I Say, Holmes!
I Say, Holmes! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
I Say, Holmes! is a card game for 3 to 8 players ages 8 and up based on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Playing cards 'advance' Holmes and Watson as they set out to solve another case. Ultimately, one player will be identified as the Villain and captured or, alternately, successfully escape from our intrepid heroes.
2. The Cards in General
The cards are played on top of each other into a Discard Pile, which is located face-up next to the Draw Pile. The cards have been designed to create a logical story sequence, such as Movement to a London or a Country Location, where Information can be gathered and Action taken, leading to more Movement, etc. Only a card appropriately continuing the story sequence may be played; the selection of which card types can be played next is indicated along the bottom of the previous card played.
The Point Value on the left side of each card represents the power that they afford the player who holds them; the greater their power, the larger their value (and the greater their penalty if they're not played before the game ends).
Some cards also have a circled number on their right side. Those cards are the ones initially dealt out when that number or fewer players are in the game.
Cards contain the following information:
- Its Title, color-coded by its Category
- Its Point Value from 1 to 50
- Its Setup Deal Number from 3 to 8
- Its special gameplay rules, if any
- Which card type(s) may / must be played next (i.e., the Story Sequence)
The card diagram on the sheet labels these parts as: Point Value, Setup Deal Number, Background Color (i.e., "suit"), Card Title, Special Gameplay Rules, and 'Story Sequence' (i.e., what cards can be played following this card).
Card Notes
The first page of the sheet gives the special gameplay rules of the following cards, listed here under the card names printed on it.
Villains: Milverton, Clay, Moran, and Moriarty: Villains may only be played if you have no other card types in your hand and, when played, they 'Escape' (see Rule 5).
I Say: Important: These purple I Say cards are special and can be freely played 'out of sequence.' That is, the previous card does not need to have an "I Say (-10)" on it in order for the next player to use one. However, when played 'in sequence' (i.e., the previously played card has "I Say (-10)" printed on it as a sequence option), that player deducts ten points (-10) from their score! After an I Say cards is played, play continues to the left as if it had not been played at all (following the sequence of the previous card played).
Holmes: May be played in turn after any card except a Movement card. You may make an Arrest that cannot be blocked by an Alibi (but can be blocked by a Mastermind). If found Not Guilty, the opponent's hand is passed back (i.e., you suffer no penalty for an unlawful arrest).
Watson: Same as Holmes except that an Alibi can be used as a defense.
Deduction: This is just a free look at an opponent's hand; no Arrest takes place.
Mycroft: May be played when the previous card is any London Location (e.g., Scotland Yard or West End). You must choose another player and trade hands with them (however unequal that exchange might be).
Plot Thickens: Set the previous card played aside to form the new Discard Pile (i.e., so that the next player can see where the current card sequence is at). Then take this card and the remaining cards in the Discard Pile (setting aside the The Game is Afoot! card, which should be on the bottom of the Discard Pile) and shuffle them together with the Draw Pile to form a new Draw Pile.
Fleeing: May be played only when the previous card is a Movement card. If you have any Villain cards in your hand, you may discard one of your choice. Whether or not you discarded a Villain card, deduct ten points (-10) from your score.
3. Setup
Sort through the entire deck of cards and find all of those with a Setup Deal Number that is less than or equal to the number of players (from 3 to 8) in the game to create the Deal Out Stack.
Shuffle up the Deal Out Stack and deal six (6) cards, face-down, to each player. Players are allowed to look at their cards and should keep information about their cards (i.e., their contents and the quantity held) secret from other players until ordered to reveal them.
Finally, take the remaining cards and shuffle them all together. Place them face-down in the center of the table to form the Draw Pile and place the Location chit next to it on its "LONDON" side.
For example, if there were four players in the game, all of the cards with a Setup Deal Number of (3) and (4) (for total of 24 cards) would create the Deal Out Stack. The remaining 96 cards would form the Draw Pile.
4. Play
Whoever holds The Game is Afoot! card begins play by placing that card, face-up, in the Discard Pile next to the Draw Pile.
Play then proceeds clockwise (i.e., to the left) around the table. The next player must play a Suitable Card – i.e., a card of the type indicated at the bottom of the last card played (one that maintains the Story Sequence) – OR – an I Say card, which is then placed on the top of the Discard Pile.
