The Downton Abbey Board Game is a fun activity for board game lovers and fans of this Masterpiece Classic series.

The directions are detailed, but easy to follow if you read them carefully. The game board is beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of Clue. When playing the game, you can either portray a butler or maid, and the cardboard pieces easily fit into their plastic holders, creating movable game pieces. Players pick different Destination Cards (Library, Pantry, etc.), and roll the die, traveling to these Destinations on each turn; everyone keeps three Destination Cards in their hands at all times. (Once they reach a Destination, they pick a new card.) The goal of the game is to collect as many Downton Bell cards before the Destination Cards run out. Downton Bell cards can be retrieved when players land at their Destinations or pick certain Carson Cards or Letter Cards, which give specific instructions, such as where to move. I thought the Letter Cards were very cute, since they were written in cursive and alluded to Downton happenings.

The game has references to Downton Abbey, and players travel through the Downton Abbey home as they navigate the board game, but it is not just a constant barrage of Downton Abbey references. The people who will enjoy this game the most are those who truly love board games. Some elements of the game are similar to Sorry, though I found this game to be much less frustrating than Sorry; even though The Downton Abbey Board Game has an element of chance, it is enjoyable to travel throughout the Grantham home and pick up Downton Bells, Carson Cards, and Letter Cards. This game would be a great addition to a Downton Abbey viewing party. If you like Downton Abbey, this is a great find! You can buy the game here on Amazon.