Sherlock Holmes is a matching game, somewhat similar to the card game Pit, where all players play at the same time. Cards are marked with specific words, such as "robbers," and "crimes," and there is also a "Sherlock Holmes" card. When this is played, it allows the player to attempt to snatch all opponents' cards in play at the time. Similarly, a "Scotland Yard" card forces each player to pass three cards to the left. The object is to make matching sets. The play is fast-paced and raucous. Undoubtedly the game's name and theme related to the great popularity of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's very popular mystery stories during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.