Clue

This article is about the board game. For other uses, see Clue (disambiguation). For uses of the British version, see Cluedo (disambiguation).

## Clue

Clue logo (2022 - Present)

**Overview** • Rules • Gallery

## Product Infomation

### Alternative names

* Cluedo (UK/EU)
* Wer ist Meisterdetektiv? (German)
* Detetive (Brazil)

### Published by

Waddingtons
Parker Brothers
Hasbro

## Source

***Clue*** (often styled as *CLUE*, also known by its original name ***Cluedo*** (/ˈkluːdoʊ/) outside North America and certain countries) is a murder mystery board game that was devised in 1943 by British musician Anthony E. Pratt and first manufactured and published in 1949. Originally published in the United Kingdom by Waddingtons and Parker Brothers in North America, as well different other publishers across the globe, the *Clue* game and franchise is currently owned by Hasbro, published under their *Hasbro Gaming* brand.

Numerous games, books, a film, television series, and stage productions (including a musical) have been released as part of the Clue franchise. Several spinoffs have been released featuring various extra characters, weapons and rooms, or different game play. The original game is marketed as the "Classic Detective Game", and the various spin-offs are all distinguished by different slogans.

## History and conception

Holed up in his home in Birmingham, England, during air raids on the city during World War II, Anthony E. Pratt, an English musician and factory worker, recalled the murder mystery games played by some of his clients at private music gigs as well as the detective fiction popular at the time, most notably Agatha Christie. In 1944, Pratt applied for a patent of his invention of a murder/mystery-themed game, originally named Murder!  Shortly thereafter, Pratt and his wife, Elva Pratt (1913–1990), who had helped design the game, presented it to Waddingtons' executive Norman Watson, who immediately purchased it and provided its trademark name of Cluedo (a play on "clue" and "Ludo", the Latin word for "I play" and the name of a popular board game based on Pachisi).

Pratt's game was originally called *Murder!*. *In Murder!*, there were 10 characters; one of whom was to be designated the victim by random drawing prior to the start of the game. Although the patent was granted in 1947, postwar shortages postponed the game's official United Kingdom launch until 1949. It was simultaneously licensed to Parker Brothers in the United States for publication, where it was renamed Clue, as the name "Ludo" was not widely known there, Pachisi-style games having been published under other names and brands, so the play on words would not have been generally understood.

There were several differences between the original game concept and the one initially published in 1949. In particular, Pratt's original design calls for 10 characters, one of whom was to be designated the victim by random drawing prior to the start of the game. These 10 included the eliminated Mr. Brown, Mr. Gold, Miss Grey, and Mrs. Silver. The characters of Nurse White and Colonel Yellow were renamed Mrs. White and Colonel Mustard for the actual release. The game allowed for play of up to eight remaining characters, providing for nine suspects in total. Originally there were 11 rooms, including the eliminated gun room and cellar. In addition, there were nine weapons, including the unused bomb, syringe, shillelagh (walking stick/cudgel), fireplace poker, and the later used axe and poison. Some of these unused weapons and characters appeared later in spin-off versions of the game.

Some gameplay aspects were different as well. Notably, the remaining playing cards were distributed into the rooms to be retrieved, rather than dealt directly to the players. Players also had to land on another player in order to make suggestions about that player's character through the use of special tokens, and once exhausted, a player could no longer make suggestions. There were other minor differences, all of which were later updated by the game's initial release and remain essentially unchanged in the standard Classic Detective Game editions of the game.

The methodology used in the early versions of Cluedo is remarkably similar to a traditional, if little known, American card game, The King of Hearts Has Five Sons. However, Pratt himself said his inspiration was a murder mystery parlour game he used to play with friends in which youngsters "would congregate in each other's homes for parties at weekends. We'd play a stupid game called Murder, where guests crept up on each other in corridors and the victim would shriek and fall on the floor". The country house mystery was a popular subgenre of "cosy" English detective fiction in the 1920s and 1930s; stories were set in a residence of the gentry isolated by circumstances such as a snowstorm with the suspects gathered for a weekend house party.

### Marketing

Clue was originally marketed as "The Great New Detective Game" upon its launch in 1949 in North America. A deal was quickly struck to license "The Great New Sherlock Holmes Game" from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate. Advertising at the time suggested players would take on the guise of "Sherlock Holmes following the path of the criminal", but no depictions of Holmes appear in the advertising or on the box. From 1950 until the 1960s, the game was marketed as "The Great Detective Game", at which time it became the "Parker Brothers Detective Game".

