Welcome to Obsession

A user-created strategy guide for the award-winning Dan Hallagan board game.

Table of Contents

I.

Introduction

II.

The Families and Leverage

III.

Closed vs. Open Courtship

IV.

Season One: The Most Important Courtship

V.

The Roundtrack and Its Special Events

VI.

Building the "Upward Path"

VII.

Help Wanted: New Servants for Hire

VIII.

F*** You, Pay Me: Money and the American Heiress

IX.

Reputation and What It Means to You

X.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Casual and Prestige Guests

XI.

A Word About Monuments

XII.

Gardens, and Rooms, and Parlors, Oh My!

XIII.

Doubling Down: The Double Turn

XIV.

On What Should I Be Most Focused?

XV.

One More Word On Passing

XVI.

But I've Done All These Things and Still Lost!

XVII.

Yeah, But Do the Expansions "Fix" These "Issues"?

XVIII.

Common and Semi-Official Rules Variants

XIX.

To Be Continued...

I. Introduction

If you're reading this, there's probably (hopefully?) no need for me to explain how Obsession works or cover the fundamental rules, so aside from a few common misconceptions and/or misinterpretations, this guide will stick to strategies, tactics, and general gameplay advice. Before getting into the nitty-gritty, however, there are always questions and comments that get wafted about the game's core mechanics and the luck factor involved therein, so let me address those first and foremost.

"The luck factor in this game is too high!" Well, first of all, "too high" is subjective, of course, because there are no requisites for how much luck a game should have. (This should be obvious.) That doesn't mean you have to like it, but it is there. Understand, however, that the luck factor in Obsession is 100% by design, a thematic induction of Victorian fate wherein consorting with various folks from around the town to gain favor is bound to attract a few unsavory figures now and again. Yes, you will sometimes find yourself at the mercy of the Casual Gentry deck and the negative VP guests you draw. There are ways to mitigate and/or make the most of the unfortunate happenstance which will be discussed further down, but know that this is an intended feature, not necessarily a flaw.

"But aren't there any ways I can reduce this variance immediately?" Of course. Dan encourages people to adjust gameplay rules within reason so that they can enjoy his game to the fullest extent. He has even published a large list of rule variations that alter various aspects and mechanics of the game. If you are truly hung up and struggling on the game's inherent randomness, read more about these mitigations in Sections IX, XV, and XVI.

LASTLY, I've written this guide with the expectation that you are playing the EXTENDED version game that runs for a total of 20 rounds, courtships included, instead of the "standard" sixteen. Despite the moniker, I find that most people are playing Extended games these days, anyway.

II. The Families and Leverage

The first decision you will make in any game of Obsession is your family. (Your family would be akin to a "faction" for my Terra Mystica or Gaia Project fans out there.) The families, as you might expect, have asymmetric advantages over one another. Everyone is bound to have a preference based on his or her favored playstyle, but each family is capable of winning based on how well one can leverage the family's perk (i.e., their "asymmetric power"). Most family perks have the greatest leverage earlier in the game. By Season Three (or even Season Two), some of them might be totally awash, so you need to reap the benefits as early and as soon as possible.

ASQUITH FAMILY

Perk: Begin the game with an additional family member gentry card.

Starting the game with another guest that has no reputation and no service requirement is helpful early when you're might be trying to prolong your first pass. Plus the favors offered by the extra Dowager Countess are equal to the heirs, except you don't have to choose! You get £100 and one reputation. She can also assist in flipping some Essentials tiles, many of which have "family member" gentry requirements. Lastly, having another lady in your hand is always beneficial, as you might be struggling to flip the Front Parlour early if you didn't get another lady from the starting guests. This is a perk that is obviously most helpful early, but can be helpful later in the game, too, as each pass puts the card back in your hand.

CAVENDISH FAMILY

Perk: Begin the game on reputation level 1.4 (instead of 1.1).

