin the game! Read this Instruction Booklet in its entirety before looking at the game components.
Game Content
Case Booklets (x13)
Each case comes with its own corresponding booklet which introduces the circumstances of the incident, sets the questions that the players have to solve to win the game, and the solution provided by Sherlock Holmes. The booklet also contains any additional rules that are unique to that particular case. The setup and difficulty of the case are on the front page, the introduction and questions are on the back page, and the solution is inside the booklet.
- 1st page: Case number, Case title, Difficulty level, Cards setup, QR code.
- 2nd and 3rd pages: Case solution.
- Last page: Case description, Case questions, Special rules.
Location Cards (x206)
These represent the different places involved in the case. One side of the card shows the name and number of the location and on the other, the text contains possible clues, evidence, and witness information obtained at that location. The names of some of these cards are simply the name of the character you are visiting, or an object which you are examining, without mentioning the location. However, they are still counted as locations.
- Front: Card number, Restrictions, Card title, Bonus(es).
- Back: Bonus(es), Location text.
Player Pawns
These are used to signal the location that the player wishes to visit in the Visiting Phase, and show the location where each player is located in the Investigation Phase.
Player Tokens (x7)
These are used to indicate each player's colour and, in cases which have more than one zone, they are used to indicate which zone each player is currently in.
Carriage Tokens (5x5, 52x1)
Each player begins the game with 10 Carriages (unless indicated otherwise in the Special rules of the Case booklet). Players can obtain more Carriages at the Carriage Stop Card and at locations marked with the carriage symbol.
Carriages represent, in an abstract way, the speed of the players when they move from one location to another.
They are used to bid for Location Cards when several players want to go to the same place and also to carry out the actions on some of the Character Cards (see page 12).
Police Tokens (x6)
Each player begins the game with 1 Police Token (unless indicated otherwise in the Special rules of the Case booklet). Although each player can only have 1 Police Token at any time, players can obtain more tokens when visiting Scotland Yard or any other location marked with the police helmet symbol.
A location with a Police Token on it is under police surveillance and access to it is restricted.
Call Off Tokens (x6)
Call Off Tokens are obtained at Scotland Yard or any other location marked with the truncheon symbol.
These represent a police order calling off the surveillance at that location. i.e. they are used to remove Police Tokens. The Call Off Token removes the Police Token permanently and for all players. Each player can only have 1 Call Off Token at any time.
Lockpick Tokens (x2)
Lockpick Tokens are obtained from locations marked with the lockpick symbol.
They are used to access locations that are under surveillance (have a Police Token) or those which show the padlock symbol.
The Lockpick Token does not remove the Police Token nor the Padlock, it only allows the player who possesses the Lockpick to access the card. Each player can only have 1 Lockpick Token at any time.
Wiggins Token (x1)
This Token is only used by the player in possession of the Wiggins Character Card (see page 13).
Start Player Token (x1)
This is used to indicate the start player for each round and is always taken by the player who obtained his or her location card last in the previous round.
Carriage Stop Card (x1)
By visiting this location, players can obtain 3 Carriage Tokens.
Character Cards (x10)
These represent Sherlock Holmes' most important allies. They provide the player who has the card with an extra benefit that they can use during the game (see page 12).
Each Character Card shows a Description and Bonus(es).
IMPORTANT: The game components are limited. If, during a game, a player would gain a token and there is no token of that type in the Supply, they simply do not gain the token. No player can have more than 1 Police Token, 1 Call Off Token, and 1 Lockpick Token at any one time. i.e. the most each player can have is one of each of these types of token.
The components shown in the setup illustration are: 1 Location Cards, 2 Carriage Stop Card, 3 Start Player Token, 4 Case Booklet, 5 Carriage Tokens, 6 Call Off Tokens, 7 Police Tokens, 8 Lockpick Tokens, 9 Wiggins Token, 10 Character Cards, 11 Player Tokens, 12 Player Pawns, 13 Watson Card and Holmes Card.
First Game Setup
Before playing your first case, open the card decks and sort them case by case. Put the cards for each case in the corresponding envelope. Then put each envelope in the game box. Be careful not to read the text on any of the cards!
