Obsession setup (base game)

Player setup
1. Give start player purple pawn
2. Clockwise from player to left of start player, select families and take family starting materials (5 tiles, 5
servants with an extra footman for York, 4 family cards with an extra card for Asquith, 3 player aid cards,
reputation wheel counter and markers)
3. Place reputation marker ‘1’ on center of reputation wheel on board
4. Place reputation wheel counter on position ‘1’ of wheel (except Cavendish starts on ‘4’)
5. Place starting Improvement Tiles under Country Estate Organizer, with building icon in upper right corner
showing
6. Deal 2 starter guests (with crown in upper left corner) to each player
7. Deal 5 / 4 Objective Cards to each player (regular game / extended play)

Board setup
1. Place servants for hire in their box:
a. 2 players = 2 underbutlers, 4 footmen, 2 valets, 2 lady’s maids
b. 3 players = 2 underbutlers, 6 footmen, 3 valets, 3 lady’s maids
c. 4 players = 2 underbutlers, 8 footmen, 4 valets, 4 lady’s maids
2. Place objective cards in space on board
3. Place all money on top of board in area marked £ (Ponsonby starts with £300)
4. Shuffle remaining starter guests with casual guests (single fleur-de-lis in upper left corner) and place on
casual guests space
5. Shuffle prestige guests (double fleur-de-lis in upper left corner; do not shuffle in Charles and Elizabeth
Fairchild) and place on prestige guests space
6. Add all tiles and 3/4/5 monuments of choice to bag for 2/3/4 players (Sculpture Garden recommended for
2-3 players)
7. Place Round Track board near Supply board on preferred side (16 turns for regular play, or 20 turns for
extended play) and place white pawn on Start space
8. Shuffle VP cards and theme cards and place in their spaces on Round Track board
9. Place Charles and Elizabeth Fairchild cards at top of Round Track board
10. Draw tiles until you have six unique tiles of levels 1-3 not including Servants’ Hall (stack duplicates and put
ineligible tiles back in bag). Place drawn tiles in TNS order in market. (TNS = small black number at lower
right)
 Each Round
Standard Round Courtship Round
1. Complete round event 1. Put Fairchild card back
a. Reveal theme card if it is Round 1 or a new 2. Add VP in current theme (if final courtship,
season (i.e., first space after a courtship) also add all VP in all previous themes)
b. Complete event if applicable (e.g., village fair) 3. Unique highest VP takes 1 Fairchild card
2. Each player takes a turn 4. All highest VP take a VP card
3. Move the round marker 5. Discard one Objective card
6. At end of 1st season, move service tiles to
service tile reserve. At end of 2nd season,
move level 1 tiles to their reserve.
7. Pass 1st player marker counter-clockwise

Each Player Turn

Standard Turn Pass
1. Rotate Service: slide all servants to next box (to right) 1. Take discard pile into hand
2. Host Activity: choose tile from estate that does not 2. Move ALL servants to “available” box
exceed family’s reputation 3. Collect £200 or refresh builders’ market
3. Invite Guests: play # of gentry cards from hand as 4. Buy from market (optional)
indicated on tile that match type listed (e.g., family,
ladies); guest’s reputation cannot exceed family’s
4. Provide Service: expend servants shown on activity Anytime actions
and guest cards (player cannot host activity if correct Perform anytime during player turn
servants cannot be made available) • Borrow £100 for 2 reputation
5. Enjoy Favors: (all are mandatory except dismissing • Refresh 1 servant for 3 reputation
guests) acquire all favors from tile and cards in order: • Refresh market for 4 reputation (1x per turn)
o £
o Reputation – move marker one step per lion
o Befriend / dismiss
o Acquire servants (Butler’s Room only)
6. Buy from Builders’ Market: pay cost + tile modifier
(top right), if any. You cannot purchase duplicates.
Place purchased tiles in your estate (non-rose side up)
7. Clear Board: flip tile (if first use) and place back in
estate, discard cards into own discard pile. Refill
market if necessary. If more than one card is entering
market, place in TSN order.

Game End Scoring (after final courtship)

• Improvement tiles • Servants (2 VP each)
• Gentry cards • 1 VP per £200
• Objective cards • VP cards
• Reputation