Three additional reputation points won't mean much come Season Three or Four, so this is a perk that must be leveraged early. If you open your game with the Front Parlor, you'll be in Reputation 2 by the second turn, which opens up the possibility to play Level 2 tiles and gentry cards in Season One, a luxury other players might not have. This can start up a nice reputation engine and you'll be playing higher level tiles/gentry much earlier than your opponents. By the final season, most players should be at Rep 6+ above, so getting use of this perk in the first two seasons is critical. Ultimately, you want to be playing higher level Gentry and tiles earlier/longer than the rest of your opponents. Final note: With the Cook servant from the Upstairs, Downstairs expansion, the Cavendish perk is buffed a bit (e.g. you have the opportunity to be playing Level 4 prestige guests as early as Turn 3 or 4 of the game). More on that later.

HOWARD FAMILY (UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS EXPANSION)

Perk: Begin the game with the Cook supplemental servant.

The Howards start the game with a Cook who has the amazing ability of allowing Gentry cards up to 2 levels higher than the family's reputation to attend events. The Cook is a very powerful servant - you can theoretically be playing Level 3 Prestige guests as early as Season One, which can be huge. The Cook remains remains helpful throughout the first two seasons and even into the third, as she takes a little bit of pressure off gaining reputation, knowing you can still play higher level Gentry cards (who generally, in turn, may help boost your reputation further). This perk is balanced by the fact that any other player can eventually acquire a Cook, too, but starting with one is quite nice.

PONSONBY FAMILY

Perk: Begin the game with the £300.

Starting with three hundred pounds is extremely beneficial because you won't feel forced to play a Sporting tile or the Husband card right away. Oftentime people feel the need to play either one of those two things (or both) on Turn 1 so they can purchase something from the market. While I'd argue that a first turn market purchase isn't always necessary, it's nice to be able to snag a Service tile in the first or second spot without having to play specific tiles or cards. In the event that there's a great tile farther down the market, perhaps the only one available that aligns with Season One's courtship category, you can combine the Ponsonby perk with a Sporting Tile + Husband play and snatch it before your opponents have a chance.

WESSEX FAMILY (WESSEX EXPANSION)

Perk: Begin the game with an extra (sixth) manor tile.

The Wessex Family player can choose between starting with a Breakfast Room (Essentials) or Tennis Court (Sporting)—a very nice benefit that alleviates the initial pressure of needing to make a market purchase. Because VP is earned only when using a tile for the first time (thus flipping it), it always behooves a player to use an unflipped tile (versus a flipped one) whenever possible to gain that additional VP. Starting with an extra tile can also fortify the player's position in either the Sporting or Essentials category early on if he or hse is able to flip it. They're both Level 2, which is achievable before the first courtship in the extended game. (And I think the Tennis Court is the best Sporting tile in the game.)

YORK FAMILY

Perk: Begin the game with an extra footman.

Another great benefit—possibly the best benefit—that is not only pivotal early on but continues to pay dividends throughout the game. As any other family, you will almost certainly hire another Footman at some point (unless you get the Butler's Pantry, but even then...) and this takes care of that for you. Starting with two Footmen means [1] you can play the Main Gazebo and Bowling Green back to back in Season One (critical because those are the only two starting tiles with no gentry "type" requirement), [2] you will feel less pressured or forced into hiring a Footman during your first hiring action and can comfortably take a Valet and Lady’s Maid (or two of either, depending on your Gentry card genders), and [3] if you eventually get the Brushing Room tile, you now have an extra Footman/Valet flex piece.

III. Closed vs. Open Courtship

This needs to be discussed before we go any further because this variation on the ruleset has the single largest impact on how the game of Obsession is played, fundamentally, strategically, tactically. If you didn't know, an "open courtship" reveals the Fairchild category of interest at the start of each season, whereas a "closed courtship" doesn't reveal it until the courtship phase itself (i.e., season's end). Therefore, in an open courtship, the players know exactly what category will win over the affection of the Fairchilds by the end of the season. In a closed courtship, they do not.

