Which Expansion

Obsession expansions

Base game: 1–4 players30–90 minKayenta Games3 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs

    Buy this first

    BGG 8.58 from 2,279 ratings. Several BGG owners call it the one necessary expansion; others say to learn the base game first.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Four new servants, the Howard family, 49 more guests, five improvement tiles and three game modes. Enables 5 players, and 6 with Wessex.

    Fixes: The servants let you screen guests, work around prestige-guest limits, find tiles, refresh the market more easily and strengthen favors early (BGG description).

    Expansion1–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Kayenta Games
  2. #2 overall

    Obsession: Wessex Expansion

    Worth it

    BGG 8.32 from 1,911 ratings. Posters call it a small, easy add; one reviewer scored it 90/100 but not the most needed.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: A fifth family board, 16 more guests, six extended-play solo opponents and, in 2nd-edition copies, two low-VP tiles. It does not enable 5 players.

    Fixes: A reviewer says the extra low-VP tiles help with the early-game imbalance in the base game.

    Mini expansion1–4 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Kayenta Games
  3. #3 overall

    Obsession: Characters Expansion

    Depends on your group

    BGG 8.39 from 559 ratings. The designer calls the sideboard circumstantial; owners split on the fiddly second-chance servants.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Three new characters, second-chance servants, distinguished family members, a universal objective deck, 14 solo opponents and cooperative play.

    Fixes: Gives an escape route from bad guest or objective draws: remove unsavoury guests, swap objectives, or recruit prestige guests.

    Expansion1–4 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Kayenta Games

Need the base game?

Reference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Kayenta Games

Stuck between two?

Obsession expansions: quick answers

Which Obsession expansion should I buy first?

Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs. BGG average 8.58 from 2,279 ratings. In a BGG "which expansions" thread several owners call it the one necessary expansion and say they never play without it; others say to learn the base game first.

Is Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: Four new servants (Cook, Hall Boy, Head Housemaid, Useful Man), the Howard family, 49 more guests, five improvement tiles, and Solo Estate Challenge, Tableau and Cooperative modes. Enables 5 players, and 6 with Wessex.

Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs or Obsession: Wessex Expansion: which first?

We’d buy Obsession: Upstairs, Downstairs first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-15.