Clue Express Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object
• Choose from Two Games
• The Detective Game
  • Setting Up
  • Playing
    • On Your Turn
    • Making a Final Accusation
  • Winning
• The Master Detective Game
  • Setting Up
  • Playing
  • Winning

Contents

• Game pod
• 18 Suspect cards
• 4 Dice (the black dice are the Suspect dice; the blue die is the Bonus die)
• Case File envelope
• Suggestion board
• Detective Notebook pad
• 4 Pencils

Object

But this crime might actually have been a conspiracy involving 2 of them! As a Detective, you must gather enough clues to answer these 2 questions: Who was the Brains? Who was the Brawn?

Choose from Two Games

Decide which game to play: the Detective Game (basic play) or the Master Detective Game (advanced play).

The Detective Game

Setting Up

1. The Suspect Cards: Remove the 6 Driver cards from the deck, and place them out of the game. Sort the 12 remaining cards into 2 decks: Brain cards and Brawn cards. Shuffle each deck and place it facedown on the playing area.

2. The Case File: Without looking at the cards, take the top card from each deck, and, holding both cards facedown, slide them into the Case File envelope, then close the flap. These 2 cards answer the questions: Who was the Brains? and Who was the Brawn?

Shuffle together the 2 card decks, then deal them all out facedown to the players, one at a time. (It doesn't matter if some players have more cards than others.)

3. Your Notebook: Secretly look at your cards - they cannot be involved in the crime. Take a notebook sheet and secretly check off the cards in your hand. All players do the same. Keep the clues in your notebook secret!

4. The Suggestion Board: Place the Suggestion Board Detective-side up in the center of the play area.

Playing

The player to the right of the dealer takes the first turn. Play then moves to the left.

On Your Turn

1. ROLL ALL 4 DICE. The black dice are the Suspect dice, and the blue die is the Bonus die.

2. MAKE A SUGGESTION. First, look at the 3 Suspect dice. Then make a Suggestion naming one suspect as the Brains, and one as the Brawn. By making Suggestions throughout the game, you'll try to "narrow down" to the 2 culprits in the Case File envelope.

You may discover that one suspect played both roles in the crime. For example, Miss Scarlet could have been the Brains and the Brawn. (Hopefully in this case, no heavy lifting was involved.)

To make a Suggestion, you must place 2 of the 3 Suspects that you rolled on the Suggestion board: one on a Brains square and one on a Brawn square.

Suggestion Example

You rolled these 3 Suspect dice: Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. White.

You could place Mr. Green on one square and Mrs. White on the other; or you could place one Mrs. White on both squares. You decide to suggest that Mrs. White was the Brains and Mr. Green was the Brawn. You place the 2 dice on the Suggestion board in the corresponding spaces.

Strategy hint: You may, if you wish, suggest one or more of the cards in your hand, either to gather specific clues or to mislead your opponents.

Now your opponents try to prove your Suggestion false. This is done in turn, as follows:

• The player to your left looks at his hand, to see if either of the 2 cards you just named is there.
• If the player does not have a card that you named, the player to his left now tries to prove your Suggestion false; and so on.
• If the player has a card that you named, he must show it to you only. (If he has both, he must choose one to show you.)

When an opponent shows you a card, check the name off in your notebook. (Some players like to mark the initials of the player who showed the card.) No more than one player can show you a card.

3. LOOK AT THE BONUS DIE. Now you have a chance to gather more clues. After following the Bonus die directions, your turn is over (unless you want to make a Final Accusation.)

Bonus die directions:

• Inspect a card from any player's hand. Choose an opponent. That player must fan out all of her cards. Pick one card, secretly peek at it, check the name off in your notebook, and then give the card back to the player.
• Ask any player about the 3rd Die (the die that was not part of your Suggestion). Choose a player. This player must check his hand for any card(s) that show that suspect, and secretly show you one of those cards, if they have any. Mark your notebook. If the chosen player has no cards showing that suspect, you're out of luck!
• Peek at the Case File. Pick up the Case File envelope, secretly turn it over, and check the color showing in the secret keyhole in the back. This color indicates the identity of one of the culprits. For example, if you see red, you know that Miss Scarlet played at least one role in the crime. Mark your notebook accordingly!
• Make a Free Accusation. You may make an Accusation about both roles in the crime, with no penalty if you're wrong. To do this, decide which Suspects you'd like to accuse. Pick up 2 Suspect dice and place one on a Brains square and the other on a Brawn square. Turn each die so that the accused Suspect is face-up. Then announce your Accusation to everyone.

For example, to make an Accusation that Miss Scarlet was the Brains and Colonel Mustard was the Brawn, place the Suspect dice on the Suggestion board. Then announce your Accusation.

Now each of your opponents, in turn, must try to prove your Accusation false, the same way as they would if you had made a Suggestion. (See Make a Suggestion.) If your Accusation was not disproven, you may have solved the crime!

Making a Final Accusation

On any of your turns, after following the Bonus die directions, you may make a Final Accusation. But think carefully before doing so - if you're wrong, you're out of the game!

To make a Final Accusation, place 2 Suspect dice on the Suggestion board and declare your Accusation just as you would do while making a Free Accusation. Your opponents do not try to disprove your Final Accusation. Now pick up the Case File and secretly look at the 2 cards inside.

• If either one of the accused Suspects is not inside the Case File, your Final Accusation is disproven. Sorry, Detective - you're out of the game! Return the cards to the Case File, but don't leave the scene: you must still try to disprove any Suggestions made by your opponents.
• If both of the accused Suspects are inside the Case File, your Final Accusation is correct. Lay the cards out for everyone to see. Congratulations, Detective - you solved the case!

Winning

You win the game if your Final Accusation is correct - that is, if you find inside the Case File both Suspects that you accused.

The Master Detective Game

The Master Detective Game plays just like the Detective Game, except that you must answer 3 questions to solve the crime: Who was the Brains, Who was the Brawn, and Who was the Driver of the getaway car?

Setting Up

Setup is the same as for the Detective Game, except for the following:

• Sort the 18 cards into 3 decks: Brain cards, Brawn cards and Driver cards. Then shuffle each deck, draw one card from each, and secretly place the 3 cards in the Case File envelope.
• Place the Suggestion board Master Detective-side up in the center of the play area.

Playing

As in the Detective Game, players follow steps 1, 2 and 3 to gather clues. So what's different? Keep reading!

• Making a Suggestion: You still make a Suggestion by placing 2 of the 3 Suspect dice on the Suggestion board; however, you may choose from Brains, Brawn and Driver squares when placing your 2 dice.
• Making an Accusation: When making either a Free or a Final Accusation, you must place all 3 Suspect dice on the Suggestion board, on the squares that match your Accusation.

Accusation Example: You accuse Professor Plum of being the Brains, Colonel Mustard of providing the Brawn, and Professor Plum of driving the getaway car.

Winning

To win a Master Detective Game, you must find all 3 cards in the Case File that prove your Final Accusation to be correct!