We know his name, he is the greatest consulting detective ever. He is…Sherlock Holmes! And in 221 B Baker St you get to join him in investigating several crimes in Victorian London. do you have what it takes, to stand along with the great Sherlock Holmes or will your deductions, come up short? Here’s your chance to see how your powers of observation and reasoning compare to the great duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
221 B Baker St, published originally in 1975, has 3 separate versions you can choose from. The original game has 20 cases, while the standard second edition has 75 cases, a colored board, and new components. The deluxe version includes even better components and 200 cases to solve! Think of a more advanced version of Clue and you have an idea what the game is like.
To start, pick a pawn to represent your inspector (hat, pipe, pistol, violin, lantern, and magnifying glass) a clue sheet, skeleton key, and Scotland yard badge. Lay out the board and place your pawn at the 221 B Baker Street location. Next take out the clue book, 6-sided die, and the case you want to play. Decide who goes first, and the game begins!
Each player reads the case and takes notes from the description given, The case also details potential suspects, locations of importance, and other points of interest. Lastly, the case will tell what you need to discover to win the game; usually the killer, the weapon, and the motive.
Players roll the dice and take turns moving to one of 14 locations on the board. Each one they stop at may offer a clue into solving the mystery. The case card will refer to a number in the clue book. The player at that location may look at the corresponding clue, and only that clue in the clue book, for a total of 30 seconds. When 30 seconds are up, they must close the book and cannot look at the clue again. They can take any notes they wish to on their clue sheet during that 30 seconds. They have the option of placing their Scotland yard badge down at a location. This will prevent other players from entering that location unless they can enter from another door that is not sealed by a badge, or they have a skeleton key. Three unique locations, in addition to providing a clue, can offer another benefit. The Locksmith allows any player without a skeleton key to acquire one, as Scotland Yard allows a player to obtain a badge if they do not have one. The third unique location, the carriage depot, allows a player to go to any location on the board.
Once a player believes they have solved the case, they make their way back to 221 B Baker St to inform Mr. Holmes of their solution. They check their solution against the book and if they are correct, they have won. If they are wrong, on any part of the case, they have lost, and are out of the game and play continues with the remaining players until either the case is solved, or all have lost.
The comparisons to the classic game Clue are obvious, but what 221 B Baker St requires, unlike Clue is true deduction. There are cases that may seem obvious, but are in fact, more complex than what it appears to be. Some locations offer clues or information, that may be a red herring, and some offer no clue at all. It takes thinking and analyzing all the evidence presented, to do well at this game. Some of the clues are obvious, they may be a portion of the killer’s name or part of the weapon or motive. Other clues are simply statements, where you are left to your own powers of deduction to figure out.
221 B Baker St is a great family game. While the themes of several cases involve murder, it is not so graphic that older kids could not play and enjoy it. In addition, to the competitive mode, the game can also be played cooperatively and solitaire as well.
It is a wonderful light mystery-solving puzzle game that not only fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy, but gamers who want a bit more of a challenge than say clue. 221 B Baker St may be easier than some of the other Sherlock Holmes games that are available. Fans of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective may be disappointed in its simplicity. Other gamers who do not like the roll and move mechanic may find it not their cup of tea, or pint of ale as well. Finding it may be a challenge as well. The original version is usually available at Target, while the other 2 versions may be found online or at your local game store. For fans of the great detective, It seems very obvious though, as the master himself would say, that having this one on their shelf, is simply elementary.
Written by Ed Carter
Lynn Makes
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson