The Case of Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars
Choose to take on the role of a unique and irregular character to solve cases in Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars.
It appears that the game is afoot! At least, I seem to be moving through some of my giant stack of mystery games, many of which aren’t designed to be played over and over again. Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars introduces a fun way to solve cases with almost identical booklets… Each character has a special ability that shows up unexpectedly!
Game Overview
Game Name: Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Cédric Asna
Artist: Grelin
Publisher: Van Ryder Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Multiple cases are spread out across numbered panels, where a story takes shape and hidden elements might be found. Each character has a special ability that might open up interesting elements in a case… With the right amount of deduction and careful exploration. Puzzles galore!
First Play
December 6, 2023
Complexity
1
Latest Play
December 6, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
30 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
14" x 18"
Low Score
N/A
Playing as Myrtle
I decided to try out this adventure as Myrtle, master of disguise. Indeed, she had some interesting moments where she fashioned disguises out of practically anything!
The beginning was fun to decipher using the bookmark, yet the first case was all about going around the city.
Rotating the directional arrow was realistic, as I think I got lost many times. But it became quite frustrating to spend so much time just trying to find the right direction.
I don’t mind these sorts of mazes in puzzle books, yet I’m starting to think they’re not quite for me anymore.
Off to the Mansion!
With a positive conclusion to that mission, it was off to a mysterious mansion. It appeared to be owned by Moriarty, which is never a good sign. Just walk away. Ha ha!
Still, I was rather intrigued by this being described as a combination of a puzzle and escape room.
One thing I was certainly not loving were some of the hidden numbers. These weren’t a major focus, yet I think my eyes are telling me that giant text is preferred!
There were some interesting notes about how this was a little different for playing solo, and I eagerly explored…
Solo Puzzles to Solve
First, I was immediately put off by the fact that a timer was involved. I dislike feeling rushed, especially with books like these that I’ll likely only play once.
I much prefer to take my time, see everything, and then fondly set it aside. There are probably ways to play multiple times, yet that’s not my desired experience.
To help things along, the solo puzzles guided me to the right item to search in each room to shorten the time.
These were kind of clever! I especially liked this one, that I couldn’t quite place, until I saw the answer. Very neat!
Hopelessly Locked In
I backtracked, looked for hidden numbers, and scratched my head a few times… But all I could end up with was this panel. Clearly, it was designed for a group setting.
Most likely, I missed something obvious. Yet I had no way of remembering where I left off without going back to the start of the mission, which I could have done…
Yet at this point, I was tired of flipping around and knew that I wasn’t in the target audience for this one. Retired!
That’s also not to say that it’s broken or anything: Just not something I would want to return to play solo again.
Understanding Why It’s Me, and Not the Game
If you’ve been reading along for awhile now, you’ll know that I try to find the positive in a lot of solo games! Even the ones with low ratings often have a reason, and only in extremely rare circumstances do I completely blame the game. Most of the time, it’s a mismatch with my expectations or preferences, and that’s what seems to be going on here.
Over the years, I picked up pretty much everything in the Graphic Novel Adventures line. I used to love hunting down hidden numbers, solving obscure puzzles, and flipping all over each book. Lots of fun! Now, though, I simply think I’ve grown out of this genre. These aren’t for everyone, so I’m not upset that things have changed. It really is me. Ha ha!
Yet I still give a lot of these games a whirl because I know there’s an audience for them. My copies will eventually move along to new homes, too, and I can see them being enjoyed by many. That’s precisely what I hope happens!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 & 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Missions 1 & 2
Outcome: 2 Wins
At least Sherlock Holmes told me I was brilliant, even if I sort of cheated to reach the end of the second case. Ha! My feeling is that this is likely a much more interesting experience in a group, where each character can be utilized. Much less likely to go astray, too! In the end, I didn’t exactly enjoy this one, but it definitely got me thinking about how I may not love puzzle books anymore.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
5
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
6
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
3
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
3
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each character is very different and offers up special additions in certain panels to use special abilities.
- Many of the solo-only puzzles are enjoyable and help facilitate play without a group of other players.
- The code included in the rules and on the bookmark is fun to use in deciphering fairly simple coded messages.
- All of the text is in clear bubbles with black text on white, which is easy to read compared to the hidden clues.
- Some interesting things can happen around London during the missions, which add to the storyline a bit.
- It’s easy to pause between missions, as each one is fairly quick and has a clear stopping point.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Although there are some concessions for playing solo, this feels like it would be best enjoyed with a group.
- Solutions remain the same across the cases, so playing again as a different character doesn’t really offer a lot.
- Flipping back and forth throughout the full book can get very repetitive and frustrating pretty quickly.
- Having a timer for a mission discourages exploration in an experience that is typically enjoyed only once.
Victory Conditions
Complete All Missions
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete mission 1.
Complete mission 2.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars? Is there a character you gravitated towards playing as? I don’t want to take away from the fun of this one, as I can see it being pretty great for the right players! Lots of puzzles, humor, and neat discoveries. It also helped me look at my current game preferences, which I’m thankful for!
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