Cluedo

Cluedo (Clue in North America) is a crime fiction board game originally published by Waddington Games, UK in 1948. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the US game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired American board game company Parker Brothers, that originally manufactured the game.

Overview

The game is set in a mansion, with the board divided into different rooms. The players each represent a character who is a guest staying at this house, whose owner, Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the North American version), has been found murdered.

Players take on the role of suspects and attempt to solve the murder. The solution to the murder requires the three components of Suspect, Weapon, and Room.

Game contents

Instructions
A game board, representing the location of the murder
Six colored game pieces, representing the suspects
Weapon pieces, representing possible weapons used
Cards, containing depictions of game elements (weapons, suspects or rooms)
A parchment envelope labeled, "Case File: Confidential", to hold the solution in each game

The suspects

Miss Scarlett (Miss Scarlet in NA versions) (a red piece)
Professor Plum (a purple piece)
Colonel Mustard (a yellow piece)
Rev. Green (Mr. Green in pre-2002 NA versions) (a green piece)
Mrs. White (a white piece)
Mrs. Peacock (a blue piece)

Possible murder weapons

The Rope
The Lead Pipe
The Knife (also called "The Dagger")
The Spanner (called "The Wrench" in Canadian and U.S. version)
The Candlestick
The Revolver

The 50th Anniversary edition featured a new murder weapon—the Poison. The game Clue Master Detective had poison as well as a horseshoe as a weapon.

The rooms

There are nine rooms in the mansion where the murder can take place, laid out on the board as follows:

Kitchen	Ball Room	Conservatory
Dining Room	_envelope	Billiard Room
Dining Room	_envelope	Library
Lounge	Hall	Study

Each of the four corner rooms contains a secret passage that leads to the room on the opposite corner of the map.

Gameplay

The game is unusual in that it requires at least three players, as opposed to a minimum of two for most board games.

At the beginning of play, three cards—one Suspect, one Weapon, and one Room card—are chosen at random and put into a special envelope, so that no-one can see them. These cards represent the true facts of the case. The remainder of the cards are distributed among the players.

The aim is to deduce the details of the murder—that is, the cards in the envelope. This is done by announcing suggestions to other players. An example of a suggestion is, "I suggest it was Mrs. White, in the Library, with the Rope." All elements contained in the suggestion are moved into the room in the suggestion (so Mrs. White and the Rope would be moved to the Library).

The other players must then disprove the suggestion, if they can. This is done in clockwise order around the board. A suggestion is disproved by showing a card containing one of the suggestion components to the player making the suggestion (for example, the Rope), as this proves that the card cannot be in the envelope. Showing the card to the suggesting player is done in secret so the other players may not see which card is being used to disprove the suggestion. Once a suggestion has been disproved, the player's turn ends and moves onto the next player.

The player's suggestion only gets disproved once. So, though several players may hold cards disproving the suggestion, only the first one will show the suggesting player his or her card. A player may only make a suggestion when his or her piece is in a room and the suggestion can only be for that room.

Once a player thinks he or she knows the solution, the player can make an accusation. The player checks the validity of the accusation by checking the cards in the envelope. If the player made an incorrect accusation, that player is out of the game (since the player now knows the correct solution) and the game continues with the remaining players. However, the player(s) making wrong accusation(s) must still reveal cards secretly to remaining players during the game. If the player made a correct accusation, the solution cards are shown to the other players and the game ends.

An interesting feature of Cluedo's design is that it is possible for a player to be using the piece representing the murderer. This doesn't affect the gameplay; the object of the game is still to be the first to make the correct accusation.

The game cannot be played with two people, because the process of elimination diffuses the same information to both players. Such a game passes quickly and ends with a race to the room where the murder occurred.

Strategies

If one tries to move other pieces into the same room as the current player (by involving them in a suggestion), this might in fact help the owner of the pieces by eliminating the need to throw dice and move their own piece.
Conversely, if one player apparently wants to go to certain room, other players can stop them by pulling their piece to other rooms.
If nobody gives a card on a suggestion, that means either that particular player guessed one card correctly, 2 cards correctly, or the player wants to confuse all others by suggesting all 3 of their own cards.
If some player is doing elimination too apparently (say, suggesting the same room and same killer over and over, only replacing weapon each time), other players can easily notice that player is doing something -- thus deducing the cards this player has seen.

Trivia

In Canada and the U.S., the game is known as Clue. It was retitled because the traditional British board game Ludo, on which the name is based, was less well known there than its American variant Parcheesi. ^* There are also localised versions for Japan and China.

