Sunday Afternoon Obsession

My moustachioed friend and fellow Englishman also called David and I headed into the northern outskirts of Hiroshima where we had been invited to play a game of Obsession, something that neither of us had done before.

Our American host, Jeffrey, a former colleague of mine, and expert igo player, was hosting the event. The last time the three of us gathered around the games table was in the year 1 BC, videlicet, 2019, the year Before Corona put the kibosh on just about everything.

What is Obsession?

Obsession is a board game set in the aristocratic houses of 19th century England. Each player is assigned an aristocratic family and the object of the game is for you to improve your aristocratic pile so as to attract the better sort of guest and win prestige for doing so. However, since improving your estate costs a pretty penny, it is sometimes prudent to invite a brash industrialist or a well heeled colonial though that may put a dent in your reputation.

One must also carefully manage one's servants to ensure the smooth and efficient running of one's estate. A good marriage also helps, so one must keep one's eye on what aspect of improving one's estate is most likely to lure an elegible match for the orfspring.

To get the most out of the game, time should be allowed for the players to read out the flavour text on the family and guest cards and make suitable comments and observations. The English gentlemen at the table muttered about new-money Americans ruining their reputation, even while taking their cash. Our American host had the last laugh as he deployed his servants to damage the reputation of his opponents while his own reputation soared. A sign of the times, no doubt.

After the game was over we played a couple of games of Qin, which our host also won. His explanation was that he is now retired and can devote a lot of time to practising the game.

The aim of the game is to get rid of your stock of pagodas and you do that by connecting similar coloured squares. It's an easy game to learn, but not so easy to master.

In short, it was a pleasant way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, especially after such a long break.

Cheers!

David Hurley
#InspiredFocus

For the best experience view this post on Liketu