Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a book-based game published by Sleuth Publications in 1981. A deluxe edition was released in a leatherette binder; the game was also published in a more traditional boxed version. In 1985, it won the Spiel des Jahres award.

Although often thought of as a "board game," SHCD has no board. Players read a brief introduction to a case, then explore a large book of clues, each of which is tied to a numerical "location" somewhere in London.The game had a very immersive feel, thanks to the way text was spread out into a number of small books and documents. For instance, reproductions of The London Times are riddled with clues; a small directory tells players which numerical location to "visit" to talk to certain characters; maps and other devices allowed for a very "free-form" gaming experience, and also made the game ideal for solitaire play.

The first installment contained ten cases, which meant replay value was low. Four supplements were published: "The Mansion Murders", "The Queen's Park Affair", "Adventures by Gaslight" and "West End Adventures".

Sleuth Publications also produced a similar game called Gumshoe, the Hardboiled Detective in the 30s. The game consists of historical maps of San Francisco from the 30s (very interesting in their own right), mug shots, finger print files, newspapers, crime reports, etc, which create a very immersive experience.

All the games are out of print. A computer and DVD version of some of the original games are still available.

The idea of publishing crime stories in the format of "real-life" police dossiers was pioneered by the well known post-war mystery writer Dennis Wheatley and his associate JG (Joe) Links (see link). While their first murder file books were initially well regarded, their high cost of production and failure to engage amateur sleuths meant only a limited period of commercial success.

External links

* [http://boardgamegeek.com/game/2511 Game entry] at BoardGameGeek
* http://www.denniswheatley.info/crimedossiers.htm