Expressions such as "Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with the candlestick," have entered popular culture, in much the same way as "Hotel on Boardwalk" (or on Mayfair in the British edition) from Monopoly.

Enough rope has been included in Clue and Cluedo games to encircle the world.

There are 324 possible solutions in a typical game of cluedo (6 weapons, 6 suspects, 9 rooms).

In some international versions of the game (mostly the Spanish-language ones) the colors of some pieces are different, so as to correspond with the changes to each suspect's name ^*.

Legacy

Movie

There is a comedy film based on the game, as well as several interactive video versions. In the US film version, the person murdered was Mr. Boddy. The film, which featured different endings released to different theaters, failed at the box office but has attracted a cult following.

There is also a French version of this film, released in 1993.

Musical

A musical was also created based on the board game. The cast is composed of five men and three women. The female roles are Mrs Peacock, Miss Scarlet and the Detective. The male roles are Reverend Green, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Mr Boddy, and Mrs White. The role of Mrs White is traditionally played by a crossdressing man.

Television

There have been several television game shows based upon this game. There have been, to date, four seasons of the British version of Cluedo (and a Christmas version that in fact shows some similarity to the North American movie), and there have been other versions in Germany, France, Australia and Scandinavia. The format for each pits two teams (each usually containing one celebrity and one person with law enforcement/research experience) against six very in-character actors as the famed color-coded suspects. There is a new murder victim every episode, who usually has it coming to them for one reason or another.

Spin-off games

Waddingtons, Parker Brothers and Hasbro have created many spin-off versions of the game, ranging from themed version such as Simpsons Clue, to alternative rule versions such as Clue Master Detective. These include:

