Game Objective

The objective of the game is to solve a historical mystery in Victorian London, taking on the roles of members of the "Baker Street Irregulars," a group of youngsters who helped Sherlock Holmes gather information. Players must follow clues, consult the map of London, the directory, and newspapers to uncover the truth behind each case. Victory depends on correctly answering the case's questions and comparing the number of leads followed to Holmes's, who always has 100 points. The closer to Holmes's score, the better!

Setup

To begin, players choose a case together. It is recommended to play in chronological order to avoid spoilers. The map of London is placed in the center of the table. The directory, the list of informants, and the newspapers (up to the case's date) are placed nearby. Each player receives a case book, which contains the introduction, leads, questions, and solutions. One player is chosen as the "lead investigator," who reads the introduction and starts the game. Players cooperate to follow leads, consult resources, and discuss strategies.

Game Flow

The game progresses in turns. The lead investigator chooses a lead from the case book, reads the description, and notes that the lead has been followed. If the lead does not exist in the case, the player chooses another. After reading, the book is passed to the player on the left, who becomes the new lead investigator. Players can freely access the directory, newspapers, and reread previously visited leads. The game ends when players believe they have solved the case, moving on to the questions section and then to scoring.

Actions and How to Play

The main actions are: follow a lead (choose a location on the map and read the description in the book), consult the directory (find addresses of people or places), and access newspapers (search for articles or advertisements). Players can also discuss strategies with the team, but the lead investigator has the final say on decisions. There are no specific actions other than following leads and using available resources.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when players answer the case's questions. They then read Holmes's solution and open the envelope to calculate the score. The score is the sum of points from the questions plus the number of leads followed. If players followed more leads than Holmes, they deduct 5 points for each extra lead. If they followed fewer, they add 5 points for each missing lead. Holmes always has 100 points. For example, if players followed 8 leads and obtained 95 points, but Holmes used 6 leads, they deduct 10 points (2 extra leads) and end up with 85 points.

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize leads that connect areas of the map or involve relevant informants, such as the doctor or the criminologist.
• Use newspapers to find indirect clues, such as advertisements or recent events.
• Avoid following unnecessary leads, as each extra lead can reduce the score.

Consult the manual for details on this section.