How to Play Cluedo – the Basics, Tips ,and Tricks

If you love unraveling great mysteries and playing detective for every crime out there, then the best board game out there for you to chill with your family or friends is Cluedo! The game is based on a fictional detective story that was very popular during the 1940s, and the best thing about this game is that it teaches players logic, strategy, and the art of elimination!

The backstory of the game is that the host gets killed midway through a party with many guests. The game is to figure out who killed the host, where, and with what weapon before the killer strikes again! Play the board game clue and have accusations flying around during the process!

History and Objective of Cluedo

This popular board game was invented by Anthony Pratt, a British musician, who created it to pass the time while waiting in the bomb shelters during World War II. The game was originally called “Murder!” which was later named “Cluedo” (a combination of “clue” and “Ludo”) by Norman Watson (the executive of Waddingtons) when it was presented to him by Pratt and his wife, Elva Pratt. They filed to patent the game in 1944, and though it was granted in 1947, the game did not officially launch until 1949 because of post-war shortages. In 1949, the Parker Brothers, an American distribution company, bought the rights to sell the game in the country.

The three main objectives of the game are to discover the suspect who killed the victim, figure out which location fits the murder, and decide which weapon was used during the murder. The clue game forces the players to be a detective, and while the entire thing remains almost non-graphics, it still becomes one of the best board games for family times. It is also an amazing way to teach children the power of deductive reasoning. If you are thinking, “how long does it take to play Cluedo?” the real answer would depend on how good of a detective you all are! On average, the game takes about 45 minutes.

How to Play Cluedo?

Cluedo can be a straightforward game once you know its components, instructions on how to play Cluedo, and ways to win!

What You Will Need

• Cluedo game board that features nine rooms
• Six tokens colored that represents one of the suspects: Mrs. Peacock (blue), Mrs. White (white), Mr. Green (green), Professor Plum (purple), Miss Scarlet (red), Colonel Mustard (yellow)
• 6 miniature weapons: revolver, wrench, candlestick, knife, lead pipe, rope
• Notebooks
• Pack of cards: one card for each of the six weapons, six suspects, and nine rooms.
• One die
• Casefile confidential envelope

How to Setup The Game

1. Take the suspect token first and place it at the starting space that is assigned. If lesser than six people are playing the game, then make sure that you take the remaining tokens and place them on the appropriate names since these people might also be involved in the murder.
2. Take all the weapons tokens and place each of them at random around the room.
3. Next, take the cards and sort them by type into three different groups: rooms, suspects, and weapons.
4. Place each group of the pack of cards face down and shuffle each group properly. Take one card out from each group and without peeking, slide it into the envelope labeled “Case File Confidential.” Place the confidential envelope at the center of the board, where you will find the “X” mark.
5. Once the Case File Confidential Envelope is in place, combine the three groups, shuffle them, and place them on the table with the deck facing downwards. The cards must then be dealt in the clockwise direction around the table.
6. You could even check out the cards present in your hand and even cut them off in your notebook as a possibility.

How to Play

To understand how to play the game, consider this scenario: Mr. Boddy was found dead in his room. The three main questions the players must find answers to are “Who killed him?”, “Where did the murder take place?” and “What weapon was used?”.

1. Let’s consider Miss Scarlet opens the game, and the players take turns in the clockwise direction around the table.
2. On each turn, the player is in a different room to investigate. To begin your turn, use a secret passage in the corner of the room, or roll the dice to move your token.
3. You can move your token either forward or backward, left or right, and not diagonally when using the dice. You cannot enter an area that is already occupied. The other players can also trap you in a room or block doors, and in that case, you will have to wait for them to unblock or make way!
4. Once you enter a room, you can make suggestions by naming the killer, weapon, and the room you just entered. Then your opponents should (if possible) prove that it was false by showing you at least one card that matched your description. It is normal not to be able to disprove, but every player should have the chance.
5. When somebody shows you their card to disprove your theory, you can cross it off in your notebook. If no one can disprove it, you can either make an accusation or end your turn. Note that the suggestion is made only for the room you are in.
6. If you have deduced answers to all three questions, you can make an accusation stating the answers to those three questions- who, with what, and where.
7. Once you have made the accusation, you can secretly look into the cards in the envelope and check if you were right.
8. If you are correct, you have won the game! However, note that each player only gets one accusation during the game, and if you are wrong, you lose and must leave the game without telling the other players the confidential information.

Tips to Win Cluedo

Here are a few tips you could consider to help you win Cluedo:

• Ensure that you have correctly crossed off your cards. Not doing so can actually lead you in the wrong direction.
• Always try to eliminate false possibilities as you play after every turn. This will provide you with a huge benefit over the other players when playing.
• Never ask for cards you know the other players have. Once you have crossed off your cards, you might want to start marking off the others. If another player has shown you a card you have already seen, do not ask for it since it is a waste of your turn. You could even suggest your cards since nobody can disprove them.
• Use available information to make new deductions. If you already know that another player has a revolver while you have a Mr. Green card and then when another player tries to disprove the suggestion of “Mr.Green with a revolver in the library,” then you know that that card must be the library.
• Use the secret passages to move from one room to another. This way, you will not have to risk rolling the dice.

Cluedo can become a terrific board game when you know the rules and how to play. Not only will you be having immense fun, but you can also put your excellent logical reasoning skills to use to win!

Also Read:

Best Family Game Ideas
Board Games for Children
Guide to Play Hopscotch for Children