How to play
How to Play and Win at Cluedo
Cluedo is a deduction game. Boden “Boddy” Black has been murdered, and the answer, one suspect, one weapon and one room, is sealed in an envelope. The first player to name all three correctly wins. This guide covers setup, a turn, suggestions and accusations, then the habits that help you work out the answer before anyone else.
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The short answer: make a suggestion from inside a room every turn, cross off every card you are shown, and keep track of who could not answer. Only make your one accusation when you can prove all three cards.
What you are trying to work out
At the start of the game, one character card, one weapon card and one room card are sealed in an envelope. Everything else is dealt to the players, so every card in your hand is one you can rule out. Your job is to work out which three cards are in the envelope.
Six suspects
Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, Chef White, Solicitor Peacock and Professor Plum.
Six weapons
Including the candlestick, the dagger and the rope.
Nine rooms
Hall, lounge, dining room, kitchen, ballroom, conservatory, billiard room, library and study.
This guide follows the 2023 Hasbro edition. Older editions differ: they have one die instead of two, no Clue cards and some different character names. If your rulebook says something different, follow your rulebook.
Setting up
Set up in six steps
- Pick a character.
Each player chooses a character and every token goes on its named start space. All six tokens stay on the board, even with fewer than six players.
- Place the weapons.
Put the weapons in separate, random rooms.
- Set the Clue cards aside.
Shuffle the Clue cards and leave them face down next to the board.
- Fill the envelope.
Sort the other cards into characters, weapons and rooms and shuffle each pile. Without looking, slide the top card from each pile into the envelope. These three cards are the solution.
- Deal the rest.
Shuffle the remaining character, weapon and room cards together and deal them all out. Some players may end up with an extra card.
- Start your notes.
Take a detective sheet and a pen, look at your cards in secret and cross them off. A card in your hand cannot be in the envelope.
Everyone rolls and the highest roller goes first. Older editions start with Miss Scarlett.
Taking a turn
What happens on your turn
- Roll the dice.
Roll both dice. If one shows a magnifying glass, draw a Clue card, read it aloud and do what it says. A magnifying glass counts as 1 when you move.
- Move your token.
Move up to your roll along the corridor squares. You cannot move diagonally, cannot pass through the same space twice and cannot move through or stop on a space another token is on, including a doorway. You do not need an exact roll to enter a room.
- Or stay put, or use a secret passage.
If you start your turn in a room, you can stay there. From a corner room, you can instead take the secret passage to the connecting corner room.
- Make a suggestion, then mark your notes.
Once you are in a room, ask your question (see below) and cross off whatever you learn.
Making a suggestion
A suggestion is a question you ask from inside a room. You name a character, a weapon and the room you are standing in, for example: “I suggest it was Mayor Green, with the rope, in the Library.” Move the named character’s token and the weapon into the room, where they stay.
The player on your left tries to prove you wrong first. If they hold any of the three cards, they must show you one of them in secret, and only one. If they hold none, the question passes to the next player on the left, and so on round the table. Cross off the card you are shown. If nobody can show you a card, you now know that none of the other players hold those cards.
If another player’s suggestion moved your token into a room, you can make a suggestion there on your next turn instead of moving.
Making an accusation
When you think you know the answer, make an accusation on your turn. You can do it straight after a suggestion: “I accuse Solicitor Peacock, with the dagger, in the Conservatory.” Unlike a suggestion, you can name any room, not just the one you are in. Then look at the three cards in the envelope without letting anyone else see.
If all three match, show everyone and you win. If any card is wrong, put the cards back without showing anyone. You take no more turns, but you must keep showing cards when you need to for other players’ suggestions. If nobody makes a correct accusation, the murderer gets away and nobody wins.
A wrong accusation ends your chances, so wait until you can account for all three cards.
How to win at Cluedo
- Cross off your own cards first Every card in your hand is out of the running. Mark them before the first roll, then mark every card you are shown.
- Note who could not answer When a player cannot answer a suggestion, they hold none of those three cards. Write it down, because gaps like this narrow the field quickly.
- Listen to every suggestion You will not see the card another player is shown, but you can see who answered and who passed. Record both.
- Ask about cards still open A suggestion about cards you have already crossed off wastes a turn. Aim each one at suspects, weapons and rooms that are still open on your sheet.
- Bluff when it helps Hasbro’s earlier rulebooks let you name cards from your own hand in a suggestion. If yours allows it, it can muddy what your rivals think you are hunting.
- Plan your route Corner rooms link by secret passage, which can save a long walk. Choose a route that lets you visit the rooms you still need to ask about.
- Accuse only when you can prove it Before you accuse, check that each of the three cards is the only one left open in its group on your sheet.
Rules players often get wrong
Three things that catch people out
You cannot win, but you stay in the game. You keep showing cards when other players make suggestions.
You do not. If your roll would take you further than the door, you simply stop in the room.
Those three cards are either in the envelope or in your own hand. Check your sheet before you accuse.
THE GAME IN THIS GUIDE
Cluedo Classic Refresh
A deduction game for two to six players. See the game page for how a turn works, common questions and live prices from the shops we compare.
Compare prices from £17.49Questions
How many people can play Cluedo?
Two to six, for ages 8 and up according to Hasbro’s rules.
How do you play Cluedo with two players?
Deal the cards as usual, but take four of them and place them face down in four rooms on the board. When you enter a room with a card in it, look at the card in secret, mark your sheet, put it back face down and then make your suggestion. For a quicker game, put the four cards in the corner rooms.
Can younger children play?
Younger children can join a team with an older player, which is how Hasbro’s own team rules suggest playing. Check the age range on the game page before you buy.
How long does a game take?
Allow 30 to 60 minutes. A full table can take longer, because every player has to travel round the board before asking a question.
What is the difference between a suggestion and an accusation?
A suggestion is a question you ask from inside a room to gather information, and it does not end your game. An accusation is your final answer, and you only get one go at it.
Can I make an accusation at any time?
Only on your turn, and you can do it straight after a suggestion. You can name any room, not just the one you are in, but you only get one accusation.
Ready to play?
- Cross off every card you hold or are shown
- Note who could not answer each suggestion
- Accuse once, and only when you are sure
Cluedo rewards players who keep tidy notes and ask questions that still matter. Learn the turn, watch every suggestion and accuse only when you can prove all three cards.