Clue VCR Mystery Game (1985) uses an hour-long VHS tape containing humorous scenes of the suspects interacting at Boddy Mansion shortly after Mr. Boddy's death instead of a board. Players uncover details of several murders per game by matching clues given on cards to the action on the video. Only five weapons (Candlestick, Knife, Gun, Rope, and Poison) and five rooms (Dining Room, Kitchen, Hall, Conservatory, and Library) are featured but there are a total of ten suspects (original six plus M. Brunette, Madam Rose, Sgt. Gray, and Miss Peach).
Super Cluedo Challenge (1986) is an advanced version of the Cluedo rules, introducing three new characters (Captain Brown, Miss Peach and Mr. Slate-Grey) and three more weapons (the blunderbuss, poison and axe). The rules are greatly expanded, with each card having coloured and numbered squares in each corner, which are uncovered by special card holders. These allowed 'clues' to be given by uncovering a small segment of the card, showing only a colour/number. Rather than the remaining cards being dealt out at the start of the game, they had to be 'discovered' by reaching one of the many blue counters scattered on the board.
Murder in Disguise (1987) more scenarios to add to the first VCR game.
Clue Master Detective (1988) released as Super Cluedo in France) is an expanded version of the original game. In addition to the original characters, weapons and rooms, the game introduces four new characters (Mme. Rose, Sgt. Grey, M. Brunette and Miss Peach), two weapons (poison and horseshoe), and seven rooms (courtyard, gazebo, drawing room, carriage house, trophy room, studio and fountain) to the mansion. This version was also made into a computer game.
The Great Museum Caper (1991) is rather different from the original. One player is a thief moving in a museum stealing paintings, while the other players cooperate to catch the thief. The thief keeps track of his position secretly on paper and is thus not seen by the detectives, until the thief is spotted by a detective or the museum's security system. Ideally, multiple rounds are played, with each player getting to be the thief once. The winner of the match is then the thief who stole the most paintings without getting caught.
Cluedo Card Game (1992) is a shedding-type card game, where players attempt to match cards featuring the locations, weapons, and characters from the original game with a central pile of cards.
Cluedo Super Sleuth (1995) is another advanced version of the Cluedo rules, though in a different manner. There is no set board to this game, instead the board is made up of twelve tiles which are laid out randomly as players enter new rooms, to create a 4x3 grid. The murder cards remain unchanged to the basic edition, but are not dealt to each player, instead there are 'clue' squares on the board marked by small plastic magnifying glasses, which players collect to get clues. In addition to the "clue" counters there are also item counters, which allow the player to pick a card from an item deck. These item cards allow such things as making more than one suggestion per turn, or moving an incidental character. There are three incidental characters in the game (Inspector Grey, Hogarth the Butler, and the Black Dog) who can serve as help or hindrance, and are controlled through the item and event cards. Event cards are drawn from a deck upon a certain roll of the die and can have varying impact on a game.
Alfred Hitchcock Edition Clue (1999) is set on the sound stage where a number of Hitchcock’s films are being shot, otherwise plays like regular Clue.
Cluedo Passport to Murder (2000) was an update of Super Cluedo Challenge with the setting changed to an Orient Express style train in Istanbul station. There is very little change to the mechanics of the game (except you can only play the six original characters), with mainly cosmetic changes and updates to the characters.
The Simpsons Clue (2000) is themed after the TV series, The Simpsons. With the players trying to find out who shot Mr. Burns. It features Homer as Mr. Green, Bart as Prof. Plum, Krusty as Col. Mustard, Marge as Mrs. Peacock, Lisa as Miss Scarlet, and Mr. Smithers as Mrs. White.
Clue Dungeons & Dragons (2001) was produced by Hasbro shortly after their purchase of Wizards of the Coast, owners of the Dungeons & Dragons license. The characters are D&D character types (such as Monk, Rogue, Wizard, etc.). The rooms depicted on the board are fantasy-themed (Dungeon, Dragon's Lair, Lost Crypt, etc.), and the weapons also draw inspiration from the popular role-playing game (Mace of Disruption, Flaming Axe, etc.). Gameplay is identical to standard Clue unless you use the optional Wandering Monsters deck. Using this deck, players must battle monsters when landing on special spaces on the board. The players must battle monsters via dice rolls and are rewarded with magic items that confer special powers.
Clue - The Haunted Mansion (2002) The Disney Theme Park Edition
Scooby-Doo! Where are you? Clue (2002) is themed after the TV series, Scooby-Doo, Where are You!. Like the episodes, the gang has to figure out who dunit. It features Fred as Mr. Green, Shaggy as Prof. Plum, Scooby as Col. Mustard, Velma as Mrs. Peacock, Daphne as Miss Scarlet, and Mrs. White as their host.
Clue FX (2003) released as Cluedo SFX in the UK, (2004), and Super Cluedo Interactif in France, (2004) is another departure from the original rules. You play as one of four new characters (Lord Grey, Lady Lavender, Miss Peach and Prince Azure, adding a non-caucasian character for the first time) none of whom are suspected in the crime. The murder is not of Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy) but of his attorney Miles Meadow-Brook. The usual suspects are in place, this time bolstered by two new people Mrs. Meadow-Brook and Rusty the Gardener. The gameplay is completely different though, with the introduction of the electronic section announcing moves and clues and no die rolling. Instead players move from location to location to track down each of the suspects to gain their clues, before finding Inspector Brown to make an accusation.
Clue Mysteries (2005) This is another change of rules, and this time the gameplay is based heavily on another boardgame called "Mysteries of Old Peking".
Cluedo DVD Game (2005)This is the most recent edition of the game, with different rules based around DVD interaction.
Clue Jr. is a series of versions of Clue themed for children. Instead of solving a murder, the children search for clues for the whereabouts of some lost toys. The rules are significantly different from those for the regular board game. The characters, which look like the original game's suspects as children, are named Mortimer Mustard, Georgie Green, Peter Plum, Wendy White, Polly Peacock, and Samantha Scarlet.

Clue Jr. UK Edition is the same as above except children have to find out who ate the cake. Unlicensed variant

Mystery at Hogwarts Game (2000) ^* This variant of Clue has the players trying to find out which student cast which forbidden spell in which room in Hogwart’s School. One of the small rules changes is that you must go to an extra room to make your final accusation.
Mystery Museum is a version of Clue but has Evangelical Christian elements to it. In the game, 6 people of different professions visit a Bible-History Museum and steal one of the artifacts. It must be determined who is the thief, which artifact they stole, and where they hid it. Throughout the game, players learn about Bible history.

Books

A series of 18 humorous children's books were published in the United States by Scholastic Press between 1992 and 1997 based on the Clue concept and created by A.E. Parker (possibly of Parker Brothers). The books featured the US Clue characters in short, comedic vignettes and asked the reader to follow along and solve a crime at the end of each. The crime would usually be the murder of another guest besides Mr. Boddy, a robbery of some sort, or a simple contest, in which case they must figure out who won. The tenth and final vignette would always be the murder of Mr. Boddy. Somehow, Mr. Boddy would always manage to cheat death, such as fainting before the shot was fired or being shot with trick bullets. However, at the end of the 18th book, Mrs. Peacock kills Mr. Boddy out of starvation and Mr. Boddy stays dead. A similar series of books featuring the Clue Jr. characters was also published. The first book, unlike the others, features 13 mysteries, not 10, and is titled simply enough 'Who Killed Mr Boddy?'. The name of the book is usually the name of the tenth mystery in which Boddy is killed.