Only if a player does not have a Suitable Card, then that player must take the top card from the Draw Pile. If it is a Suitable Card, it must be played immediately. If it is not, it is added to the player's hand. In either event, play then passes one position to the left.
5. Ending the Game
The game ends with a successful Arrest, or when it is a player's turn and the only cards that player has left are Villain cards (i.e., an Escape).
Arrest: To make an Arrest (such as after playing an Arrest card), the arresting player must name an opponent as harboring a Villain.
If the arrested player holds a Villain card, that player is Guilty – play stops immediately and points are scored (as described below).
If the arrested player is Not Guilty (i.e., does not hold a Villain card), the arresting player takes all of the accused player's cards and adds them to his hand (the penalty for an unlawful arrest). The Not Guilty player then receives a fresh hand of the same number of cards from the top of the Draw Pile and play continues normally (i.e., to the left of the player making the false accusation).
When a player plays the last card in their hand, that player 'Went Out' and the last chapter of the story (i.e., the end of the game) has been reached. The player that Went Out must make an Arrest against an opponent. If that opponent is Guilty, then play is over and points are scored as usual. If the accused player is Not Guilty, he keeps his cards (i.e., they are not passed to the player making the false accusation) and must make an Arrest attempt on an opponent. Play continues in this manner until a Guilty player is finally exposed.
Escape: If it is your turn to play and all you have are Villain cards, reveal them – those Villains have Escaped. Play stops immediately and points are scored.
6. Scoring
After an Arrest
- All players total the Value of the cards that they still hold and add it to their score. Exception: Undetected Villains are not scored in this manner.
- The Arresting player then subtracts the value from his score of all detected Villains from that arrest.
- The Guilty player then adds the value to his score of all detected Villains from that arrest.
After an Escape
- All players total the Value of the cards that they still hold and add it to their score. Undetected Villains are not scored.
- The player whose Villains escaped then subtracts their total value from his score.
A new game then takes place. The player with the lowest score after an agreed upon number of rounds is the winner.
7. Specific Cards
Movement
Train: Takes player to a dissimilar location: from London to The Country or vice-versa. Flip the Location chit to show your destination.
Hansom Cab: Takes player is a similar location: within London or The Country. Do not flip the Location chit.
Boat & Foot Chase: Same as the above, except that an opponent draws 1 card.
Thick Fog: You're lost! When played, players shuffle their cards together and are dealt back an equal number. Any Location card can be played afterward. Set the Location chit upon arrival.
London Locations
London, 221-B Baker St., and West End: These are just regular London locations.
Scotland Yard: Another London location. The previous (or next) opponent (as indicated on the card) must draw 2 cards or play an Alibi card.
Country Locations
The Country, Village, Estate, Manor, and Castle: These are all slightly different regular Country locations.
Information
Clue: Allows you to look at two opponent's cards selected at random. You may use this against an opponent with only one card.
I Suspect: Name an opponent who must draw 1 card or play an Alibi card.
Telegram: Name an opponent who must immediately add 10 points to their score.
Disguise: Name an opponent who must secretly show you his highest-valued card (which is often a Villain). If there is a tie for highest-valued card, the revealing player decides which to show.
Action
Constabulary: Allows you to secretly pass one card of your choice to an opponent.
Inspector: Name an opponent who must draw 2 cards or play an Alibi card. If played immediately after (i.e., 'on top of') a Scotland Yard card, that player may also make an Arrest (see below).
Arrest: If the opponent you name does not play an Alibi in response, conduct an Arrest against him (see Rule 5).
Alibi
Alibi: Played in response to an Arrest, Inspector, I Suspect, Boat, Foot Chase, or Watson card by the player who is about to suffer that card's penalty. This 'defense card' is played 'out of turn' and prevents the penalty from occurring. In addition, all players pass, in secret, one card of their choice to the player on their left. Play then continues to the left of the player who played the above listed card (not the player who played the Alibi card).
Mastermind
Mastermind: Functions as a super Alibi card and can be played as one. It is played defensively in response to negate the penalties of an Arrest, Inspector, I Suspect, Boat, Foot Chase, or Watson card against that player; but it can also be played also be played to similarly cancel the penalties and actions for the Telegram, Inspector, Disguise, Clue, Deduction, Mycroft and Holmes cards. Also, instead of all players passing one card to their left (like an Alibi card), they pass their entire hands to the right. In addition, play skips to your turn and you play the next card with play continuing to your left. Brilliant!