Obsession: Upstairs Downstairs

SECOND EXPANSION FOR THE OBSESSION BOARD GAME: Upstairs, Downstairs is an expansion that supplies gamers with novel options for controlling Victorian fate using the unique abilities of the new servant staff: the Cook, Hall Boy, Head Housemaid, and Useful Man. This expansion also increases variety by adding a new family, additional guests, new tiles, and solo play options.

WHAT IT CONTAINS: The Upstairs, Downstairs expansion adds the Howard family board to the mix that gives the advantage of having the most talented cook on staff. The expansion also adds 49 additional guests, five new improvement tiles, milestones, larger courtship cards, and three new game modes (Solo Estate Challenge, Tableau Obsession, and Cooperative Obsession).

UP TO SIX PLAYERS: This game enables a 5th and 6th player.

INTEGRATION WITH OBSESSION: The Upstairs, Downstairs expansion contains components for upgrading the 1st Edition of Obsession to work seamlessly with new rules and the new expansion mechanics.

An expansion for Obsession that introduces four new servants—the Hall Boy, Cook, Head Housemaid, and Useful Man—who can be used to mitigate Victorian Fate found in the base game. It also enables 5 and 6 players and adds the Howard family with their legendary cook.

Upstairs, Downstairs includes new service and improvement tiles along with a ton of new casual and prestige guests. The expansion components empower players to screen guests, work around prestige limitations, find tiles, refresh the market more easily, and enhance favors early in the game.

Finally, there are three new game modes: Solo Estate Challenge, Team Cooperative Play, and Tableau Obsession.

Cook Ability: The cook enables a player to invite guests 1 or 2 levels above the reputation showing on the player board. In the example below, our player (the Howard family, reputation level 3) normally would be unable to receive the Marquess of Tetbury (prestige rating 5) in the Drawing Room; however, her extraordinary cook breaks down the social restraint of the marquess, who cannot resist Mrs. Puggins’ larded oysters, which will be on the menu later that evening.

Hall Boy Ability: This young footman-in-training presents the butler with an excellent service option for a demanding guest pressed with personal and political affairs while staying at the estate. The hall boy may be placed onto a gentry card showing a monetary favour to increase the pounds received during the Enjoy Favours phase of a player’s turn.

Head Housemaid Ability: The head housemaid is the household’s most well-connected domestic worker, with extensive contacts in and around Derbyshire. Since she is so well-informed, the head housemaid is able to supply critical information to the lady of the house to help ensure only the best people become acquainted with the family. The head housemaid may be placed onto an improvement tile or gentry card showing an invitation favour to allow the player to look at an additional card when inviting guests.

Useful Man Abilities: The useful man is, well...very useful, and his abilities require a good understanding of Obsession. Place the Useful Man onto the Private Study tile during a Village Fair round, thereby increasing the revenue from that Village Fair by £200 (either from £0 to £200 if the Study Tile has not been flipped or from £300 to £500 if the Study Tile has been flipped). Place the Useful Man onto any tile in the builders’ market when making a purchase, thereby decreasing the cost of the tile by £100.
Place the Useful Man onto any improvement tile located in the player’s organiser (only tiles that can be played on the player’s family board qualify), thereby temporarily decreasing the prestige rating of the tile by one. One Time Use: Remove the Useful Man from the game to refresh the builders’ market. One Time Use: Remove the Useful Man from the game to allow the player to search the tile bag for a specific tile (monuments excluded) and place it in the £800 rightmost space of the builders’ market (the tile currently in the £300 space is returned to the bag, the remaining five tiles slide to the left, and the new tile is placed in the £800 space, where it can then be purchased normally).

AWARDS & HONORS:
2020 Golden Geek Best Board Game Expansion Nominee.

COMPONENTS:

1-6

750958294999

Thunderworks Games

90

2020

13+

Obsession

2022-04-23 10:07:15

~£38.47

2025-06-04

2022-04-23 10:07:15