The books notably depart from the film. Mr Boddy is a trillionaire, and the guests are his friends. But since Boddy has his will made out to his friends, they each try to kill him at one point with the intent on cashing in on his will. The guests are all given some sort of defining characteristic for comic effect, as well as to help the reader discern the culprit. Colonel Mustard constantly challenges other guests to duels, Professor Plum often forgets things, even what he is doing or his own name, and Mr. Green is notoriously greedy. Mrs. Peacock is highly proper and will not stand for lack of manners, the maid Mrs. White hates her employer and all the guests, and Miss. Scarlet is beautiful and seductive. The traits all help the reader identify the guests. For example, if a mystery thief suddenly forgets what he is doing, and another guest scolds him for his bad manners, the reader can safely assume the two guests are Plum and Peacock. Mr. Boddy himself is ludicrously naive, to the point where he accepts any attempt to kill him as an accident or a misunderstanding (such as a dropped Wrench flying all the way across the Mansion and hitting him in the head), and invites the guests back to the mansion. This explains why he never seeks any legal action against his "friends," and invited them back despite repeated attempts to kill him.

The Clue Jr. series originally had all 6 characters, but suddenly, some of the characters were taken out, leaving only 4. The mysteries usually only included cases similar to the theft of a toy, but sometimes the cases were more serious. They are usually solved when the culprit traps himself in his own lies.

Computer and video games

Various versions of the game have shown up on Commodore 64, PC, Game Boy Advance, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. The latest official version, Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion was released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows amd is still available from Hasbro.

Criticisms of the game

Critics cite that Cluedo is effectively a logic game, much like Mastermind, where the solution can be found through a process of elimination. A board game with gameplay which more closely simulates detective work is the Sherlock Holmes-themed 221B Baker Street. However, the aforementioned assertion doesn't consider that psychology and luck plays a heavy part in Cluedo.

Popular culture references

In the episode Bart Gets Famous of The Simpsons, Bart is employed doing various odd jobs for Krusty the Klown. At one point, Krusty phones Bart (in school, via his job-provided cell phone) and emphatically tells him: "Bart! I need to get your fingerprints on a candlestick. Meet me in the conservatory chop-chop! And don't worry... everything will be aaalllll right..."

In one episode of Father Ted, Ted, Dougal and a visiting Cuban priest are shown playing a game of Clue that has lasted for 12 hours. They finally discover why they've had such a hard time when Dougal points out that the evidence envelope is empty. Two oddities about the scene: They refer to the game by its American name, and someone suggests it was "...The Reverend Green...with the Knife...in the Drawing Room ^*" The Suggestion was actually made in the Lounge. Father Ted replies "Those Protestants! Up to no good as usual!"

In the level Mansion of Madness in Future Perfect the player is exploring a haunted mansion, with the help of a girl and a scientist. When they enter the library the girl says "I'm guessing it was Professor Plum, in the library, eaten by zombies."

In the Animorphs series, one of the characters, Tobias, has been knocked unconscious. When he regains consciousness, he is not thinking properly and lives through a memory of a Clue game, distracting his friends from their mission with random telepathic comments like "It was Professor Plum in the Conservatory! With the wrench!".

In the computer game Oblivion, there is a side mission where five people are locked in a mansion with you and your job is to kill them without detection. They have all done something to the man that hired you, and are linked to each other in some way...i.e. Clue. It's a 3 story mansion and no one suspects you if you pull it off correctly.

In Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the main characters beat Death in a series of games which include Cluedo (referred to as Clue).

The art rock band David Devant & His Spirit Wife released a song called "Ballroom", featured on their debut album Work, Lovelife, Miscellaneous, that was all about a game of Cluedo, concluding memorably in the refrain : "It was the la la la la la la la la la la la, lead piping!"

The alternative rock band Silverstein's video for "Smile In Your Sleep" is inspired by both the Clue board game and its spin-off movie.

Variants

A variant of the game involves removing the dice rolling in the game. Instead each player has nine "moves" to use on a turn with each move onto another space counting as one move and an accusation costing three moves adding more strategy into the game. This variant is offered in the 1998 version of the Clue/Cluedo computer game.

External links

Hasbro's U.S. Clue site
Instructions for U.S. Clue: PDF Format
Extensive Clue Collection and Fan Discussion Forums TheArtofMurder.com
A Cluedo/Clue fan site: CluedoFan.com. Includes game history and other game facts.
A Cluedo/Clue solving computer program : Cluedos 2.0.
A Cluedo/Clue historical timeline.

Cluedo | Board games | Hasbro products | 1948 introductions

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