Obsession 2nd Edition

AD2908

England, mid-19th century. Obsession begins with you as the head of a country house in ill repair; many rooms have been closed off to save on upkeep and heating, outside grounds are not manicured, and the façade in places is in desperate need of restoration.

After several lean decades, family fortunes are looking up! Your goal is to improve your estate so as to be in better standing with the truly influential families in Derbyshire.

In Obsession, your country estate is represented by a series of game tiles describing rooms and outdoor spaces that have been renovated. These renovations enable the family to host social activities — Fox Hunts, Music Recitals, Formal Dinners, Grand Balls — all the while enhancing your family's reputation in the county and unlocking special abilities.

Your family, which includes two eligible children—a dashing heir and refined young lady—begin to reenter good society, enhancing prospects for a favorable marriage.

Defend the family's honor against gossip and jealousy, accumulate wealth, expose unsavory characters who abuse the family's hospitality, and expand your staff of maids, valets, and footmen to meet the challenge of lavish social events. Do not neglect your service staff!

Hosting prestigious activities in your newly renovated manor house becomes the engine whereby you establish influential new connections, earning favors that can propel you to victory. Only after you've made the correct choices and strategic decisions to build up your estate is it possible to host the best and brightest of Derbyshire. Here the Earl of Kellynch and Lady Mary Russell take out the family's latest horseflesh for a ride—and spread the word about the return of Family Ponsonby to prominence!

Obsession captures the experience of Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian England—the beloved world of Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope, & Downton Abbey— in a way that transports family and friends to that unique time and place.

Each turn, players choose a building tile representing a room or outdoor space in and around their 19th century British country house. The tile chosen dictates the event that can be hosted and the guests to be invited. Players must carefully plan, however, to have the proper staff available to service the event and support guests as needed. The reward for success is new investment opportunities, permitting further renovation of the estate (acquisition of more valuable/powerful building tiles), an increase in reputation in the county, an expanding circle of influential acquaintances, and a larger and highly-trained domestic staff.

Throughout the game, a competitive courtship for the hand of the most eligible young gentleman and lady in the county presents specific renovation and reputation objectives. The player who best meets these objectives while accumulating victory points will win the hand of the wealthy love interest and the game.