Clue: Downton Abbey Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• The Suspects
• Set Up
• Play
  • On Your Turn
• Win
• Two-Player (or Team) Game
• Sleuthing Tips
  • Marking Your Sheet
  • Process of Elimination
  • Using Your Cards

Contents

Gameboard • 6 cardboard character pieces (with plastic bases) • 6 miniature stolen objects • 30 cards (6 suspect cards, 6 object cards, 9 room cards, 9 clue cards) • Mr Carson's envelope • notebook • 2 dice

Players: 2-6. Ages: 13+.

The Suspects

Mrs Hughes No one knows the house like Mrs Hughes. She certainly knows the best hiding places and could stash a stolen object away discreetly. But what is her motive? Maybe she's caught up in one of her housemaids' schemes, like when Edna Braithwaite tried to trap Tom Branson into marriage. Mrs Hughes is trusted in the house – did she use that reputation to get away with theft?

The Dowager Countess The Dowager Countess is a stickler for tradition, and is quick to use her sharp tongue to deliver pithy remarks whenever necessary. But as times change, what if her traditional values are less respected and her put-downs no longer carry the same bite? Would she, a woman of principle, steal? Perhaps. She did once say: 'Principles are like prayers; noble, of course, but awkward at a party.'

John Bates Mr Bates might walk with a limp, but don't be quick to dismiss him. His army background has surely provided him with tactical proficiencies, including the stealth necessary to carry out a theft. Maybe he's stolen from Thomas Barrow, who wronged Bates by framing him for theft and later by kidnapping Lord Grantham's dog. What if Bates was out for revenge or rough justice?

Lady Mary Despite her known loyalty to Downton, Lady Mary is no stranger to conflict and rivalry with other members of the estate. Her relationship with Henry Talbot has certainly seen its ups and downs, and she shares a tumultuous bond with her sister Lady Edith. If, indeed, Lady Mary felt wronged by one of them, or by someone else, wouldn't it have seemed natural for her to retaliate?

Tom Branson Tom will step in to get someone out of a bind. He will also resort to questionable tactics for revenge – the cow dung in the soup incident springs to mind! Despite rising through the ranks of the estate, he's held a longtime distaste for aristocracy. The chauffeur turned estate manager has done well for himself, but could he have organised this theft to advance his career further?

Lord Grantham Sometimes it's those you least expect. Lord Grantham is a gracious man who is protective of his family and respectful of his staff. So, surely, he'd never steal? But people can surprise you, especially at Downton. Let's not forget why he married Cora – for her money, and to ensure the survival of the estate and his powerful position. Perhaps he masterminded this theft for similar reasons.

Set Up

The first time you play, punch out the character pieces from their cardboard frame and insert each one into a plastic base.

1. Place all six pieces on their named spaces, even if there aren't six players. Choose your character.

2. Place all the miniature stolen objects in random, separate rooms.

3. Shuffle the nine clue cards (the ones with the magnifying glass on the back) and place them face down by the gameboard. To play the traditional game of CLUEDO, remove these cards from the game.

4. Separate the other cards into three decks: suspects, objects and rooms. Shuffle each of the decks and place them face down.

5. Slide the top card from each of those decks into Mr Carson's envelope so no one sees. These cards answer the questions: Who did it? What did they steal? Where did they hide it?

6. Shuffle the remaining suspect, object and room cards together and deal them out face down among players. It's okay if some players have more cards than others.

   For a two-player game, you'll deal the cards out differently. See back page for details.

7. Everyone takes a sheet from the notebook and a pen (not included). Mark each player's initial (including your own) at the top.

8. Secretly look at your cards and mark them on your sheet. They cannot be in Mr Carson's envelope! Keep your sheet secret. See SLEUTHING TIPS on back page for more details on marking your sheet.

Play

The Dowager Countess always goes first and then play continues clockwise. (If no one is playing as the Dowager Countess, the next player clockwise on the board starts.)

On Your Turn

1. Roll the dice. If you roll the magnifying glass icon, draw a clue card. Read it aloud and do what it says, then return it to the bottom of the deck.

   • If you roll two icons, draw two cards.
   • If a card is revealed, mark it on your sheet.

2. Do ONE of three things:

   • Move your character piece the number of squares you rolled. (The magnifying glass counts as 1.) Try to get to a room!
   • Use a secret passage: at the start of your turn, move your token from the room you're in to the room the passage connects to.
   • Stay in the room your token is already in.

   Moving: You cannot move diagonally, go through the same square twice on a turn, or land on or move through a square occupied by another token.

   Entering rooms:

   • You must enter rooms through doorways.
   • If you roll a number higher than what you need to enter, just stop moving once you're inside.
   • Any number of pieces and miniature stolen objects can be in a room at the same time.
   • You cannot pass through a doorway blocked by another player, whether you're inside or outside of that room.

Think you know who the thief is? You can make an accusation right after you make a suggestion! See WIN for details.

That's it. Now the player to your left goes!

Win

Once you think you know who the thief is, make your accusation! You can only make one accusation per game, and it must be on your turn, but it can be right after you make a suggestion. You don't have to be in the room you're going to name.

1. Say, 'I accuse [suspect] of of stealing [object] and hiding it in [room].' (The leaflet prints "of of"; transcribed as printed.)
2. Secretly open Mr Carson's envelope. Are all three of the cards you named inside?

YES! You win! Congratulations on solving the mystery and averting a scandal at Downton!

NO! You're wrong! Without letting anyone see, put the cards back in Mr Carson's envelope. You can't take any more turns, but you must show cards when other players make suggestions. The game continues until someone makes a correct accusation. If no one does, the thief gets away with it!

Two-Player (or Team) Game

This variation plays like the classic game, with two exceptions:

• Set-up: After you've completed steps 1–5, shuffle the remaining cards and place four cards face down randomly in any four rooms. (For a speedier game, place them in the corner rooms.) Then continue set-up as usual.
• Play: If you enter a room with a card, secretly look at that card and mark your sheet before making your suggestion as usual.

Sleuthing Tips

Marking Your Sheet

When someone shows you a card, mark it on your sheet in the first column and in the column under their initial. Knowing who has which cards will let you strategise when making suggestions, and you may be able to pick up on clues when other players make suggestions.

Process of Elimination

Suggestions help you work out who the thief is by process of elimination. As players reveal cards, you narrow down which suspect, object and room cards might be in Mr Carson's envelope.

Using Your Cards

Use the cards in your hand to your advantage when making suggestions. If you want to know if a player has a specific card, try naming one or two of your own cards.

In this example, Lord Grantham is the thief. Perish the thought!