# Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2020 - **BGG Rating**: 8.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-6 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 30-90 min - **Weight**: 3.56 / 5 - **Designers**: Dan Hallagan - **Artists**: Dan Hallagan - **Publishers**: Kayenta Games, 4GAMES, Boardgame Mall, Lucrum Games, Maldito Games, Strohmann Games, Super Meeple - **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game, Post-Napoleonic - **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Open Drafting, Tile Placement, Worker Placement ## Verdict If you love Victorian mansions and service strategy, this expansion is your next step!More servants, more funNew game modesSupports up to 6 playersRequires base gameMedium complexityHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs is the expansion that brings your Victorian manor to a whole new level of intensity. The idea is simple: add more servants, tiles, and game modes to make the experience even more strategic and fun. The pack introduces four new workers – Hall Boy, Cook, Head Housemaid, and Useful Man – that help you dodge the dreaded Victorian Fate from the base game, letting you focus on serving high‑status guests without being stuck by resource limits. It also opens the table to 5 and 6 players, adding the Howard family and their legendary cook, giving the game a touch of history and humor. The card pool expands with new service and improvement tiles, and a flood of new casual and prestige guests test your hand‑management and worker‑placement skills. Components are well thought out: you can filter guests, bypass prestige limits, find tiles faster, refresh the market easily, and leverage early favors. Finally, the expansion offers three brand‑new game modes: a solo Estate Challenge, a cooperative team play, and a Tableau Obsession mode that changes the scoring dynamic. If you love strategy, service, and that Victorian manor vibe, this expansion will elevate your Obsession experience and guarantee hours of fun. In short, Upstairs, Downstairs adds depth, more players, and more fun while preserving the core of the base game and adding new layers of strategy and replayability. ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs, players take on the roles of Victorian-era families managing their estates, staff, and social reputations. The goal is to accumulate the most Victory Points (VP) by hosting activities, renovating estates, and achieving Objective Cards (OC). The game ends after a set number of rounds, and the player with the highest VP wins. Preparation (Setup) Player Area Setup Place the supply board centrally and populate the Servants for Hire area based on player count (see quantities below). Assign the 1st player marker randomly. Starting left of the 1st player and moving clockwise, players choose a family board (e.g., Howard, York) and draft one servant from a display of one of each "short" servant (Cook, Hall Boy, Head Housemaid, Useful Man, Valet, Lady’s Maid, Footman). Complete player boards per the base game rules, adding drafted servants to Available Service. Servants for Hire Quantities 2 Players: 2 Underbutlers, 4 Footmen, 2 Valets, 2 Lady’s Maids, 2 Cooks, 2 Hall Boys, 2 Head Housemaids, 2 Useful Men. 3-6 Players: Increment quantities accordingly (e.g., 3 players: 3 of each short servant). Central Play Area Setup Follow base game rules for setting up the builders’ market, gentry decks, and Objective Cards. Use expansion components for 5-6 players. Game Flow The game is played over seasons (courtships) divided into rounds. Each player turn follows this order: Reclaim Discard Pile: Return discarded cards to your hand. Refresh Service: Return all Expended Service servants to Available Service. Host Activity: Play a tile or card to host an activity, using mandatory/supplemental servants. Cleanup: Rotate used servants to Expended Service. 1st player marker rotates counterclockwise after each season. Actions and How to Play Mandatory vs. Supplemental Service Mandatory Service: Triggered by icons on tiles/cards. Required to use the tile/card. Supplemental Service: Optional placement of new servants (Cook, Hall Boy, Head Housemaid, Useful Man) to enhance actions. New Servant Abilities Cook (Orange): Increases reputation by 1 and allows inviting guests 1-2 prestige levels above your reputation. Hall Boy (Light Blue): Boosts monetary favors by £100 or stands in for a Butler/Footman. Head Housemaid (Pink): Converts blind guest draws to "See 2, Keep 1" or substitutes for a Housekeeper. Useful Man (Brown): Lowers tile prestige costs, refreshes the market, or locates specific tiles. Passing & Hiring When passing, players may now hire servants (valets, lady’s maids, footmen) in addition to reclaiming their deck and refreshing service. Upstairs, Downstairs servants cannot be recruited from other players. End of Game and Scoring The game ends after the final round. Players score: Objective Cards (OC): Keep 3-4 OC (standard/extended play) and score their VP. Reputation: Tracked on the reputation track. Guest VP: Sum of prestige ratings from invited guests. Improvements/Monuments: VP listed on tiles. Tips to Win Prioritize Supplemental Servants: The Cook and Head Housemaid dramatically expand hosting options and VP opportunities. Time Hiring Actions: Use pass turns to hire servants efficiently, balancing early expansion with resource management. Monitor Objective Cards: Discard less achievable OCs early to focus on high-scoring ones. Consult the manual for details on sections like Competitive Team Play or Solo Estate Challenge. ## FAQ ### How long does a game take with the expansion? Average playtime ranges from 45 to 75 minutes, depending on player count and chosen mode. ### Can I play with just one player? Yes, there is a solo mode called Estate Challenge, but the base game works best for 1‑4 players. ### What are the main differences between the base game and the expansion? The expansion adds new servants, more tiles, new guests, support for 5/6 players, and three additional game modes. ### Do I need extra components beyond those in the expansion? No, all necessary components come with the expansion box. You only need the base game. ### Is the expansion suitable for beginners? Yes, but the learning curve is a bit steeper than the base game due to new modes and tiles. ### How does the expansion affect scoring? New guests and improvements generate more points, and the game modes alter traditional scoring rules. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.41 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5063025&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.41 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6217867&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.91 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4997755&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 37.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6186546&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 38.81 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5225197&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.22 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4988007&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.29 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4992802&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 42.61 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6768827&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 42.66 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5144107&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 44.75 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4989201&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/38267/obsession-upstairs-downstairs?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com