OPEN COURTSHIP

As you might imagine, open courtships remove a large aspect of randomness with respect to "winning" the Fairchild card at the end of each season, which drastically shifts the tactical landscape of the game. Players will be ravaging the market for the categorical tiles and bending over backward to get them into their country estate. Rest assured, tiles of the matching type will not last long in the market, and you must decide to either snipe them yourself whenever possible or shift your focus elsewhere for points. This mode is for players who prefer a game with less variance, putting the onus of competing for the Fairchilds directly on their shoulders. It gives them the opportunity to seek out and flip tiles that will put them in contention for this goal. It also awards them the agency to turn their attention elsewhere and actively plan ahead for countermeasures should the opponent construct an insurmountable lead.

CLOSED COURTSHIP

When playing with closed courtships, on the other hand, no player knows what category the Fairchilds will favor come the courtship phase at the end of each season. This adds a layer of inherent randomness, obviously, but it also creates an interesting—and arguably more tense—decision space regarding the overall construction of your estate. What is the best way to boost your probability of winning a closed courtship? By leading in VP for the largest number of categories. Closed courtships force more critical decisions upon the players to the extent that, if winning courtships is something you care about, your goal should be outscoring your opponents in as many building categories as possible. Open courtships tell players what kind of tiles they should be buying and flipping. Close courtships do not offer that luxury, and therefore require a more balanced estate if one wishes to remain in contention.

Of course, this is all assuming that one even cares about winning the affection of Elizabeth or Charles in the first place. Courtships are a great way to score points and build/sustain your engine. You get a great Gentry card to use for the next season (no reputation restructions), plus a VP card that'll be worth either endgame points or a critical "anytime" favor. But games can certainly be won without wooing the Fairchilds as long as an appropriate plan is in place. One must weigh the cost required to compete for these cards versus the benefits they'll provide, and it isn't always cut and dry.

IV. Season One: The Most Important Courtship Season

I've recanted my stance a bit on this position, only slightly. Or, rather, I've realized that the first season is not simply the "most important" season solely because the first courtship is the most critical courtship (I still believe it is), but because the first season can absolutely have lasting, rippling implications on how the rest of your game plays out. Such is often the case withe eurogames, and there's no exception here.

To be clear, I still believe that of all the courtships in Obsession (there are four, one at the end of each season), the first is the most powerful. And by that, I mean you can radically adjust your position in the upcoming season and make great headway by getting Elizabeth Fairchild into your hand. Looking at it a little more deeply, here are three main reasons the first courtship is the best courtship:

1. Getting a great card

By the end of the first season, there's a good chance your family's reputation will be at 2. It could possibly still be only 1. Or, more situationally, if you pulled a few rep-granting Gentry cards and played your Prestige tile(s) wisely (and/or you're playing as the Cavendishes), you may even be at 3. But 2 is the most likely. Your reputation will continue to grow, surely, but this early in the game, your playable Gentry cards will be limited by your reputation. And lower reputation Gentry often don't come with quite as succulent favors. Winning the first courtship gives you a great Gentry card to use that has no reputation restriction. So, even if you're still a measly Rep 1, Elizabeth can be played. And yes, if you win the first courtship, you should absolutely be taking Elizabeth. Charles emerges in corner scenarios and fringe cases you might encounter later in the game, but if you're not taking Elizabeth during the first courtship, you've made a grave mistake.

2. Jumpstarting your Prestige Guest engine.

Elizabeth's favor—and yes, per the bolded comment in the aforementioned bullet, I will be assuming you've wisely taken Elizabeth after winning the Season One courtship—of a Prestige Guest draw is huge at this stage in the game and can be crucial in catalyzing your Prestige Guest engine early-on. The starting Main Gazebo tile gets you a Prestige Guest invite. Beyond that, the most common ways to get Prestige Guest invites are other Prestige gentry cards, or certain tiles (typically Estate category). The problem is that these gentries and tiles almost always have higher reputation restrictions (there are a few level 2 Casual Gentry cards with a Prestige invite favor, but not many), and again, at this point in the game, you will likely fall short of those requirements. Thus, getting that Prestige draw from Elizabeth—who is always playable—is great to have at the start of Season Two, to say nothing of the +2 rep boost she gives you (which is kinda like a bonus at this point).

