Rules for the Game of Clue

Board Set-Up

• The names of the suspects, rooms and weapons depend on the theme of your Clue game. The classic suspects are Miss Scarlet (red), Mrs. White (white), Mrs. Peacock (blue), Professor Plum (purple), Mr. Green (green) and Colonel Mustard (yellow). The classic weapons are rope, lead pipe, knife, wrench, candlestick and revolver. In every version of Clue, there are 6 suspects, 6 weapons and 9 rooms; each suspect has a designated starting point and weapon tokens are spread amongst the rooms.

  Each suspect, weapon and room also has a separate card. Divide the card deck into 3 groups: weapons, suspects and rooms. Shuffle each group, place them face down on the table and carefully place the top card (so no one sees them) of each pile in the "confidential" or "case file" envelope. Combine the remaining cards into one deck, shuffle, and distribute amongst the players. Each player receives a detective's notebook sheet, chooses a suspect token and places it on the appropriate start space. Players may check off the cards in their hand (because cards in their hands were not involved in the crime) and should keep their notebook sheet secret.

Game Play

• Playing the game consists of rolling the die, exploring rooms, making and disproving suggestions, and attempting to solve the crime. Miss Scarlet (red) plays first; play continues clockwise. Roll the die and move your token the number of spaces you rolled; if applicable, you may use a secret passage. Secret passages exist in corner rooms and usually allow you to move to the opposite corner. After moving into a room, make a suggestion. Suggestions include moving a suspect and weapon token into the room you occupy and saying "I suggest that the crime was committed in the (Room), by (Suspect) with the (Weapon)." If your token is moved into a room, you may, on your next turn, use that room in your suggestion or roll the die and move to another room.

Suggestions and Accusations

• After a suggestion is made, the other participants must try to disprove the claim. Suggestions are disproved if someone can show the person who made the suggestion one card she named; if someone has more than one card to disprove the suggestion, he only has to show one card. Players keep track of cards they have seen on their notebook sheets. Suggestions may only be made once after entering a room. To make a new suggestion, you must move to a different room or leave the room in one turn and re-enter the room on the next turn.

  If no one can disprove your suggestion, you may either make an accusation or end your turn. You do not have to make a suggestion before you make an accusation. Also, you do not have to be in the room of your accusation to make the accusation, but you may only make an accusation during your turn. Say "I accuse (Suspect) of committing the crime in the (Room) with the (Weapon)" then check the "confidential" or "case file" envelope. Do not let the other players see the contents of the envelope unless you are correct. If you are correct (all 3 cards must match your accusation), you have won the game and must place the 3 cards face-up on the table to show your opponents. If you are incorrect, return the 3 cards to the envelope without showing them to the other players. You will no longer move your token during the game, can no longer make suggestions or accusations, and will remain to contradict the suggestions of other players.