In The Amberden Affair, players serve as domestic servants for a grand soiree held in the esteemed Amberden Manor. While busily carrying out orders for three distinguished dignitaries, observant footmen realize that one of their own has malicious objectives that threaten the very lives of the ones they are there to serve.

In the game, players try to earn points by completing as many orders as possible by taking item cards from locations in the room and bringing them to their proper recipients. They must also attempt to identify the Miscreant Impostor, the player who is secretly trying to poison certain targets while accomplishing regular orders. The player with the most points at the end of three rounds wins!