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The Clue rules come down to one question: who did it, with what, and where? Three cards, one suspect, one weapon and one room, are hidden in an envelope at the start. Everyone else’s cards are dealt out. You move around the mansion, make suggestions to see which cards other players hold, and cross possibilities off your notes. When you are sure what is in the envelope, you make an accusation. Get all three right and you win.
The quick answer: hide one suspect, one weapon and one room card in the case file envelope and deal the rest. On your turn, roll and move. When you enter a room, suggest a suspect and weapon in that room. Players to your left try to disprove it by secretly showing you one matching card. When you think you know the answer, accuse. Right wins; wrong puts you out.
Clue was created by Anthony E. Pratt in England in the 1940s and first published by Waddingtons in 1949 as Cluedo. In North America it is Clue, published today by Hasbro. This guide covers the classic North American rules. Editions have changed some details, which we flag below.
What comes in the box?
Classic Clue has 21 cards in three groups:
- 6 suspects: Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Professor Plum.
- 6 weapons: candlestick, knife, lead pipe, revolver, rope and wrench.
- 9 rooms: Hall, Lounge, Dining Room, Kitchen, Ballroom, Conservatory, Billiard Room, Library and Study.
You also get a board of the mansion, six suspect tokens, six small weapon pieces, a die, a confidential case file envelope, and a pad of detective notes. Clue plays 3 to 6 people.
How do you set up Clue?
1. Fill the case file
Sort the cards into suspects, weapons and rooms. Shuffle each pile face down and, without looking, take one card from each. Put those three cards in the envelope and set it in the middle of the board. That is the solution.
2. Deal the rest
Shuffle the remaining 18 cards together and deal them all out, one at a time, clockwise. Depending on player count, some players may get one more card than others. That is fine.
3. Place the pieces
Put all six suspect tokens on their starting spaces, even if fewer than six people are playing. Unused suspects can still be named and moved. Place each weapon in a different room.
4. Take your notes
Each player takes a detective notes sheet and checks off the cards in their own hand. Those cards cannot be in the envelope.
In the classic rules, Miss Scarlet goes first, and play passes to the left. Many newer editions have everyone roll and let the highest roll start.
How do you move in Clue?
Roll the die and move your token that many spaces along the corridor squares. You can move forward, back or sideways, but not diagonally. You cannot land on the same square twice in one turn, and you cannot move onto or through a square that another token is on.
To enter a room, move through a door. Doorways do not count as a square, and you do not need an exact roll to get in. Entering a room ends your movement for the turn. Rooms have no limit on how many tokens or weapons can be inside.
How do secret passages work in Clue?
The four corner rooms have secret passages to the room diagonally across the board. In the classic layout, the Kitchen connects to the Study, and the Conservatory connects to the Lounge. If you start your turn in one of those rooms, you can use the passage instead of rolling. You arrive in the other room and can make a suggestion there.
Secret passages are the fastest way across the board, so corner rooms are worth visiting early.
How do you make a suggestion in Clue?
A suggestion is how you gather information. You can only make one from inside a room, and the room you name must be the room you are in.
- Name a suspect and a weapon. For example: “I suggest it was Colonel Mustard, in the Library, with the rope.”
- Move them in. Move that suspect’s token and that weapon into your room. Yes, this can drag another player’s token across the board.
- Ask for proof. The player to your left checks their hand for any of the three cards you named. If they have one or more, they show you exactly one, secretly, and nobody else sees it. If they have none, the player to their left checks, and so on around the table.
- Stop at the first card. Once one player shows you a card, the suggestion is over.
You may name cards that are in your own hand. That is a useful bluff and a good way to test the other two cards.
After a suggestion, you cannot make another one in the same room on your next turn. You have to leave and come back or enter a different room. One exception: if another player’s suggestion pulls your token into a room, you may make a suggestion there on your next turn.
Suggestion vs accusation: what is the difference?