With the launch of the 1972 edition of *Clue*, a television commercial showed Holmes and Watson engaged in a particularly competitive game. Adjusting with the times, in 1979 US television commercials a detective, resembling a bumbling Inspector Clouseau from the popular Pink Panther film franchise, looks for clues. In 1986, the marketing slogan added "Classic Detective Game" which persists through the last 2002/2003 edition.

Since 2012, Clue has been marketed as "The Classic Mystery Game".

In the UK, Cluedo was marketed as "The Great Detective Game" from the mid-1950s until 2000, when it was rebranded as the "Classic Detective Game". However, in the mid-1950s Waddingtons also adopted a Sherlock Holmes-type detective to adorn their box covers for a brief time, though unlike in the US editions, there was no acknowledgement that the character was actually the famous detective. In the 1980s, as in the US, Sherlock Holmes also appeared in TV advertising of the time, along with other classic detectives such as Sam Spade.

## Game

### Object

The object of the game is to determine who murdered the game's victim, where the crime took place, and which weapon was used. Each player assumes the role of one of the six suspects and attempts to deduce the correct answer by strategically moving around a game board representing the rooms of a mansion and collecting clues about the circumstances of the murder from the other players.

### Equipment

The game consists of a board which shows the rooms, corridors and secret-passages of an English country house called Tudor Close (known as Boddy Mansion in the US, currently known as Tudor Mansion since 2002). The game box also includes several coloured playing pieces to represent characters, miniature murder weapon props, two six-sided dice, three sets of cards (describing the aforementioned rooms, characters or weapons), *Solution Cards* and an envelope to contain one card from each set of cards, and a *Detective's Notes* pad on which are printed lists of rooms, weapons and characters, so players can keep detailed notes during the game.

### Characters

#### Victim

The murder victim in the game was known as either Dr. Black (UK) or Mr. Boddy (US). As of the 2023 edition of the game, the victim is Mr. Boden "Boddy" Black Jr. (or simply Mr. Black).

#### Suspects

There are six suspects in *Clue*:

* Miss Scarlett (sometimes spelled as Miss Scarlet), a beautiful young woman, typically the femme fatale.
* Colonel Mustard, a retired military officer with a distinguished career.
* Mrs. White, the matriarchal chief domestic servant, often known as the housekeeper or cook.
	+ Replaced by Dr. Orchid in 2016 edition, a young biologist.
	+ Renamed to Chef White in 2023 edition.
* Mr. Green, initially a businessman with possible criminal ties, turned into a charming playboy.
	+ In the British edition, he is known as Reverend Green, a local clergyman.
	+ Renamed to Mayor Green in 2023 edition.
* Mrs. Peacock, a stylish widowed socialite.
	+ Renamed to Solicitor Peacock in 2023 edition.
* Professor Plum, an intelligent yet absent-minded academic.

The suspects are presented by colored plastic pawns/figurines.

### Weapons

The weapon icons are typically made of unfinished pewter (except the rope, which may be plastic or string); special editions have included gold plated, brass finished and sterling silver versions.

* Candlestick
* Dagger (or Knife)
* Lead Pipe (or Lead Piping)
* Revolver (sometimes Pistol or Gun)
* Rope
* Wrench (or Spanner)

### Locations

There are nine rooms in the mansion where the murder can take place, laid out in circular fashion on the game board, separated by pathways overlaid by playing spaces. Each of the four corner rooms contains a secret passage that leads to the room on the opposite diagonal corner of the map. The centre room (often referred to as the Cellar or Stairs) is inaccessible to the players, but contains the solution envelope, and is not otherwise used during game play. Coloured "start" spaces encircle the outer perimeter which correspond to each player's suspect token. Each character starts at the corresponding coloured space.

* Hall
* Lounge (contains a secret passage to the Conservatory)
* Dining Room
* Kitchen (contains a secret passage to the Study)
* Ballroom
* Conservatory (contains a secret passage to the Lounge)
* Billiard Room
* Library
* Study (contains a secret passage to the Kitchen)

### Rules

At the beginning of play, three cards—one suspect, one room, and one weapon—are chosen at random and put into a special envelope, so that no one can see them. These cards represent the solution. The remainder of the cards are distributed among the players.

