Clue: The Card Game

"Mystery Beyond The Mansion"
for 3-5 Players, Ages 8 and up

Introduction

The year is 1949 and Mr Boddy is the victim of foul play in his mansion. The suspect who committed this dastardly deed has escaped and is now racing in an unknown vehicle to a secret destination.

OBJECT: To be first to solve the crime by correctly naming the Suspect, the Destination and the Vehicle. You'll catch on quickly to game play if you have played the CLUE® board game.

EQUIPMENT: Deck of 21 Clue cards and 39 Detective Action cards, 9 Destination Markers, a pad of Detective Notesheets and a plastic card tray.

Clue cards

[View Clue Cards Image]    [View Clue Card Detailed Images]

The Clue cards include suspect, vehicle and destination cards. Special features are noted on each vehicle and destination card. Each destination notes its geographical location (north or south / east or west). Each vehicle card indicates if it is a red or blue vehicle. These features are important when "clue gathering."

Action cards

[View Action Cards Image]

The Action cards determine what players may do on their turns.  Here are the details of actions and how many of each.

Destination Markers

[View Sample Destination Card]

The Destination Markers represent locations that players may visit as they attempt to solve the mystery.

Detective Notesheets

[View Sample Notesheet]

The Notesheet is a conveniently organized sheet that a player may use to make notes about information they gather about the mystery.

SETUP

1 . Appoint a dealer. The dealer separates the 21 Clue cards by type - there are 6 Suspect cards, 6 Vehicle cards, and 9 Destination cards. He or she shuffles each type separately, face down, and then selects one of each type, sight unseen. These three cards represent the SOLUTION to the crime. The dealer places the solution cards aside, face down, making sure that no player sees their identity. Next, the dealer shuffles together the remaining 18 Clue cards and deals them as evenly as possible to the players, who hold them in hand.
2. Each player receives a Detective Notesheet and a pencil.  NOTE: Check off the identity of the Clue cards held in your hand. You'll check off additional cards during play once you learn they are not part of the solution.
3. The dealer next shuffles the Action cards and places them face down on the table. This is the "Draw Pile." The dealer then gives each player one Action card from the top of the Action deck to add to their hand.
4. Turn face-down the Destination Markers and place them randomly around the table. Each player then takes a Destination Marker and places it face up on the table in front of him. The dealer turns face-up the remaining Destination Markers. The game is now ready to begin.

PLAY

The dealer plays first. Play passes to the left. On your turn, you:
1. Take the top Action card from the Draw Pile and add it to your hand.
2. Play one of your two Action cards (see "Playing Action Cards" below).
3. Conclude your turn by checking off the identity of any Clue cards you were shown during your turn. Feel free to keep notes on your notesheet, such as what you see happening during other players' turns.
4. Unless you are ready to make an Accusation (see "Making an Accusation"), your turn now ends. Place the Action card you just played on the discard pile. The player to your left now takes his turn.

Playing Action Cards
There are five different types of Action cards. To play an Action card (except a Private Tip), simply take the card from your hand and place it face up on the table in front of you.

* MAKE A SUGGESTION from any destination
Decide which Destination will be part of your Suggestion. If the destination is different than the one you are in, exchange your current Destination Marker for the desired destination. If another player has this Destination Marker, give that player yours in return. If the desired marker is by the tray, exchange it with your marker. once the desired Destination Marker is before you, make your Suggestion(see "Making a Suggestion").

* MAKE A SUGGESTION from current destination (or move)
You may only make a Suggestion from the destination whose Destination Marker is currently before you OR you can exchange the Destination Marker for another - but if you do so, you end your turn without making a Suggestion (see "Making a Suggestion").

* SNOOP
Select an opponent to lay his entire hand, face down, on the table. Pick any one card and look at it, taking care that no other player sees its identity. Return the card to the opponent who then picks up his entire hand.

* ALL SNOOP means that each player will place his entire hand face down towards the player indicated on the card. Each player then snoops on the hand offered to him.

* SUPER SLEUTH
Read aloud the card and show it to your opponents. Each, in turn, must now show you one Clue card with the specified feature. (For example, "Show me a destination in the south.")  If a player doesn't have a card of the kind specified, he shows nothing.

* PRIVATE TIP
Pass this card face down to an opponent who picks it up and reads it to himself. He then returns this card, along with one Clue card of the type requested (or all cards held of this type, if so instructed by the Private Tip card). If the opponent has no cards of the type requested, he returns only the Private Tip card. Return Clue card(s) to the opponent after studying them. IMPORTANT: After playing a "Private Tip" card place, it under the discard pile, face-down


Ending your Turn
After you have played an Action card, place it face up in the discard pile, unless you played a Private Tip. The identity of these cards needs to be kept secret from your opponents, so place them down.

Making a Suggestion

To make a Suggestion, name a Suspect, Vehicle and the Destination whose marker is before you.

Example: "I suggest that Professor Plum is traveling in the Hot Air Balloon, to the Grand Canyon."

Making Suggestions throughout the game will help you to determine - by process of elimination - which three cards comprise the SOLUTION.

Proving a Suggestion True or False
As soon as you make a Suggestion, your opponents, in turn, try to prove it false. The first to try is the player on your left. That player looks at his cards to see if one of the three cards you just named is there. If so, he must show it to you and no one else. If the player has more than one of the cards named, he selects just one to show you. If that opponent has none of the cards that you named, then the chance to prove your Suggestion false passes, in turn, to the next player on the left.

As soon as any opponent shows you one of the cards you named, it is proof that this card cannot be part of the solution. End your turn by checking off this card on your notesheet. (Some players also find it helpful to mark the initials of the player who showed the card.) If no one is able to prove your Suggestion false, you may either end your turn or make an Accusation.

Special Note about Suggestions
When you make a Suggestion, you may, if you wish, name one or more of the cards that you hold in your hand. This can help to pinpoint information or to mislead your opponents.

Making an Accusation

When you think you have figured out which three cards comprise the Solution, you should make an Accusation on your turn. You may do so after you play an Action card, or if you are convinced you know the Solution, you may make an Accusation without playing an Action card. Do so by naming the three elements you believe will be in found in the Solution. Begin by saying, "I accuse (Suspect) of committing the crime. He/she in traveling to (Destination) in the (Vehicle)." Then, taking care that no one else sees, look at the three Clue cards of the Solution.

Note: In a Suggestion, the Destination you name must be the same as the Destination Marker before you. In an Accusation, you may name any destination. Also remember that you may make only one Accusation per game.

Winning

If your Accusation is correct (that is, the three elements you named are in the Solution), show the other players the cards and claim your victory. Great detective work! You win!

If your Accusation is incorrect...
  • Secretly return all three cards of the Solution face-down.
  • Be careful not to blurt out any part of the solution.
  • You remain in the game but make no further plays, so you cannot win.
  • You continue to try to prove your opponents' Suggestions false.
  • Opponents may still exchange Destination markers with you as usual.

Playing Again

To play again, the deal passes to the left of the prior dealer. He or she collects all the cards, shuffles the Action cards and the Clue cards, and proceeds to randomly select the three cards for the next Solution. He or she then deals out the remaining Clue cards as in "setup" above. The Destination Markers are shuffled face down before use.
Note: a Detective Notesheet may be used to play four games before it is filled up.

Tournament: You may wish to play until one player has solved two or three crimes (decide on this before your first game). That player is acclaimed as "Master Detective" and becomes the overall winner.