Clue (1949)

Clue

Clue, known as Cluedo in the UK, is a murder mystery board game for three to six players that was devised in 1943 by British musician Anthony Pratt. Pratt’s game, called “Murder”, involved one of his friends being given the role of killer, and the rest working to discover their identity. The game was presented to Waddington’s in the UK, who changed the name to Cluedo, a portmanteau of Clue and Ludo. The game was immediately bought up and the rights to the game were sold to Parker Brothers in 1949, who released a version in America under the name Clue.

Why is Clue Popular?

Clue is one of the most popular board games ever and has been around for almost 80 years. It is a classic detective game that has remained popular due to its timeless and flawless simplicity. It has also spawned an endless array of adaptations, from Harry Potter Clue to The Simpson Clue to The Golden Girls Clue.

Game Components of Clue

– Game board
– Six colored tokens representing the characters
– Six miniature weapons
– Deck of cards
– Confidential case file envelope
– Pad of detective notebook sheets
– Two six-sided dice

Game Setup of Clue

Each player chooses a character and takes the corresponding token. The weapons are placed on their corresponding spaces on the board, and the cards are shuffled and dealt to the players. One card from each category (suspect, weapon, and room) is placed in the confidential case file envelope, and the envelope is placed in the center of the board. The remaining cards are distributed among the players.

Gameplay Mechanics of Clue

Players roll the dice and move their tokens around the board to different rooms, where they can make suggestions about the murder suspect, weapon, and location. The other players must disprove the suggestion by showing a card that matches one of the elements of the suggestion. Players can also make an accusation at any time, stating the suspect, weapon, and location of the murder. If the accusation is correct, the player wins the game. If the accusation is incorrect, the player is out of the game.

Game Objective of Clue

The objective of the game is to determine who killed Mr. Boddy, with which weapon, and in which room.

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