3. Double-dipping the Fairchild.

You open yourself up to a lucrative tactic that I like to call the Fairchild Double Dip. There's a solid chance that by the start/middle of Season Two, you will be running low on Gentry cards in-hand unless you've been playing a lot of invite favors. Even so, you may have a handful of Cads and Scoundrels while all your respectable (useful) Gentry cards are sitting idly in the discard pile. I'd say in 90% of the games I play, my first Pass comes during Season Two. This is not a bad thing, and passing is not inherently bad. You will almost certainly have to pass at least once in the game, but more than likely twice. Which brings me to the Double Dip: If you win the first courtship, use Elizabeth in either round 1 or round 2 of Season Two then use your pass during round 3. This puts Elizabeth (along with the rest of your cards) back in your hand and ready to reuse for round 3 or 4. Depending on gamestate, you might need to pass on round 2, so just make sure you use Elizabeth round 1 so you can use her again before season-end. This is a powerful play, as passing around this time is nearly inevitable anyway, but now you can use the benefit of Elizabeth twice which, again, is massively powerful this early in the game. That puts yet another Prestige guest in your hand and bangs out another +2 reputation points.

Another great thing about passing round 3 of Season Two is that your Gentry cards will be (mostly) refreshed for round 1 of Season Three, which is the National Holiday round. Keep that in mind during round 4 of Season Two, making sure to hold back enough servants/Gentry to have an explosive National Holiday, which brings me to...

V. The Roundtrack and Its Special Events

It is important to pay attention to the round track and events that are upcoming. There are sixteen turns (courtship phases do not count as a "turn") during the extended game of Obsession, and here is a list of the events that take place and when. (Note: I will use SxTx as a shorthand henceforth to denote a specific turn within a specific season, where x is the respective Season/Turn number. For example, S2T3 would mean Turn 3 of Season Two.)

VILLAGE FAIR S1T4, S2T4, and S4T1

If you've flipped your Private Study tile, you get £300 and +2 reputation. Over the course of the game, that's £900 and +6 reputation (i.e., a full +1.1 Reputation bump). If you're going to flip the Private Study, do it before the first Village Fair. Otherwise, you're wasting potential. If you decide not to flip it, take solace in the fact that you'll retain the +3 VP for the Essentials category.

OBJECTIVE CARD DRAW S2T2 and S4T3

Draw two new objective cards during these turns. Nothing to explicitly plan for here since the Objective draw is random, but nevertheless good to keep in mind.

NATIONAL HOLIDAY S3T1

Perhaps the single most important turn in the game. One of 'em, anyway. You can host evens and Gentry cards of ANY reputation level, regardless of your family's current reputation standing. This. Is. Massive. By the start of Season Three, you'll likely have some high-level Prestige Gentry cards that you haven't been able to play yet. During Season Two (or even late Season One), you must keep your eye on the market for an exceptional tile. Something worth a lot of points and/or with a high(er) reputation requirement. Then, the goal will be to use that tile along with those Prestige Guests during the National Holiday, which will (hopefully) give you an enourmous boost in some way or another. For example, if you're lagging behind in reputation, a great play would be to play the Cabinet of Curiosities with two Prestige Guests that also grant additional reputation benefits. You could reasonable jump two whole reputation levels in a single turn this way. And if that jump is from, say, Reputation 4 to Reputation 6, you've ensured that for the remainder of the game no tiles or cards will be outside your capacity to play (assuming you don't go too crazy with Special Actions, that is).

BUILDER'S HOLIDAY S3T3

Players can make as many purchases from the market that they can afford. This is a great opportunity to pick up multiple cheap tiles from the Market Reserve if there's nothing more alluring down the pipeline. Ideally, you won't be buying too many low-level tiles this late in the game, but sometimes buying a handful of low-level tiles with utility is better than overpaying for a single, higher-level tile that you don't really need. Keep an eye out for Service Tiles sitting idly in the reserve, too, as these are always good to snag. It wouldn't hurt to play a Sporting tile or use some Gentry with monetary favors on Turn 2 to prepare for this. Lastly, don't be afraid to use the Special Action of exchanging -2 reputation for £100—even multiple times—to get an extra tile or two that might be just out of reach. (Don't, however, put yourself too far into a reputation hole that you'd be unable to theoretically climb out of on the next turn or two.)