Setup
Choose one of the cases and take out the Case Booklet and the Location Cards that belong to that particular case. Be careful not to open the Case Booklet or read any of the text found on the cards during game preparation.
NOTE: The cases are ordered by their level of difficulty, so it is recommended that the first game played should be Case "1" and the later, more complex cases should be for when you have some experience with the game.
Place the Location Cards (with the place name face up) in the centre of the table as described in the Case Booklet. Next to the Location Cards, and visible to all players, place the Carriage Stop Card, along with the Watson and Holmes Cards; the Holmes Card is placed face down (not showing the side with the ability text).
Separate the tokens by type (Carriage, Police, Call Off and Lockpick) and place them in a Supply accessible to all players, next to the game area.
The player with the best acting skills and reading voice takes the Case Booklet and the Start Player Token. He or she then reads the Introduction on the back of the Case Booklet out loud, including the questions that need to be solved in order to win the game. Then, any possible Special Rules for the case are explained (Special Rules are also written in the Case Booklet).
NOTE: The QR code included in the Case Booklets will direct you to a reading of the case presentation and the set questions. To read the code, you will need a mobile device (mobile phone; tablet etc.). If this option is chosen, the Start Player should be chosen randomly.
NOTE: The Case Booklet is available throughout the game for any player who wishes to consult the introduction or the questions. Be careful not to open it, as the solution to the case is on the inside.
Each player chooses a Player Pawn and takes the corresponding Player Token. Unless the Special Rules of the case indicate otherwise, each player receives: 10 Carriage Tokens, 1 Police Token, a piece of paper and a pen.
6- and 7-Player Games
In games where there are more than 5 players, only the first 5 players are given Police Tokens (the Start Player and the 4 players continuing in a clockwise direction). The sixth and seventh players, if any, start the game with a Call Off Token each.
Lastly, and unless indicated differently in the Special Rules of the Case Booklet, shuffle the Character Cards and deal 1 face down to each player. Each player should look at their own character, but keep it hidden from the other players.
Games with Fewer than 4 Players
Before shuffling, put the Wiggins Card back into the box.
Playing the Game
Each round of play consists of two distinct phases: the Visiting Phase and the Investigation Phase.
1. Visiting Phase
Starting with the player who has the Start Player Token, and continuing clockwise, each player chooses a Location Card that they want to visit and places his or her or her pawn on top of it. Depending on the chosen card, one of the following two situations occurs:
- THE LOCATION IS FREE (i.e. has no pawn on it): The player has to decide whether to go on foot or by carriage. If going on foot, the player simply places his or her pawn on the chosen card. If going by carriage, the player must place one or more Carriage Tokens on the card.
- THE LOCATION IS OCCUPIED (another player's pawn is on the card): If a player wants to place his or her pawn on a Location Card that is already occupied by another player, they have to play more Carriages than the occupying player has played. If there is an occupying player who traveled by foot (placing no Carriage Tokens), then 1 Carriage is enough.
When a player outbids another player for a card, the outbid player takes back his or her Player Pawn and all but one of the Carriages that they played on the card. The remaining Carriage is placed back into the Supply. The outbid player must then wait until his or her turn comes around again before trying to visit the same, or another, Location Card by the same process.
If a player does not have enough Carriage Tokens to compete for a particular Location Card, they must visit a different location.
During this stage, turns continue from player to player until all pawns have been placed on one of the Location Cards. At this moment, the last player who placed his or her pawn takes the Start Player Token and the game moves on to the Investigation Phase.
Locations with Police Tokens
A location with a Police token on it is not accessible by a player unless the token is first removed, or the player has a Lockpick.
To remove the token, a player can (before placing his or her pawn on the card) play a Call Off Token to remove the Police Token; both tokens are placed back in the Supply, and the corresponding card immediately becomes available for all players.
LOCKPICK: Alternatively, if the player does not have a Call Off Token, or does not want to use it, they must discard a Lockpick Token during the Investigation Phase to access that location and read the text on the back of the card.
If a player has neither a Call Off Token nor a Lockpick Token, the player must choose a location that is not under surveillance (does not have a Police Token on it.)
