I’ve wanted this game for a long time but it was unavailable when I first discovered its existence. I was completely surprised when I received it as a Mother’s Day gift this year! Love Jane Austen books and period fashions and dramas. The game is beautifully designed and fun to play.
Another thing I really like about the game is the thematic nature of the win condition - basically, you're spending most of the game courting the two most eligible unmarried scions of another family, but, it's all with the intention of bringing your own family back to prosperity and prominence. So, you can either make a great match for your family's heirs, or you can just have an extremely prosperous estate that regularly hosts high-prestige guests - either one is capable of winning you the game, which makes sense! Another great thing is the EXTENSIVE section that the designer put in explaining how each mechanic matches the theme. The extent to which he put theme first when designing it makes it all the more impressive how smoothly the game plays. Anyway, now that you've reminded me how great this game is, I think we're going to get our copy out again tonight.
Theme oozes out of this game, so awesome. The tile flipping aspect, as others mentioned, is excellent. With many tiles, acquiring the ability to host an activity nets little or sometimes negative victory points until you actually host the event, where you can then flip it over for more points. That theme mimics real life really well. For example, receiving a new board game in the mail is good….but eventually playing that board game is so much better….😁
I think that one of the cool things about Obsession, but not exclusive to Obsession, is the modularity of the game. It makes for a really fun experience of "how should we play this time?" and that helps get the game to the table more. Your video made me think that it would be fun to play one time and try to get the craziest and least desirable guests possible for the entire game... that would be interesting!
Thanks for talking about Obsession today! It is my favorite board game. I think it's pretty amazing how so many different mechanics all come together so elegantly to create a great thematic game. I also loved how you can use your house reputation for abilities at a cost.
An aptly-titled game, because I've been obsessed with getting a copy since the day I heard about it! and now I'll hopefully have it in my peasant hands before the end of the year.
Such a lovely, thematic and to me, relaxing game. Flipping tiles are fun, guessing the right courtship stuff is also fun and the solo mode they included works pretty well. He has his own company, but I would love to see him partner with Stonemaier on a game!
A little late on this response, but the this and Hadrian's Wall feel very similar with the worker mechanisms. I am sure there is a technical term but "Worker Churn" is something I have found really interesting as a game mechanic.
I also like the tile flipping system. You are incentivized to constantly acquire new improvement tiles to activate because it is inefficient to reactivate tiles. Dan, the designer, calls this "the Path" (IIRC) and it is important that you plan your path and make sure you do not stumble along the way. This also means you cannot just acquire a powerful tile and keep using it over and over to assure victory. So in a way it is a balancing system between tiles. This is a marvelous mechanism and not spoken of enough in my opinion.
That's true, it's somewhat similar. In Terra Mystica, you must empty the lowest pool, then the second pool; in Obsession, you advance all meeples in each lower pool.
I got to play this last night and mechanically, this game is great. I love the resource management of finding an activity so you can play the guests you want, but being limited by the servants. You have 3 different resources to choose from and they're all in tension with each other. Thematically, I think it's very off-putting. I don't understand people infatuation with royalty and how they're just inherently better than other people. It feels like a very light version of slavery and I find the idea of glorifying a class systems gross.
This is such a well-liked game, but I have to say the theme is a real turn off for me. The idea of becoming, for the purposes of a game, an aristocrat worried about the reputation of their family amongst high society is just... gross. I can't imagine a less important quest. I would also say I don't find tiny cards "cute" - I find them obnoxious. Difficult to handle, impossible to shuffle, hard to read, easy to damage. If they are cards you don't have to shuffle then it's forgivable, but then in that case they'd probably be better off as cardboard tiles so you can pick them up easier. The size of the Viticulture cards is probably the worst component in that game, though I understand that they had to be small to keep them on the board. Likewise, the size of the suspicion and wall cards in Paladins of the West Kingdom is the worst component in that game.
He replaced the tiny cards for larger ones which wasn’t really necessary, they are only bonuses that you keep to the side . Regardless of theme this is a solid game and not everyone has to like every game .
I’ve wanted this game for a long time but it was unavailable when I first discovered its existence. I was completely surprised when I received it as a Mother’s Day gift this year! Love Jane Austen books and period fashions and dramas. The game is beautifully designed and fun to play.
I'm glad you're enjoying Obsession, Margie! The publisher put a lot of care and attention into it (and he treats his customers very well).
