I was sent a free copy of Sherlock Solitaire to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.

What’s Sherlock Solitaire?

Sherlock Solitaire is a 1-2-player card game where the player solves crimes as the famous literary detective. Can you navigate the clues and danger to solve the mystery at large?

What’s in the box?

• 2 Reference Cards
• 2 Detective Cards (Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson)
• 2 Case Cards (“The Valley of Fear,” “The Final Problem”)
• 1 Wound Card (minor wound on front, severe wound on back)
• 32 Investigation cards (8 of each number 1-4)
• 16 Threat Cards (4 of each letter A-D)

How to Play

• 1. Take a Reference card.
• 2. Take either Detective card. Place it text-side up.
• 3. Choose a Case card or select at random. Place the card text-side up. For new players, we recommend “The Valley of Fear.”
• 4. Shuffle all 32 Investigation cards (numbers 1-4) and all 16 Threat cards (letters A-D) together to create the deck. Place it face-down.
• 5. Leave room for the discard pile. Cards will be placed on the discard pile face-up and may be reviewed at any time.
• 6. Place the Wound card sideways, with the minor wound face-up.
• 7. Leave plenty of room for the play areas, which include the Crime Scene on the left and the Office on the right.

The publisher also has a fantastic tutorial worth checking out.

Review

Sherlock Solitaire is a quick and easy game to pull out when you don’t want a huge commitment. The game is easy to learn but hard to master. The game comes in a neat compact package for easy storage unless you sleeve all your card games. While I do love the art and design of the box, I had to toss it because it didn’t fit the sleeve deck.

The cards themselves are of fantastic quality. The pictures are beautiful and printed on nice sturdy card stock. While I am sure it will survive a few hundred shuffles, I opted to sleeve mine because I am a crazy person who sleeves everything.

Games of Sherlock Solitaire are pretty quick, and a welcomed twist on the classic card game. You can pull this game out whenever you need a quick game away from a device, and it is engaging enough to keep you entertained through more than one play-through. I like that there are options for added difficulty for those who feel like they have mastered the game early on. I never did, but it was nice to have options.

This isn’t your normal game of solitaire. I think there are enough changes to this version to make it a fresh new and exciting experience for those who don’t like the classic game. The game also features fantastic flavor with some truly beautiful illustrations. Even if you’ve never read the books, you can appreciate the game’s look and gameplay. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and simple solo game, and there are rules to add a second player if needed.

You can pick up Sherlock Solitaire for only $9.95 on Amazon using my affiliate link. There is also an app version for Android and IOS.