Image Courtesy of randast
This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.
If you liked the review please thumb the top of the article so others have a better chance of seeing it and I know you stopped by. If you thumb the bottom as well, I consider that a bonus. Thanks for reading.
Summary
Game Type – Card Game
Play Time: 25-35 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Mechanics – Card Drafting, Set Collection, Worker Placement
Difficulty – Pick-Up & Play (Can be learned in under 20 minutes)
Components – Excellent
Release – 2015
Designer – <PERSON> -( Papua)
Overview and Theme
The year is 1895 and the crisp morning air is shattered by an explosion. The UK Houses of Parliament have been bombed and a young anarchist, <PERSON>, is arrested quickly. The young worker with links to Anarchist groups pleads his innocence, the authorities want swift justice. <PERSON> is put in charge of the Crown Prosecution's case against <PERSON> but his task is much more than simply securing a conviction. London needs to know if this was a solitary act or part of a bigger plot! Speaking of plots...this one soon thickens as the parents of the accused hire a detective, none other than the brother of <PERSON>, <PERSON>, to defend him.
So it is that two of the most brilliant minds in London must lock horns, cross magnifying glasses and try to best the other in this game of wits!
Ok, so it is a fairly detailed thematic backdrop for a 2-player card game that is produced and looks (very much) like it could have slotted into the 2-Player series of games. But I like the effort that has been made in this case ( ) and I think the play does a pretty good job of bringing the theme to life.
Join me for a quick stroll my dear <PERSON>. We must gather the evidence and determine if this title is worthy of standing alongside some of the other 2-player card game classics!
The Components
Holmes is produced by a smaller publisher in ( being their second most successful release). They have done a great job in producing a game that looks great and will withstand many plays.
Board – The board is designed to look like a diary, it is labelled as belonging to Dr <PERSON> (see image further down within this review) on the outside of the board fold. 470
The inside (playing surface of the board) features various locations where cards can be placed and the artwork makes these spaces look like the lined paper found in a notebook. The board has a single fold and when opened it is much the same length as the one used in .
On the board itself are 11 key locations upon which Character Cards can be placed. The majority of the spaces are labelled with a day of the week, with Day 1 being the only one to feature twice (all other days appearing only once). In the top left-hand corner of the board are three set positions with the names of the 3 characters that always stay in play (see set-up). The 12th card silhouette space is found in the bottom left corner of the board and this is where the Character Card Deck is placed. Each of the days 1-7 feature an image of an hourglass, which reminds each player that as new cards are revealed, time is ticking away.
Image Courtesy of Alice87
Character Deck – All of the cards feature a matte\linen finish and I love it when any production goes that extra mile for the sake of quality. The fact that a smaller publisher can do this tells me that all companies should really be doing it.
The first set of cards are the Character Cards. The artwork on these cards is just gorgeous. I guess you would describe it as somewhat cartoonish in appearance, but the colours used and the quality of the illustrations are fantastic. The artwork covers almost the entirety of each card and when placed on the deliberately beige colouring of the board, they pop and really stand out.
These cards depict the many characters found within the world of <PERSON>, some that I knew but many that I did not. Each card features a set of icons at the bottom to outline the skills\benefit of using that character. The rules outline these well but the icons make total sense after a few plays.
If I can go on an indulgent tangent for a moment, I always look at the illustration of Mrs <PERSON> and am instantly reminded of the character <PERSON> from the anime film Spirited Away.
Image Courtesy of randast
Clue Deck – The game offers up 9 forms of Clue. 872