About the Sherlock Holmes What's Missing? Game
Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories are in the public domain, so we're free to celebrate the great detective properly. Deerstalkers, magnifying glasses, dossiers and the fog of Victorian London await.
What's in the Sherlock Holmes deck
The full deck, so you know what to watch for — 12 pictures: 🔍 Magnifier🎩 Deerstalker🧥 Cape☕ Tea📰 Times🖊️ Pen🗝️ Key📞 Telephone📚 Volume💡 Insight📁 Dossier🔑 Clue
Study tip: link the first three — magnifier, deerstalker and cape — into one ridiculous mental picture. Absurd images stick; lists don't. When a picture vanishes, replay the scene and ask what doesn't fit any more.
How to memorise a classics board
Classic decks — board games, timeless toys, household evergreens — memorise well by function. Ask of each item: what is it for? Rolling dice moves a piece; a playing card deals a hand; a toy train carries cargo. Function gives every picture a tiny verb, and verbs, again, are the memory's favourite handle.
Then link the functions into an afternoon: you play the game, shuffle the cards, wind the toy. A board that tells you what a rainy Sunday felt like in object form is a board you can replay from memory after one pass.
How to Play
- Press Start and memorise every picture on the board.
- After a few seconds the board hides and one picture is removed.
- Pick the missing picture from the answer choices.
- Each correct answer adds a bigger board. Three misses ends the game.
Fun Facts About Sherlock Holmes
- Conan Doyle wrote 60 Holmes stories between 1887 and 1927.
- Holmes never actually says "Elementary, my dear Watson" in any of the original books.
- 221B Baker Street didn't exist when the stories were published — the Royal Mail later assigned the address.
- Holmes is officially the most-portrayed fictional human character in film and TV.
Classics deck questions
Are these decks good for reminiscence activities?
Very. Recognisable everyday objects from decades past are the standard material for memory sessions with older family members, and a matching game gives the conversation a light, no-pressure frame.
The board looks easy — should I skip to hard?
Familiar items are easier to recognise but not necessarily easier to locate. Try medium first: if your first game lands under the excellent benchmark, move up.