Example
- On her turn, Suzie decides to visit the Location 'Bank', where there is no other Player pawn but there is a Police Token on the card. Before placing her pawn, she plays a Call Off Token [A] in order to remove the Police Token [B]. After doing this, she places her pawn and chooses to play 1 Carriage Token on the card [C].
- Marco decides he also wants to visit the 'Bank' and places his pawn on the card along with 2 Carriage Tokens [A], outbidding Suzie who must take back her pawn and return her Carriage Token to the Supply [B].
- On her next turn, Suzie decides that she is still interested in visiting the 'Bank' and so plays 3 Carriages [A] to outbid Marco, who has to take back his pawn and one of his Carriages [B1], placing the other Carriage back in the Supply [B2].
- On his next turn, Marco decides to give up trying to visit the 'Bank' and instead visits 'Scotland Yard' without using any Carriages.
If a Police Token Is Placed on a Location Card, There Are 4 Possibilities
- You have no Call Off Token nor Lockpick Token: You cannot choose this location.
- You have a Call Off Token: you must discard the Call Off Token during the Visiting Phase to remove the Police Token.
- You have a Lockpick Token: To read the card during the Investigation Phase, you must discard a Lockpick Token.
- You have a Call Off Token and a Lockpick Token: You can either discard your Call Off Token to remove the Police Token during the Visiting Phase, or discard your Lockpick Token during the Investigation Phase to read the Location Card.
Watson
During the Visiting Phase, in addition to (and before or after) choosing a Location Card, a player on his or her turn can take the Watson Card (if still available) by spending 4 Carriages. No other player can then take the card in this turn. The function of this card is explained in the 'Watson and Holmes Cards' section (see page 12).
Carriage Stop
During the Visiting phase, instead of visiting a Location Card, a player on their turn can place his or her pawn on the Carriage Stop Card. During the Investigation Phase, they do not read any of the clues, but at the end of the phase, the player gains 3 Carriages from the Supply. There can be several players on this card at the same time (the card is not bid for). Players on the card can still use the Watson and Holmes Cards on their turn.
221B Baker Street
This card represents the home of Sherlock Holmes and is present in all cases. The solutions to the questions set in the Case Booklet are found there. This location should only be visited when a player wants to try to solve the case. Several players can visit this location on the same round (the card is not bid for). When a player visits 221B Baker Street, they must place their Player Pawn on the card and say out loud how many Carriages they have left in their possession; this will be important if more than one player visits 221B, as it indicates the order in which players get to try and solve the case.
2. Investigation Phase
At the start of the Investigation Phase, the player who took the Watson Card (if any), now uses the ability of that card (see page 12).
Once this has been done, all players simultaneously take the Location Card where their pawn is placed, returning any Carriage Tokens used to the Supply. The pawn remains in the place where the card has come from. Each player then reads the text of his or her Location Card and notes down anything they see fit on their notepaper, keeping it secret from other players.
If a player's card has a Police Token on it, they must now discard (to the Supply) one Lockpick Token before reading it. Unlike the Call Off Token, the Lockpick Token does not remove the Police Token, it remains on the Location Card.
Once all players have read their cards and made their notes, the Location cards are returned to their place and players take back their pawns. At this time, if a player has a Police Token in their posession, they may choose to place it on the Location Card they just left (and only that one). This puts the location under surveillance and hinders other players on subsequent turns. Police Tokens may not be placed on the following cards: 221B Baker Street, Carriage Stop, Location Cards with the "no police" symbol, and Location Cards that already have a Police Token on them.
Solving the Case
If a player decides to go to 221B Baker Street, they must write their answers to all of the questions set by the Case Booklet on their paper. They should answer the questions as fully as possible. Once written, the player checks if their answers are correct by comparing them with the answers on the reverse of the Location Card 221B Baker Street. If the player answered each and every one of the questions correctly, they win the game and become a worthy companion of Sherlock Holmes. Otherwise, they must inform the other players that they have failed in their attempt, stating how many questions they got correct (but not which ones) and without revealing any other details. For the rest of the game, the player only participates in the game as the voice of Sherlock Holmes (see page 12).