VI. Building the "Upward Path"

Building a path upward is something that Dan (the designer) talks about often in his many meta-analyses of the game. As mentioned previously, it is (almost always) preferable to host events on unflipped tiles versus reusing tiles that have already been flipped. Typically, the reverse side of tiles have either tougher Gentry requirements or reduced favors compared to the front side. More importantly, you only get a VP bonus for first flipping the tile (i.e., using it the first time). You will inevitably have to reuse some tiles throughout a game of Obsession, so don't stress about doing it from time to time. But, if ever possible, try to play unflipped tiles to harvest the VP bonus.

...Which leads into the idea of giving yourself an "upward path". You must consider and assume that as the game marches on, your reputation and number (and quality) of gentry will increase. Thus, you will want to "future proof" your estate to account for that. If you spend too much money on cheap Level 1 and Level 2 tiles, buying them simply because they aree the only one(s) you can currently afford, you're not building yourself an efficient "ladder" up which to climb. Higher level tiles have better and more plentiful rewards than lower level tiles. As your family's reputation increases, you want to maximize the options available to you, and, unless you absolutely must, you don't particularly want to be playing a bunch of Level 2 tiles when you're a Rep Level of 6 or 7. By definition, it's suboptimal.

Therefore, when making purchases from the market, focus on gathering tiles that are one (or even two) reputation levels above your family's current Reputation. No, you won't be able to play them right away, but in a turn or two when you've bumped up your Rep, now you'll have some nice, new, juicy tiles to utilize. Think of it as an investment; as your "buying power" (reputation and quality of gentry) increases, you want the quality of what you're purchasing (i.e., the tiles) to remain in lockstep.

Final note, when playing with the Upstairs, Downstairs expansion, the new Cook servant greatly increases one's capacity to not only build an upward path, but to start climbing it far earlier than usual. This will be discussed in more detail in [SECTION HERE].

VII. Help Wanted: Servants for Hire

Everyone starts the (base) game with the same five servants:

Footman (white)

Butler (blue)

Housekeeper (red)

Lady's Maid (purple)

Valet (green)

Over the course of the game, you can play the Butler's Room tile to commence a hiring action, whereby you take two more Servants from the "Servants for Hire" area of the board (i.e., the general supply). (Note: Once the Butler's Room tile is flipped, it can be continuously reused to hire two more servants while supplies last; it also grants you the option to "poach" one servant from an opponent, either a Footman, Valet, or Lady's Maid. Unless you drastically need one of these three servants and none are available, it's almost always more advantageous to hire two servants from the general supply.)

I have finished extended games without hiring, but it is: (1) rare, (2) stressful, and (3) almost never ideal. It would also nearly require you to acquire both the Servant's Quarters and Brushing Room tiles early to be viable. (Obviously a Butler's Pantry would help, too.) More realistically, you should be hiring at least once, and oftentimes you'll end up hiring twice, especially if you've amassed servant-heavy Gentry cards (e.g., those Prestige guests that require two servants each). Hiring once and acquiring the Brushing Room and/or Butler's Pantry tiles is also a very nice combo.

When it comes to hiring, there are two main decision points: When, and whom? The answers to both are massively conditional, though the "when" tends to be a little more straightforward. Generally, you want to hire early. As early as possible, without compromising what might otherwise be an effective turn. That is to say, it is wise to wait until you have a "large" turn, after which you'll need a bit of servant recovery and you can perform a hire action and prevent that turn from feeling totally wasted.

Example: Let's say on Turn 2 or 3, you play the Bowling Green, which requires a Footman to host. You invite a male and female Gentry card because they each have favors that you desperately need, and they require a Valet and Lady's Maid, respectively. Great, that's fine. On your very next turn, however, your only available service will be the Butler and Housekeeper. You've already flipped your Private Study on the first turn, and the remaining Gentry in your hand are male guests that also require Valet service. Now what?