Players are instructed to assume the token/suspect nearest them. In older versions, play begins with Miss Scarlett and proceeds clockwise. In modern versions, all players roll the die/dice and the highest total starts the game, with play again proceeding clockwise. Players roll the die/dice and move along the board's corridor spaces, or into the rooms accordingly.

The objective of the game is to deduce the details of the murder, i.e. the cards in the envelope. There are six characters, six murder weapons and nine rooms, leaving the players with 324 possibilities. As soon as a player enters a room, they may make a suggestion as to the details, naming a suspect, the room they are in, and weapon. For example: "I suspect Professor Plum, in the Dining Room, with the candlestick". The player's suggestions must include the room they are currently in and may not be made in the corridors. The tokens for the suggested suspect and weapon are immediately moved into that room, if they are not both already present. Suggesting an opponent's token is a legitimate board strategy; likewise the weapon icons, though esoteric. A player may even suggest himself or herself as the murderer and may include cards in their own hand.

Once a player makes a suggestion, the others are called upon to disprove it. If the player to their left holds any of the three named cards, that player must privately show one (and only one) of the cards to the current player. Otherwise, the process continues clockwise around the table until either one player disproves the accusation, or no one can do so. A player's turn normally ends once their suggestion is completed.

A player who believes they have determined the correct elements may make an accusation on their turn. The accusation can include any room, not necessarily the one occupied by the player (if any), and may be made immediately following a suggestion. The accusing player privately checks the three cards in the envelope. If they match the accusation, the player shows them to everyone and wins; if not, the player returns them to the envelope and may not move nor make suggestions/accusations for the remainder of the game; in effect, "losing". However, the other players can move their token into rooms when making suggestions and they must continue to privately show cards in order to disprove suggestions. A player who makes a false accusation while blocking the door to a room must move into that room so others can enter and leave. If all players except for one player have made an incorrect accusation, the remaining player automatically wins.

If a player's suggestion has brought another player's token into a room, the second player may make their own suggestion in the room when their turn comes up, if desired. If not, they may move out of the room, and if able to reach another room, make a suggestion therein, as usual. In the American version, players are not allowed to make suggestions repeatedly by remaining in one room; if they wish to make a second suggestion, they must first spend a turn out of the room.

### Strategy

#### Choice of playing piece

The first opportunity is in choosing the initial playing piece.

Mrs. Peacock has an immediate advantage of starting one space closer to the first room than any of the other players. Professor Plum can move to the study, and then take the secret-passage to the Kitchen, the hardest room to reach.

Traditionally, Miss Scarlett had the advantage of moving first. This has been eliminated with the implementation of the high roll rule in modern versions.

#### Navigating the board

The next opportunity is choice of initial rooms to enter. Again Mrs. Peacock has an advantage in that she is closest to the Conservatory, a corner room with a secret passage, enabling a player on their turn to move immediately to another room and make a suggestion after rolling the dice. Miss Scarlett has a similar advantage with the Lounge. Making as many suggestions as possible maximises how much information a player can gain, which is advantageous. Therefore, moving into a new room as frequently as possible is one way to meet this goal. Players should make good use of the secret passages. Following the shortest path between rooms then is a good choice, even if a player already holds the card representing that room in their hand. As mentioned earlier, blocking passage of another player prevents them from attaining rooms from which to make suggestions. Various single space tracks on the board can therefore become traps, which are best avoided by a player when planning a path from room to room.

#### Making suggestions

Each player begins the game with three to six cards in their hand, depending on the number of players. Keeping track of which cards are shown to each player is important in deducing the solution. Detective Notes are supplied with the game to help make this task easier. The pads can keep not only a history of which cards are in a player's hand, but also which cards have been shown by another player. It can also be useful in deducing which cards the other players have shown one another. For example, if Miss Scarlett disproves Rev. Green's accusation that Mrs. Peacock did the crime in the Ballroom with the Candlestick, a player with both the Ballroom and Mrs. Peacock cards in their hand can then deduce that Miss Scarlett has the Candlestick.

A player makes a suggestion to learn which cards may be eliminated from suspicion, but in some cases it may be advantageous for a player to include one of their own cards in a suggestion. This technique can be used for both forcing a player to reveal a different card as well as misleading other players into believing a specific card is suspect. Therefore, moving into a room already held in the player's hand may work to their advantage. Suggestions may also be used to thwart a player's opponent. Since every suggestion results in a suspect token being re-located to the suggested room, a suggestion may be used to prevent another player from achieving their intended destination, preventing them from suggesting a particular room, especially if that player appears to be getting close to a solution.