NOTE: When a question asks for the identity of a (guilty) person, it is only considered to be correct if the full name of the person is stated, for example 'John Smith'. Answers such as 'the gardener' or 'Martha's husband' would be incorrect.
If several players want to try and solve the case in the same round, the order is determined by the number of Carriages that a player has in his or her possession. The first player to attempt to solve the case is the one with the most remaining Carriages. If they fail at their attempt, then the player with the next most remaining Carriages tries next. If several players visit 221B with the same number of Carriages remaining, they all attempt to solve the case simultaneously; in this case there may be more than one winner.
If no player has managed to solve the case and there are still players who have not yet been eliminated (see: "End of Game") then another full round is played, starting with the player who has the Start Player Token.
Watson and Holmes Cards
These represent the heroes of Baker Street and they give the player who uses them an extra action.
The Watson Card can only be used once per round, whilst Sherlock Holmes only enters the game when a player has unsuccessfully attempted to solve the game.
Dr Watson
During the Visiting Phase, on a player's turn, they can pay 4 Carriages to take the Watson Card and place it in front of them. Only one player can do this each round. At the start of the Investigation Phase of this round, the holder of this card may choose the Location Card of another player which is read out loud.
NOTE: If a card is marked with the "no Watson" symbol, it cannot be chosen for the effect of Dr Watson.
EXPERT VERSION (without the Watson Card):
Players can decide not to play with the Watson Card if they know the game well and want a longer game. In this version, the actions on Character Cards that mention the Watson Card become "Take 3 Carriage Tokens"
Sherlock Holmes
The Sherlock Holmes Card is flipped face up once a player has visited 221B Baker Street and made an incorrect attempt to solve the case. Once face up, any player, at any time, can use 3 Carriages to carry out one of the following actions related to the master detective:
- Answer Consultation: Read the answers given by another player who has unsuccessfully attempted to solve the case. The player consulting Holmes already knows how many answers the other player answered correctly, but not which ones.
- Answer Check: Write on a piece of paper the answer to one of the set questions, including the corresponding question number, and give it to a player who has already unsuccessfully attempted to solve the case (and therefore already knows the answers). That player says out loud whether you are correct or not. This action can only be carried out once per game by each player.
NOTE: The players located on the 221B Baker Street Card can use the Sherlock Holmes Card abilities before they answer the questions, provided that the Sherlock Holmes Card is face up. In this case, the 3 Carriages required for using Sherlock Holmes are discarded before the answering players order is decided.
End of Game
The game ends when a player who has chosen to visit 221B Baker Street correctly answers all the questions set in the Case Booklet.
The winner shows the correct answers to the other players and reads the solution aloud, according to Sherlock Holmes, located inside the Case Booklet.
Should a player happen to be the only player left in the game, i.e. all other players have been eliminated, they may only play as many extra rounds as they have Carriages, up to a maximum of 4. After the extra rounds, they must then visit 221B and try to solve the case. If successful, they win the game, otherwise all players lose.
NOTE: If one player solves the case, the other players might want to continue the game. In this situation, the winner simply announces that they have correctly answered the questions but does not reveal the answers to the other players until it is decided that the game is over. Then the Solution is read.
Character Cards
Each Character Card provides its owner with a specific ability unique to the character, and an alternative ability of collecting 3 Carriages. For each character, only one of these abilities can be performed during the game. Therefore each player has to decide if they want to either:
- Reveal the character, placing them face up on the table and performing the unique ability described on the card, or
- Place the character face up on the table, but rotate it 90º to show that the character's unique ability was not performed, and then take 3 Carriages.
Clarification on Some Character Abilities
Irene Adler
The ability of Irene Adler does not affect players who are at 221B, they keep their pencil in order to write their answers.
Wiggins (only used in games with 4 or more players)
If a player uses the Wiggins card to imitate the ability of Irene Adler in the round as the other player reveals the card, both players can take notes during that round. If the same thing happens when copying the action of Mrs Hudson, both players can respond first to the set questions simultaneously (both could share the victory).
If Wiggins and the character he is copying want to act at the same time and the order matters, preference is given to the original character. Wiggins cannot copy any Character Card which has the "cannot be copied" symbol.
