For a “great detective” Sherlock Holmes does spend a lot of time sitting around, doesn’t he? While all the schemers, skivers, and ne’er-do-wells of London are busy with their machinations, he seems just to be waiting there in 221b Baker Street for the answers to fall into his lap. Well, maybe they just do? Not because of his special genius, mind you! What if there was a reserve army of detective labour he never mentioned to Watson always beavering and ferreting about , ratting things out, night and day, among the gothic rafters or leafy hedgerows of the great Victorian metropole. And maybe these little gumshoes (gum-flippers? gum-paws? gum-hoofs?) aren’t even human? Meet The Animals of Baker Street.
How-To-Play
The Animals of Baker Street is a cooperative, story-driven deduction game for all ages. The players take on the role of a group of four different animals (frog, a bird, a mouse, and a tarantula) all with different approaches to solving problems and gaining information to finally provide Sherlock Holmes either with the materials to solve a case in the human world, or else to resolve issues affecting their own daily, animal lives.
For a “great detective” Sherlock Holmes does spend a lot of time sitting around, doesn’t he? While all the schemers, skivers, and ne’er-do-wells of London are busy with their machinations, he seems just to be waiting there in 221b Baker Street for the answers to fall into his lap. Well, maybe they just do? Not because of his special genius, mind you! What if there was a reserve army of detective labour he never mentioned to Watson always beavering and ferreting about , ratting things out, night and day, among the gothic rafters or leafy hedgerows of the great Victorian metropole. And maybe these little gumshoes (gum-flippers? gum-paws? gum-hoofs?) aren’t even human? Meet The Animals of Baker Street.
How-To-Play
The Animals of Baker Street is a cooperative, story-driven deduction game for all ages. The players take on the role of a group of four different animals (frog, a bird, a mouse, and a tarantula) all with different approaches to solving problems and gaining information to finally provide Sherlock Holmes either with the materials to solve a case in the human world, or else to resolve issues affecting their own daily, animal lives.
The game components consist of: a double-sided board depicting a variety of sub-locations in and around Baker Street in the day and on the verso, the night; a set of Location and numbered cards for each case (initially presented face down); Character cards depicting the four main characters (Cherrywood the mouse, Clay the frog, Briar the bird, and Calabash the Tarantula), a Casebook; and a cardboard sheet on which you keep track of the passage of time by placing clock tokens.
After reading the opening story for the case aloud, players take turns to choose a location on the board to travel each turn. Some locations may be locked initially but can be opened by acquiring tools or information at other locations.
Every move will cost a minimum of one clock token to complete and each case has a specific number of clock tokens available to the team before time on the case runs out.
At each location, the players turn over the corresponding Location card. In most cases this will reveal a further element of the story to be read but also present the players with a situation to resolve.
At the bottom of many locations cards there are a set of magnifying glasses missing their handles.
Situations are resolved – or sometimes made worse – by choosing a specific Character card (or sometimes Item or Information card as prompted by the text on the Location) and aligning the edges of the two cards together. Each Character has a specific set of skills: Calabash can intimidate another animal or destroy objects, Clay the frog is a loquacious little chap with the gift of the gab, Cherrywood is sneaky and quick, and Briar can fly (bird, innit?)
If the Character, Item, or Information card advances the plot or gives access to a new item or Location, the magnifying glass handles on the Character, Item, or Information card will align with a magnifying glass head that shows a specific number. Take that card number from the pile and read it out.
Got it wrong? Used the wrong character? Matched the wrong document to another? Well, then you will take a penalty – usually either time or the closure of another Location to access – and you will have to find another way through the case.
Sometimes, though, running out of time triggers an Event that will reorganise the board forcing a new set of numbered cards to be brought into play, the board to be flipped to Night, or new locations to open up.
Pretty neat, huh?
Review
The Animals of Baker Street is the product of a collaboration between by the noted children’s author and academic Clémentine Beauvais and the game designer Dave Neale, who is an industry veteran that worked on expansion to the original, legendary Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective game and the Unlock! Series. Both are masters of their craft and there is a clarity of purpose, warmth, and mechanical skill that is brought to The Animals of Baker Street that shows through in every casefile.
Cosy crime is all the rage in the popular fiction and board gaming world at the moment and if you are thrilled by the whole nostalgic, Thursday Murder Club, vibe I defy you not to not have a great time sitting down with tea and cake of an afternoon to play this charming game. Much recent Sherlock Holmes themed content has drifted quite adult, and it is nice to see the famous characters and locations used for a more light-hearted purpose. That is not to say that this is a world entirely without peril. There are enough crazy Cockney rats and aggressive unhinged bats to add offer the right level of piquancy and excitement to keep the whole family interested.
Mechanically, you can see the influence of both the Unlock! series, in the uncovering of clues that shapes evolving interactions with the board – much like a puzzle or tabletop escape room –, and the original Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective in the setting, group interaction and amusing deployment of red herrings and extraneous information to entice and beguile in a way that furthers the world building. Neale has pulled off an extremely clever synergy of the two kinds of game systems here. In fact, I would go as far as to suggest that the system of TABS is perhaps its very greatest feature. The mechanism of TABS is charming, delightful and clever, and families will enjoy seeing how each problem can be solved or exacerbated by the pint-sized heroes. There is a real frisson when the handles and hourglasses line up and a new card is revealed.
I could imagine the mechanics of TABS ported superbly to other settings and situations. Too early to say yet, of course, but the system does have “franchise” all over it. Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective is one of the first great modern boardgames and a key spark to the whole late-twentieth century boom in the medium. Bringing the pick up and play, general audience, “escape room” quality of Unlock! to the detection processes of that older masterpiece is an inspired decision by the creatives. Pair this with some of the most charming art I’ve seen in ages and The Animals of Baker Street really deserves its accolades – including a place on the famed Recommended List of the Spiel des Jahres competition 2025.
Beauvais’ writing is superb. She pastiches Arthur Conan Doyle with panache and occasionally gently highlights flaws in the original Sherlock Holmes stories with real grace and affection. Adults and older children who have read them will have fun picking out references. Only an individual as well acquainted with the works as Beauvais seems to be could put this off. Each case allows players to watch a wonderful children’s book play out in front of them. I was charmed.
I would add that the game can also play excellently alone without modifying any of the gameplay. It’s clearly designed for collaboration, but it is notable how well it actually works solo. There are too few boardgames where this works quite so smoothly. No Anima-style updates or expansions for solo play are here needed. It can be an individual or a group experience right from the get-go. As a present for a crime fiction fan or a youngish family you cannot really go wrong with this title.
Speaking of expansions though, there are currently none on the market. The original game set has seven linked adventures and there is not tons of replay value. David Neale has reported on another site that expansions were planned when the game was signed off by the publisher Iello. Nothing yet, but I really want to see them start to come out. Perhaps in time for Christmas? Pretty please, Iello? What if I make the cute frog ask really nicely. Or the mouse? Don’t make me bring out the tarantula.