This is a perfect time to use your Butler for the Butler's Room and hire two servants. There isn't much you would be able to do otherwise with your limited number of servants, or you might be forced to revisit a tile and play suboptimal guests. While this action would still grant you favors, this is a much better opportunity to hire—you only use one Butler, and next turn youlll have your original servants (aside from that Butler, of course) available to use.

Knowing exactly who to hire can be tricky and is totally dependent upon the Gentry cards in your hand and—to a slightly lesser extent—the hosts required on your improvement tiles. It is my opinion that you can never really go wrong with hiring a second Footman. (Yorks need not apply.) The second hire would then be either another Valet or another Lady's Maid based on whether you have more male or female guests, respectively. If your hand is extremely skewed toward one side—either men or women—it could behoove you to hire 2x Valets or 2x Lady's Maids, though in 99% of cases I still like hiring only one of them plus another Footman. Footmen are so utile and, when coupled with the Brushing Room (a tile I always try for), they are invaluable.

Sometimes—most times, actually—it might be too early to tell what the best hire is because you haven't enough Gentry or tiles to justify one path over the other. In this case, I almost always default to Footman + Lady's Maid with the intention of getting the Brushing Room tile as soon as I can. Here's a quick breakdown of the servant types used for the base game only:

BUTLER: 14 tiles, 2 gentry cards

FOOTMAN: 15 tiles, 3 gentry cards

HOUSEKEEPER: 5 tiles, 2 gentry cards

LADY'S MAID: 34 gentry cards (including two doubles*)

VALET: 33 gentry cards

*When I say "doubles", I'm referring to the two Gentry cards that require two Lady's Maids (at once) to play.

As you can see here, the Footman edges out the Butler by one tile as the most prolific host. Butlers also have a heavy concentration toward hosting Prestige tile events, a category that doesn't too often get played "back to back". Conversely, Footmen are spread quite evenly between Estate and Sporting tiles, increasing their likelihood for consecutive demand. (And I've said it thrice now but I'll say it once more: The Brushing Room tile radically devalues Valet and turns Footmen into the undisputed champs, so—get it.)

From the Gentry side of things, Lady's Maid and Valet are almost an even split. However, there are three major reasons why, if my current hand isn't giving me a very clear direction, I opt for a Lady's Maid over a Valet for these reasons:

1. OF THE GUESTS THAT GRANT PRESTIGE INVITES, NINE (9) OF THEM REQUIRE LADY'S MAIDS WHILE ONLY FOUR (4) OF THEM REQUIRE VALETS.

It's true. Women tend to be the ones that offer Prestige invite favors while the gentlemen lean toward reputation and cash. Not to say that reputation and cash aren't worthwhile favors, but ultimately in the final season(s) of the game, you'll want to be using every single Prestige invite available to you, meaning you will need a fully stocked cabinet of Lady's Maids to play optimally.

2. OOPS...I SAID I'D ONLY MENTION IT ONE MORE TIME BUT HERE I AM AGAIN: IF YOU HAVE OR INTEND ON GETTING THE BRUSHING ROOM, IT MAKES LADY'S MAIDS THE OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR HIRE OVER VALETS.

In fact, the Brushing Room almost requires that one makes my suggested neutral hire of 1x Footman + 1x Lady's Maid (excepting the Yorks, I suppose, who could get away with a double Lady's Maid hire). And since you should theoretically always be on the lookout for the Brushing Room, my thought that a Footman/Lady's Maid hire is the safest yet all-around "best" hiring action—Gentry deck specifics notwithstanding—is further solidified.

3. ELIZABETH FAIRCHILD, THE FAIRCHILD CARD YOU WILL BE OPTING FOR 99% OF THE TIME YOU WIN A COURTSHIP, REQUIRES A LADY'S MAID.

This in and of itself isn't necessarily a reason to hire a Lady's Maid, but it certainly bolsters the case for Lady's Maids when coupled with the other points above. Furthermore, there are two Prestige guests that require the use of two Lady's Maids at once. There are no such Gentry cards for Valets. Ultimately, Lady's Maids, overall, are slightly more "in demand" when you consider the entire Gentry pool. Case dismissed!