Another thing I really like about the game is the thematic nature of the win condition - basically, you're spending most of the game courting the two most eligible unmarried scions of another family, but, it's all with the intention of bringing your own family back to prosperity and prominence. So, you can either make a great match for your family's heirs, or you can just have an extremely prosperous estate that regularly hosts high-prestige guests - either one is capable of winning you the game, which makes sense!
Another great thing is the EXTENSIVE section that the designer put in explaining how each mechanic matches the theme. The extent to which he put theme first when designing it makes it all the more impressive how smoothly the game plays.
Anyway, now that you've reminded me how great this game is, I think we're going to get our copy out again tonight.
So glad you talk about this wonderful game. More people need to know about it.
Theme oozes out of this game, so awesome. The tile flipping aspect, as others mentioned, is excellent. With many tiles, acquiring the ability to host an activity nets little or sometimes negative victory points until you actually host the event, where you can then flip it over for more points. That theme mimics real life really well. For example, receiving a new board game in the mail is good….but eventually playing that board game is so much better….😁
I think that one of the cool things about Obsession, but not exclusive to Obsession, is the modularity of the game. It makes for a really fun experience of "how should we play this time?" and that helps get the game to the table more. Your video made me think that it would be fun to play one time and try to get the craziest and least desirable guests possible for the entire game... that would be interesting!
I've only played once so far, but I look forward to exploring various strategies! :)
Thanks for talking about Obsession today! It is my favorite board game. I think it's pretty amazing how so many different mechanics all come together so elegantly to create a great thematic game. I also loved how you can use your house reputation for abilities at a cost.
An aptly-titled game, because I've been obsessed with getting a copy since the day I heard about it! and now I'll hopefully have it in my peasant hands before the end of the year.
Such a lovely, thematic and to me, relaxing game. Flipping tiles are fun, guessing the right courtship stuff is also fun and the solo mode they included works pretty well. He has his own company, but I would love to see him partner with Stonemaier on a game!
Great video. I’ve just placed my stock notification!
Looking forward to getting my copy! Enjoyed playing that with you at Geekway.
I'm so glad you found it in the library there!
I really want to try this one! Heard nothing but great things.
I've only gotten to try this one time, but really enjoyed it. Far more than I suspected I might enjoy a game about Victorian England aristocrats.
A little late on this response, but the this and Hadrian's Wall feel very similar with the worker mechanisms. I am sure there is a technical term but "Worker Churn" is something I have found really interesting as a game mechanic.
I also like the tile flipping system. You are incentivized to constantly acquire new improvement tiles to activate because it is inefficient to reactivate tiles. Dan, the designer, calls this "the Path" (IIRC) and it is important that you plan your path and make sure you do not stumble along the way. This also means you cannot just acquire a powerful tile and keep using it over and over to assure victory. So in a way it is a balancing system between tiles. This is a marvelous mechanism and not spoken of enough in my opinion.
That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing the Path.
We’re you thinking of Terraforming Mars with energy?
I think I was thinking of Terra Mystica.
terra mystica’s system is a similar energy system…
That's true, it's somewhat similar. In Terra Mystica, you must empty the lowest pool, then the second pool; in Obsession, you advance all meeples in each lower pool.
Stegosaurus-Rex, like, comment.
I got to play this last night and mechanically, this game is great. I love the resource management of finding an activity so you can play the guests you want, but being limited by the servants. You have 3 different resources to choose from and they're all in tension with each other.
Thematically, I think it's very off-putting. I don't understand people infatuation with royalty and how they're just inherently better than other people. It feels like a very light version of slavery and I find the idea of glorifying a class systems gross.
This is such a well-liked game, but I have to say the theme is a real turn off for me. The idea of becoming, for the purposes of a game, an aristocrat worried about the reputation of their family amongst high society is just... gross. I can't imagine a less important quest.
I would also say I don't find tiny cards "cute" - I find them obnoxious. Difficult to handle, impossible to shuffle, hard to read, easy to damage. If they are cards you don't have to shuffle then it's forgivable, but then in that case they'd probably be better off as cardboard tiles so you can pick them up easier. The size of the Viticulture cards is probably the worst component in that game, though I understand that they had to be small to keep them on the board. Likewise, the size of the suspicion and wall cards in Paladins of the West Kingdom is the worst component in that game.
He replaced the tiny cards for larger ones which wasn’t really necessary, they are only bonuses that you keep to the side . Regardless of theme this is a solid game and not everyone has to like every game .