2018 · Post-Napoleonic
Obsession
Manage a mid‑19th century English country estate, renovate rooms and grounds by acquiring building tiles from a central builders’ market, and recruit and deploy an extensive domestic staff from butlers to footmen. Play proceeds over 16–20 turns as players build a deck of Victorian gentry, choose building tiles that determine which social events can be hosted, and assign servants via a worker‑placement mechanism to service guests and run activities like fox hunts, music recitals, billiards, political debates, and grand balls. Successful events generate wealth, reputation, connections, and opportunities for further renovation, while a competing courtship objective rewards players who meet specific renovation and reputation targets.
- Players
- 1–4 best 2
- Playing time
- 30–90 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.1 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Art
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs2020
Obsession: Wessex Expansion2018
Obsession: Promotional Tiles2020
Obsession: Characters Expansion2024
Obsession: Useful Box2021
Obsession: Promotional Cards2019
Obsession: Dice Tower Promo Guests2023
Obsession: Dice Tower Sporting Tile2024
Obsession: Dice Tower Family Board Promo2025
Обольщение: Промокарты джентри (Obsession: Gentry Promo Cards)2025Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in Ludoya
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 1,036
- Plays logged
- 817
- Players
- 1h 48m
- Average play
- 241
- In collections
- 64
- On wishlists
- 1
- Pre-ordered
7.4/10
from 133 Ludoya reviews
- Base -
Played it 4 times
1–4 Players 30–90 Min Age: 14+ Weight: 3.10 / 5
First impressions · 2 plays
W3m3n9.0 Diversión 4/5 · Interacción 2/5 · Atractivo 4/5 · Originalidad 4/5 · Rejugabilidad 5/5 · Accesibilidad 3/5
No plays logged
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
When exactly do I rotate my servants and which servants are available to use this turn?
At Step 1 (Rotate Service) after turn 1 you move servants from your Servants' Quarters to Available Service and move servants in Expended Service to the Servants' Quarters to rest; only servants in Available Service may be assigned that turn (see Step 1 Rotate Service). (page 8)
Can I substitute the Housekeeper, Underbutler, or Footman for other servants shown on a tile or guest?
Yes, but only as specified: the Housekeeper always may stand in for a lady's maid; the Underbutler may act as any male servant only if you acquired the Butler’s Pantry service tile and took the underbutler; and footmen may substitute for valets only after you buy the Brushing Room service tile (which grants that ability to all your footmen). (page 9)
If I host an activity when do I take the favours and are any favours optional?
You take favours during the Enjoy Favours step after providing service, in this order: collect pounds, then add reputation, then invite/dismiss guests; all favours are mandatory except the dismiss-guest option, which is explicitly optional. (pages 9–10, 16)
How does buying from the Builders' Market work—where do I place a purchased tile, can I buy duplicates, and how is the market refilled?
Purchased tiles are placed face‑up in the proper column of your Country Estate Organiser; you may not buy a duplicate improvement tile you already own, but duplicate copies can be stacked in the market for other players to buy; after purchase slide market tiles left and draw from the tile bag to refill the rightmost space and never leave an open market space if tiles remain. (pages 10–11)
If I choose to Pass, what happens to my servants and cards and what options do I get?
When you Pass you still apply Step 2 effects, then refresh service (all servants go to Available Service) and take your Discard Pile back into your Active Hand; you then choose either to collect £200 rent or refresh the Builders' Market for free, and afterward you may optionally purchase from the market. (page 13)
Official score sheet
Obsession score sheet
Every scoring category, from the Ludoya kit. On your phone the totals add up by themselves.
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Obsession with Ludoya
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.