Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a difficult game. If we want to compete against the world’s most famous detective and don’t come off like complete amateurs, we’ll need all the help we can get. If my previous strategy guide wasn’t enough, don’t despair! There’s more you can do to match the Victorian sleuth and it’s all within your reach.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is widely praised, but not without controversy. The scoring, which costs five points to the player for each clue taken, is often declared to be at odds with the narrative. In fact, many players and even critics recommend ignoring it completely.
I disagree. I believe the scoring is not only an integral part of the game, but an important driver of its aesthetics.
There are countless games based on the world’s most famous sleuth but none as great as Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. With just a book, a list of addresses and a bunch of newspapers, it captures the whole spirit of the Victorian investigator and reflects it, not just through its setting, but its mechanics.
Now subtitled “The Thames Murders & Other Mysteries”, it remains the best deduction game I’ve ever played and, despite some minor flaws, a truly engrossing experience.
The challenging combination of deduction and text-based worldbuilding make Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective unique. So much so, that it can be difficult to play it well! In this guide, I’ll explain how to get the most out of the game, starting with your first play.