This is the rule new players most often mix up.
| Suggestion | Accusation | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Gather information | Solve the case |
| Where | Only in the room you name | Anywhere, naming any room |
| Who sees cards | One player shows you one card | Only you look in the envelope |
| How often | Whenever you enter a room | Once per game |
| Risk | None | If wrong, you are out |
A suggestion asks the table. An accusation asks the envelope.
How do you win Clue?
On your turn, when you think you know the answer, say you are making an accusation and name a suspect, a weapon and a room. You do not need to be in that room. Then look at the three cards in the envelope, privately.
- If all three match, show them to everyone. You win.
- If any are wrong, put the cards back without showing anyone. You can no longer win, move, suggest or accuse. You stay in the game to show cards when others make suggestions, because your hand still holds information they need. If your token is blocking a doorway, move it into that room.
You get one accusation per game. If every other player has accused wrongly, the last player left wins.
A simple Clue strategy for note-taking
The detective notes sheet lists all 21 cards. Most players just tick off what they see. You can learn much more by turning it into a grid.
Make columns for players
Next to each card, draw a column for every player. When you know a player has a card, mark it in their column. When you know a player does not have a card, mark that too.
Record what nobody can disprove
When a player passes on a suggestion, they hold none of the three cards named. Mark all three as “no” for that player. This is often more useful than the card you are shown.
Track other players’ suggestions
When someone else suggests three cards and a player shows them something, you do not see the card, but you know that player has at least one of those three. Write the three down. Later, if you learn they lack two of them, the third must be in their hand.
Spot the envelope by elimination
A card that every player is marked “no” for, and that you do not hold, must be in the envelope. You often solve a category this way before you ever see the card.
Other Clue strategy tips
- Suggest one of your own cards. If you hold the Rope, suggesting the Rope means anyone who shows you a card is showing a suspect or room.
- Head for corner rooms. Secret passages save turns.
- Hide your notes. Mark small and keep your sheet covered.
- Do not rush the accusation. One wrong guess ends your game. Wait until all three categories are narrowed to one card each.
Clue is a deduction game at heart. If your group loves that feeling of working out a hidden truth, try our list of the best social deduction games.
How do newer editions of Clue differ?
Hasbro has updated Clue several times. A few verified changes:
- 2016: Dr. Orchid replaced Mrs. White as a suspect.
- 2023: Chef White replaced Dr. Orchid, and some suspects were updated, such as Mayor Green and Solicitor Peacock.
- Starting player: older rules start with Miss Scarlet; many modern editions have everyone roll and the highest roll goes first.
- Board layouts: some editions renamed rooms and moved the secret passages. Use the passages printed on your board.
The core game, suggest to learn and accuse to win, is the same in all of them. When your copy disagrees with this guide, follow your rulebook. If a rules debate breaks out anyway, here is how to settle a board game rules argument fast.
FAQ
Can you make a suggestion without being in a room in Clue?
No. You must be inside a room to make a suggestion, and the room you suggest must be the one you are in. Accusations are different: you can make one from anywhere.
Can you suggest a card you are holding in Clue?
Yes. Naming your own card is allowed and is a smart way to narrow down the other two cards, or to throw other players off.
What happens if you make a wrong accusation in Clue?
You are out of the running. You stop moving and cannot suggest or accuse again, but you keep your cards and still show them to disprove other players’ suggestions.
Which rooms have secret passages in Clue?
In the classic board, the four corner rooms: the Kitchen connects to the Study, and the Conservatory connects to the Lounge. Some newer editions use different rooms.
How many players can play Clue?
Classic Clue is for 3 to 6 players. All six suspect tokens stay on the board even with fewer players.
Close the case
Clue is a great way to bring a mixed-age table together, and it teaches the deduction habits behind many modern games. For more classics that work across generations, see our best family board games. Ludarium Letters, just below, brings more rules guides and ideas for game night.
The game is the reason. The people are the point.
Sources
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