#### Notetaking

One reason the game is enjoyed by many ages and skill levels is that the complexity of note-taking can increase as a player becomes more skillful. Beginners may simply mark off the cards they have been shown; more advanced players will keep track of who has and who does *not* have a particular card, possibly with the aid of an additional grid. Expert players may keep track of each suggestion made, knowing that the player who answers it must have at least one of the cards named, which one can be deduced by later events. One can also keep track of which cards a given player has seen, in order to minimise information revealed to that player and/or to read into that player's suggestions.

## Editions

### Standard editions

*Main article: List of standard Clue editions*
Parker Brothers and Waddingtons each produced their own unique editions between 1949 and 1992. Hasbro purchased both companies in the early 1990s and continued to produce unique editions for each market until 2002/2003 when the current edition of Cluedo/Clue was first released. At this time, Hasbro produced a unified product across markets. The game was then localised with regional differences in spelling and naming conventions.

During Clue's long history, eight unique US editions were published by Parker Brothers (1949, 1956, 1963, 1972, 1986, 1992, 1996, and 2002), including miniaturised "travel" editions. However, only three distinct editions of Cluedo were released in the UK – the longest of which lasted 47 years from its introduction in 1949 until its first successor in 1996. The eighth North America and fourth UK editions constitute the current shared game design. International versions occasionally developed their own unique designs for specific editions, although most drew on the designs and art from either the US or UK editions, and in some cases mixing elements from both, while localising others – specifically suspect portraits.

In July 2008, Hasbro released a revamped look for Clue in a Reinvention called "Clue: Discover the Secrets". This new version of the game offered major changes to the game play and to the characters and their backstories.

In July 2016, Hasbro replaced Mrs. White with a new character, Dr. Orchid, represented by an orchid pink piece. In this current standard edition, Mrs. Peacock has a new game opening opportunity as her starting square is one step closer to the billiard room (with 9 steps instead of 10). The squared off door to the Conservatory makes the room harder for Rev. Green to reach as an opening move and increases the distance between the Ballroom and the Conservatory (from 4 steps to 5).

In January 2023, Hasbro released a new reimagined edition of *Clue/Cluedo*, with a new storyline, new designs for the weapons and rooms, and a more diversified cast of characters (with new titles, e.g. Mr. Green became Mayor Green, Mrs. White became Chef White, and Mrs. Peacock became Solicitor Peacock).

While the suspects' appearance and interior design of the mansion changed with each edition, the weapons underwent relatively minor changes, with the only major redesign occurring in the fourth 1972 US edition, which was adopted by the second 1996 UK edition and remains the standard configuration across all Classic Detective Game versions since. The artwork for the previous US editions tended to reflect the current popular style at the time they were released. The earlier UK editions were more artistically stylised themes. From 1972 on, the US editions presented lush box cover art depicting the six suspects in various candid poses within a room of the mansion. The UK would finally adopt this style only in its third release in 2000, prior to which Cluedo boxes depicted basic representations of the contents. Such lavish box art illustrations have become a hallmark of the game, since copied for the numerous licensed variants which pay homage to Clue.

### Spin-off editions

*Main article: List of Clue spin-off editions*

Beginning in the mid 1980s, Waddingtons and Parker Brothers would produced various spin-off games of *Clue*, consisting of alternative rules varying from the original Classic Detective Game. (Such spin-offs are distinct from themed "variants" using the basic rules and game configuration, effectively new skins on the original board game.) In addition to revising the rules of gameplay, many of the spin-off games also introduce new characters, locations, weapons, and/or alternative objectives.

Parker Brothers also created a series of spin-off games called *Clue Jr.* for a younger demographic (below the age of 8). These games would focus on who committed a thief rather than a murder.

### Themed editions

*Main article: List of themed Clue editions*
Starting around the 1990s, Hasbro began producing spin-off titles of *Clue* based on different properties of pop cultures. These games are often based on other franchises such as TV series, video games, and book series. Most of these games are produced by Hasbro Gaming, USAopoly (The Op), and Winning Moves Games.

## Franchise

*Main article: Clue (franchise)*

The board game spawned a franchise, which since 1985 has expanded to include a feature film, mini-series, a musical, numerous books and several video games.