Colonel Mustard, in the study, with the revolver…
Clue is an absolute classic. There’s no denying the cultural impact Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, and all the other usual suspects have had on the gaming industry.
They’re flowery characters. Memorable, too. When you customize your own Clue board game, the characters are even more personal!
But it isn’t necessarily the colorful cast (or the hilarious film adaptation) that makes Clue such a terrific standout.
It’s the balance of luck, strategy, and deduction.
And the thrill of a solid win?
Well, that’s pretty special, too.
But sometimes, those wins are so few and far between, it can be difficult to keep your crime-solving skills in top shape.
That’s why we’re here: to provide the best Clue strategies, a series of tried-and-true techniques, that’ll help you master the game—and become the envy of all your friends.
Ready to become a phenomenal sleuth?
Here are four basic best practices that’ll help you find your way to the winner’s circle (almost) every time you play:
1.Take Detailed Notes
The benefits of active notetaking transcend beyond the classroom. And the only way to regularly outwit your opponents is to turn this practice into an art form. In fact, many board game aficionados say that the player who takes the best, most-detailed notes throughout the game is 90% more likely to walk away with the win.*
Which probably makes this the ultimate Clue strategy.
The main objective here is to track every piece of information exchanged on every turn—not just your own.
This means you have to write down every suggestion and keep track of who showed a card to each opponent, who showed you each card, and which cards you have shown to each player.
*We made this stat up—there’s no data to support our claim that the player with the best note-taking skills is more likely to win. But we’re pretty sure we’re right.
2.Know the Cards
Advanced Clue strategy dictates the player should have extensive knowledge of the game. In other words, knowing the cards is key.
Clue has 21 cards: Six deadly weapons, six duplicitous suspects, and nine decadent rooms.
Three of those cards (one weapon, one suspect, and one room) are sealed in a secret envelope that will only be opened at the end of the game.
That means there’s a significant number of possible outcomes here.
But by knowing who holds what cards, you’ve got a fierce advantage.
As the game progresses, you should mark off your opponents’ cards. If a card is suggested fairly regularly and no one seems to have it, then there’s a good chance it’s sitting in the envelope.
3.Make Bold Suggestions
There are a few distinct advantages that come with being vocal about your suspicions:
- First, it gives you an opportunity to use deception as a way of confusing other players.
- Second, because narrowing down all the possibilities is your ultimate goal, you should make a suggestion at every turn.
- Third, it gives you a chance to see how others respond to your suggestion—you always want to keep an eye out for both verbal and non-verbal cues.
Note: If you make it through your turn without making a suggestion, you’ve essentially wasted an opportunity to advance the game.
4.Use the Secret Passages
The secret passages in Clue are awesome—and they help make even the best Clue strategies…well, better. These sneaky hidden doorways—found in rooms at the four corners of the board—allow you to move from one room to another without having to gamble on the roll of the die.
That means you get to make suggestions on consecutive turns to eliminate more suspects and murder weapons.
These tips and tricks will help give you the competitive edge you’re looking for for your weekly Clue game! Clue is a fun challenge, but hopefully, with all your newfound knowledge, you’ll be poised to catch the murderer every time you sit down to play.
Ready to blow everyone away with your Clue strategy? Customize your own Clue board game today!
