Clue Escape: The World's Fair Board Game
Clue Escape: The World's Fair Board Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Quick Start
- Take Board A, the LOBBY, out of the box and lay it faceup on the table. Place your pawns on the board without covering any of the numbers yet. Next, take out Deck 1 and place it next to the LOBBY.
DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE CARDS.
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This is a collaborative game, but the youngest player will go first. Move your pawn to any numbered location on the board (called nodes throughout these rules), then draw the card from Deck 1 that has the same number on it. The nodes represent different points of interest in the room and the cards you draw will tell you something about what you find there.
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Read your cards out loud to the table.
- If it's a narrative card, it will give you information and directions to follow. There may be prompts on the bottom telling you what action to take next, don't miss them! When you're done with these cards, discard them to the lid of the box.
- If it's a puzzle card, it will have a puzzle piece icon in the bottom right corner that is labelled with a letter and number. Puzzle pieces with the same letter go together. Along the bottom edge, the card will also tell you how many puzzle pieces you need to solve it.
NOTE: If you don't have all the pieces to solve a puzzle, explore more nodes on the board and leave the unfinished puzzle face up on the table until you find more pieces.
THE ANSWER TO EVERY PUZZLE IN THE GAME WILL BE A NUMBER. When you think you've solved and gotten that number, draw the matching card from the deck. If the card you pulled says SOLVED, you're correct! If the number you're looking for doesn't have a corresponding card in the deck, or if the card you pulled doesn't say SOLVED on it, you're incorrect, try again!
- When the first player has completed their turn, play moves to the left, and the next player should move their pawn to an unexplored node and draw the card that has the matching number.
- The goal of Deck 1 is to open the locked gate and get into the exhibit halls. Good luck! If at any point during the game you get stuck, check the HINTS section at the back of this booklet.
STOP. PUT THE RULES AWAY AND BEGIN PLAY. You will be prompted to return to the rules when needed.
Object
Take turns exploring The World's Fair as you work together to solve puzzles and gather clues to escape the Fair and solve the mystery of the power shutdown. The more clues you find, the better your chances are of solving the mystery: WHO killed Felix Carmine, WHERE did they do it, and WHAT was used to kill him?
Let's Play
The youngest player goes first, then turns rotate to the left.
On Your Turn
The only way to escape the Fair and solve the mystery is to explore rooms, decode puzzles, and gather clues. To do this:
- MOVE your pawn to an unexplored node on the gameboard. Take the card from the deck that has a matching number.
- READ your card aloud to the group and, if there are any actions listed on it, do what it says. If it's a puzzle, lay it on the table for all to see until you find all the pieces needed to solve it. For more information about the different types of cards you'll encounter, see Cards.
- SOLVE any available puzzles on the board with the help of your fellow players.
- PASS your turn to the player on your left if there's nothing left to do.
NOTE: When a turn ends and the next begins is somewhat fluid in this game but do your best to keep track of who performed the last action. One way to do this is to remember who moved their pawn to an unexplored node last.
Cards
Throughout the game, you'll encounter several different kinds of cards.
Narrative Cards
Most of the cards will be narrative cards that tell you pieces of the story and direct your actions while you play. Read these aloud and do what they say. If it has a discard icon, discard it to the lid of the box when you're done.
Puzzle Cards
Puzzles often consist of multiple cards that can be anything from word play problems to visual riddles that you have to piece together. Every puzzle card will have a puzzle piece graphic in the bottom right corner with the letter assigned to that puzzle, and a note about how many pieces are needed to solve it. These cards will unlock new items, locations, and clues and are the key to advancing through the game.
Keep puzzles face up where everyone can see them and do not discard them until another card instructs you to.
Remember, all the solutions for puzzles are numbers. When you think you've discovered the right number to solve the puzzle, look for that card in the deck.
- If you don't find the card in the deck, that means you were incorrect and you'll have to try again.
- If you do find it, you should see SOLVED at the top.
- If you DO NOT see SOLVED at the top, you've pulled the wrong card; put it back in the deck and attempt to solve again.
HINTS: If you get stuck on a puzzle and cannot move on, see HINTS at the back of this booklet and find the hints that correspond with the letter of the puzzle you're trying to solve. There are three hints for each puzzle. The solutions can be found at the back of this booklet.
Clue Cards
Clue cards are kept for the entire game and can be identified by the magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner. These are not used to solve puzzles, but will be used to solve the final mystery at the end of the game. Keep them face up on the table where everyone can see them.
Placement Cards
Placement cards change the board either as puzzles or as a way to add additional nodes for you to explore. When instructed by the game to do so, you'll find placement cards in the deck and place them on the board. Line up the art on the card with the art on the board.
Any players that were at a location under the card can be placed on top. If applicable, you may now explore the new node.
Building the Fair
The gameboard grows as you play and unlock new rooms in the Fair. When the game tells you to take a board out, find it in the box and place it beside the other rooms in the game. Similarly, when instructed, find new decks of cards in the box and add them to the game by unwrapping them and placing them under your current deck. Do not look through the decks, and do not shuffle any of the cards.
The boards are: Board A (Lobby), Board B (Biolab), Board C (Tech Station), Board D (Garden), Board E (Aquarium), Board F (Dome), plus the Monorail.
How to Solve the Mystery
At the end of the game, you will have to decide as a team: WHO killed Felix Carmine, WHERE did they do it, and WHAT was used to kill him?
Use all of the clues and evidence you've gathered during your escape to make a final decision. If you need to look at different rooms or nodes you may have missed, take your time to do so. Try laying out the Clues in the rooms they were found in to create a full picture of the culprit's path through the Fair.
Once you're ready to make an accusation, open the Solve Packet to find out if you were right.
Restorage
To restore your game and pass it on to new players:
- Sort the cards into their individual decks in sequential order. Each deck has a front card that lists which cards are in the deck and act as dividers.
- After the decks are sorted, store them in the wells along with the pawns and character cards.
- Disassemble the boards.
- Fold the Solve sheet back up and seal it. Place the transcoders back in their packets.
- Place the components back in the box in this order: Solve Packet, Packet C, Board F, Packet B, Board E, Board D, Packet A, Board C, Board B, Monorail, Brochure, Board A, rules booklet, STOP sheet.
Puzzle Solves
| Puzzle Letter | Solution |
|---|---|
| A | 168 |
| B | 147 |
| C | 142 |
| E | 237 |
| F | 257 |
| G | 283 |
| H | 308 |
| J | 374 |
| K | 327 |
| L | 334 |
| M | 438 |
| P | 463 |
| Q |
Puzzle Hints
| Puzzle Letter | First Hint | Second Hint | Third Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | You'll need three numbers from the badge scanner for the access code. | The access badge will give you the access code order. | Match the red access badge dots with the scanner numbers. |
| B | The order of the initials is important. | Try writing out the Monorail designer's initials. | Trace the Initials onto the keypad. |
| C | It looks like the card fits perfectly on the Monorail. | Make sure the connections on the card, Monorail, and board line up. | Follow the connection from the Monorail to the board. |
| E | The temperature needs to be reset to the correct temperature. | Pressing the buttons on the thermostat seem to change the temperature. | Follow the instructions on the paper and press buttons to change the temp accordingly. |
| F | The mushroom formula holds the key. | Use the mushroom names to enter the correct pin. |
Additional printed hint (puzzle V, row continued): Make sure you're aligning the cards by the corners.