Clarifications & Recommendations
Begin the game by visiting the most obvious locations, such as the crime scene or another that is mentioned in the game introduction. This will make it easier to understand subsequent clues and to follow the trail in a more logical order.
When taking notes, it is advisable to not overdo it and waste time on writing every detail. It is often more effective to take notes of what is deemed important and use the remaining time to think and analyse the clues.
When answering certain questions in the case such as: 'What is the motive?', it is always advisable to give details which clearly show that you know the answer. This avoids disputes when deciding whether the answers are correct or not.
Icons
Bonuses — Face of the Card
- Police helmet: At this location you can obtain 1 Police Token.
- Truncheon: At this location you can obtain 1 Call Off Token.
- Lockpick: At this location you can obtain 1 Lockpick Token.
- Carriage: At this location you can obtain 3 Carriage Tokens.
- Character card: At this location you can obtain 1 Character Card.
Bonuses — Back of the Card
- Police helmet / truncheon token: Take 1 Police Token or 1 Call Off Token.
- Lockpick token: Take 1 Lockpick Token.
- Carriage token: Take 3 Carriage Tokens.
- Character card token: On this location card, take 2 Character Cards, choose 1 and put the other back under the characters deck.
Restrictions — Back of the Card
- Padlock: To read the text at this location you must have 1 Lockpick Token.
- Watson crossed out: This card cannot be chosen by the effect of the Watson Card.
- Police helmet crossed out: A Police Token cannot be placed on this card.
Restrictions — Back of the Characters Cards
- Wiggins crossed out: This Character Card cannot be copied.
Author's Notes
When an unpublished manuscript by John H. Watson shows up, it awakens great expectations in anyone who enjoys the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his partner. Although Dr Watson deposited most of his unpublished stories in a safe box in the Cox & Co Bank in London, other stories and excerpts from his memoirs have appeared over the years, some of them in the hands of descendants of the doctor himself or heirs of Martha Hudson. Others have appeared in the basement of a house in Baker Street or in the attic of a farm in Sussex. That is without mentioning all the countless imitations and pastiches written by many authors in honour of the adventures of the greatest detective of all time.
These new adventures presented here are based on fragments and annotations as Dr Watson himself wrote them in his diaries. They are notes of stories that were never completed or reviewed by Arthur Conan Doyle, editor of the stories published by Dr Watson.
These manuscripts made their way into my hands through a shipment sent from California by a certain Professor M, but the story as to why they came to be in my possession is a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself. My work, in publishing these notes has been minimal; I have only made superficial changes, clarified a few details and filled some gaps, seeing as John Watson knew how to tell stories, even if they were not yet complete. Any error or omission is solely my responsibility, never that of John.
Ladies and gentlemen, the game is afoot!
The Author Wishes to Thank
This game owes its existence both to Arthur Conan Doyle and James Moriarty.
Thanks to Roger Heyworth, Michael Perry, Nicholas Meyer and many others who have made it possible for the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson to be inexhaustible thus enabling us to continue to enjoy their universe.
Thanks to Ludonova for having faith from the beginning.
To everyone at Jugamos Tod@s and all those who have collaborated in the development of this game; this time not only have you been there to play a prototype whenever I asked you to, but now you know the solution to each and every one of the mysteries inside this box. Sorry! Nos jugamos!
Dr Jesús Torres Castro, July 2015, Córdoba, Spain.
Original Version Credits
- Idea: Jesús Torres Castro
- Case Stories: Jesús Torres Castro
- Illustrations: Javier Gonzáles (www.inkgolem.com)
- Development: Juan Luque and Rafael Sáiz
- Graphic design and layout: David Prieto
- Editing and proofreading: Ramon Txasco
- Translation: Jayne Broomhead
- Proofreading of English version: Susan Broomhead
- Rulebook: Juan Luque and Rafael Sáiz
New Version Credits
- Adaptation: Space Cowboys
- Illustrations: Pascal Quidault, Arnaud Demaegd and Neriac, based on illustrations made by Javier Gonzáles
- English text: Jayne Broomhead
- English proofreading: Paul Grogan, Gaming Rules!