The Lady's Maid doesn't have a Brushing Room tile "equivalent"; however, a base rule of the game is that the Housekeeper can stand in for any Lady's Maid requirement, whether tile or Gentry. This can obviously be a big help for female-heavy decks and might have you asking: "If the Housekeeper can stand in for the Lady's Maid, I effectively start with two Lady's Maids...So why hire another?" The key difference is that Housekeepers are required to host several events, while Valets are not. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you desire to play a tile hosted by a Housekeeper and are unable to invite the optimal (or even necessary) female guests because you don't have another Lady's Maid.

And last, but surely not least, do not forget about the Butler's Pantry. Having an Underbulter can be a huge relief, as he can substitute for any male servant role—Butler, Valet, or Footman. This is a piece that further enforces the hiring of a Lady's Maid (possibly two, especially if you're playing as York) and devalues Valets a bit. An ideal scenario for me is: One hiring action to hire a Footman and a Lady's Maid while having (at some point during Seasons One or Two) both the Butler's Pantry and the Brushing Room. That'll get you through most situations without having to hire twice. If you can manage to get the Servant's Quarters, too, then you'll be practically unstoppable on that front. Of course, things rarely work out as planned, so be prepared to shift your tactics appropriately to whatever makes the most sense.

VIII. F*** You, Pay Me: Money & the American Heiress

Like almost every eurogame in existence, cash is king, and money is a critical—perhaps the most critical—resource in Obsession, especially early. Unless you're playing as the Ponsonbys, you start with exactly £0. To purchase anything at all, you must either (1) play a sporting tile, or (2) use the favor of your family's Lord and/or Son. Until you get a decent cash engine flowing, money will remain tight.

There are two mistakes/oversights I often see with new(er) players:

1. You do not need to buy from the market every single turn, especially at the beginning of the game. Consider that you start with five unflipped tiles already. Sometimes it is better to hold onto that £300 in your pocket for the next round rather than burn it on a paltry Level 1 tile in the first market slot. Maybe then you will be able to afford a more valuable tile next turn, one that will grant a much better return on investment. It's always wise to keep an eye out for "good deals" in the market, i.e., when a valuable tile slips too low or if something appears that specifically aligns with your objectives, etc., but don't feel pressured into buying a tile simply to say "I bought a tile". You better have a good plan or reason for buying any and every tile.

2. Unsavory guests suck, except when they don't. I'm referring mainly to the American Heiress cards and, more specifically, drawing one in the first season. These cards are worth -3 VP at the endgame and, whenever invited to an event, will drop your reputation by 2 or 3. But they also give you a whopping £700 or £800, depending on which one you get. That amount of money in Season One is invaluable. The good news? That early in the game, your reputation won't be terribly high anyway, so the rep hit shouldn't sting too much. (If there even is a hit at all—you might still be at 1.1 by then!) Either way, in Season One (and often even in Season Two), £800 is worth way more than 3 reputation points. You'll be able to turn that money into something that will pay dividends later. Don't be afraid of playing the American Heiresses early—just be sure to dismiss them before the game is over!

Sporting tiles are going to be your other major source of cash. (Gentry cards have monetary favors, too, but considering that the draw is largely random, it's tough to rely on them.) Though it's usually inadvisable to reuse tiles if it can be avoided, Sporting tiles are most often the exception to this rule, simply because they offer a good money perk and the Gentry requirements are rarely prohibitive. Regardless of your overall plan, the courtship categories, your objectives, etc., it's never a bad idea to grab a few Sporting tiles over the course of the game. You will always find a use for more money.

IX. Reputation, and What It Means to You

Increasing your family's Reputation level should be a critical focus because it allows you to play better tiles and Gentry cards, and better tiles and Gentry cards equal better favors, which in turn lead to even better tiles and Gentry cards, and so on and so forth. There is no perfect blueprint for this, but generally these will be "reasonable" targets to keep in mind while playing:

§ End of Season One: High Rep 1 or Rep 2

§ End of Season Two: High Rep 3 or Rep 4

§ End of Season Three: High Rep 5 or Rep 6

§ End of Season Four: Max Reputation

You will not be able to keep pace with these targets every single game. Some games, you might be way ahead of them. And obviously, the earlier you reach higher rep levels, generally, the better. But aiming for something like this will at least keep reputation on your mind so that you don't end up wasting a bunch of great tiles or Gentry cards by not being able to play them until the very end of the game.

If you're the mathematically-minded type, you can also think of it like this: You start at a reputation level of 1.1. In order to finish the game with max reputation, you need to get to 9.1. Five reputation points advance you one full Rep level. That's a total of 40 reputation points needed to reach max reputation (9.1). In an extended game, there are 16 turns where you can earn reputation (not counting the courtships, because you cannot earn reputation on those turns). That works out to +2.5 reputation points per turn. Now, obviously you can't earn "half" reputation points and certainly you won't be earning reputation points every turn of the game. But it is a target to keep in the back of your head.

Another way to parse it would be: 40 reputation points over 4 seasons means you'll need to get +10 reputation points per season. If you have a monster turn one season with, e.g., the Cabinet of Curiosities paired with a reputation-grating Gentry, you know you have some breathing room for the next few turns. Remember, too, that as the game marches on, (theoretically) your reputation gets higher, (theoretically) your estate gets larger, and (theoretically) your Gentry deck grows and improves. Thus, it will be easier to gain more reputation in the late-game than it will be in the early-game.

The last thing to consider is how Monuments play a role here. Monuments grant you +1 reputation point per turn, automatically. That reduces your "per turn" reputation point requirement from +2.5 to only +1.5, which sounds and feels a lot more manageable. Getting a Monument early can really take the pressure off of your reputation growth over the course of the game.

One of the keys, especially if you wind up lagging behind in reputation, is to compensate with a hefty Prestige tile and Gentry that grant reputation favors. Example: You're midway through Season Three and only at Rep 4.2. Not great. However, the Music Room is a Level 4 tile that grants +4 reputation points as its favor and requires 3 Gentry to play. Among the available Gentry in your hand is the honorable Albert Plantagenet whose favor is +3 reputation. You're also able to invite the family's daughter, who grants a +2 reputation bonus if used alongside a Prestige-level male card (which Mr. Plantagenet is). From that one play, you hop from a reputation of 4.2 to 6.1—two full Rep levels in a single turn! Keep an eye out for opportunities like this; if you spend a single turn generating a huge amount of reputation, you alleviate a lot of stress down the road.

At Rep Level 6, all tiles and Gentry cards become playable (unless you're using a few special promo tiles, but let's assume you're not). So, once you reach Rep 6 you might be thinking: Why bother with boosting my reputation? And I am here to tell you, it is critical to do everything you can to max out reputation—Rep 9 in extended play—before the game is over. Why? Endgame VP. You get 21 VP if you finish the game at Rep 6. You get a whopping 45 VP if you finish at max (Rep 9). That's twenty-four victory points you're leaving on the table if you decide to sputter out at Rep 6. Hell, there's even a 9 VP difference between finishing at Rep 8 and Rep 9! You really, really want to max out your reputation before the game is over, or you better have a damn good reason for not doing so. (Hint: there are no good reasons for not doing so.)

With all that in mind, do not forget about your VP Cards—those little things you earn whenever you win (or tie for) a seasonal courtship or invite select Prestige guests—which may be traded in at any time for the printed favor in lieu of the VPs. There is a card that grants either 4 VP at the endgame or +3 reputation points if traded in. Let's assume you're on the very last turn of the game and you were only able to reach Rep 8.3. Trading in this VP Card would be a no-brainer: You lose the 3 VP from the card itself, but the +3 reputation bonus pushes you to Rep 9.1, which grants you an extra 9 VP for endgame reputation scoring. That's a net value of +6 VPs. A simple and obvious choice, but one that might be overlooked.