Clue: The Great Museum Caper Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Equipment
• Assembly & Sample Setup
• Who's the Thief?
• Setup
• Setup: What the Thief Does
• Setup: What the Characters Do
• Gameplay: The Thief's Moves
• Gameplay: The Characters' Moves
  • The Characters' Moves...
  • On your turn, roll both dice:
  • Choose one of these two options: either look with the Camera's "eye" OR with your Character's "eye":
• The Chase...The Escape?
  • Nabbing the Thief
• Winning the Game
• To Order Parts
• The Story Behind Mr. Boddy's Collection...
• The Story Behind the Theft...

Object

As the invisible Thief, you must break into Mr. Boddy's private art museum, steal as many priceless paintings as you can, and escape through an unlocked door or window. You must do all this without being detected by Video Cameras and Motion Detectors or spotted by the famous CLUE® Characters who are trying to catch you. They will pursue you through the museum...if they spot you, RUN FOR IT! If you make it out of the museum with your loot, you win! If you play several rounds, the Thief who stole the most paintings wins the game. But every time the Characters catch a Thief, they win that round!

Equipment

• Label sheets
• 1 3-D game base and 8 separate "floors"
• 6 Video Cameras
• 11 Locks
• 9 Paintings and plastic stands
• 1 Thief shield
• 1 Thief plotting pad
• 1 Thief pawn (gray)
• 6 CLUE character pawns (assorted colors)
• 2 Dice

Assembly & Sample Setup

Game Base

1. Peel the "CLUE® The Great Museum Caper™" labels off the sheet and apply one to the outer side of each "sign" on the game base.
2. Apply the "fountain" and "flower" bed labels as shown.
3. From the second label sheet, peel off and place the different-colored "marble floors" in the appropriate rooms, as shown above.

Cameras, Locks, Paintings, Shield

4. Peel off a number, 1 through 6, from the label sheet and apply one to the recessed side of each of the Video Cameras.
5. Peel off and apply an "L" (Locked) or "O" (Open) on the inside of each of the 11 locks.
6. Punch out all 9 "paintings," fold them, and insert one in each plastic stand.
7. Punch out, crease and fold the Thief shield so it will stand upright.

Who's the Thief?

For a full-length game, each player will take a turn being the Thief; in a four-player game, this means you will play four separate rounds. The winner is the player who steals the most paintings after all rounds.

For a faster game, play just one round: one player is the Thief and the other players try to nab him/her. While this is a quicker game, don't make it too easy...after all, no self-respecting burglar would break in, snatch the closest booty and escape when there are all those priceless paintings just waiting to be stolen! The Thief should try to steal at least three paintings. To be even more daring, stay inside until a Character spots you — then make a run for it! If the Thief escapes, he/she wins the game; if the Thief is nabbed, the CLUE Characters collectively win.

Setup

(See sample setups on pages 3 and 7.)

To start, decide among you which player will be the first Thief. The rest of you will each play the part of one CLUE Character. Note for 2 players: One player is the Thief, and the other takes the part of two CLUE Characters and rolls and moves for each one separately.

Each time you play, the paintings and Cameras will be located in different places on the board. The sample setup on page 3 shows you where the different-colored marble floors go and gives an example of how the cameras and paintings could be placed in the museum. The sample on page 7 shows the game status after the Thief has made four moves.

Setup: What the Thief Does

Meanwhile, the player playing the Thief begins to plot the crime...

1. Set up your Thief shield in front of you and hide your Thief Plotting Pad behind it. Turn the game base so the Entrance is facing you and it's oriented like the Plotting Pad.
2. When the Characters have finished placing all the paintings and cameras, mark your pad. Put an "X" to show the location of each of the paintings. Mark the location of each Camera with a circle and number. (See the illustration on page 7.)
3. You will plot all your moves on the pad, so no one else will see your movements — unless they trap you and you're forced to put your gray pawn onto the board! This happens only when a Character sees you with his/her "eyes." (See page 9.)

Setup: What the Characters Do

Those of you who are playing the CLUE Characters set up the Museum the way you want it — and the better the job you do, the harder it is for the Thief to pull off the crime and abscond with the stolen goods.

1. Locks: Turn all the locks face down, mix them up, and place them randomly on the blocks at the windows and doors. Variation: The Characters may look at the locks and decide where to place the L's and O's.
2. Paintings: Place all nine paintings in the various main rooms (while you may put one in the small "empty" gray room, do not put any in the gray Power room or the corridors). There must be at least one painting per main room (some will have more). They must NOT be placed right in front of any window, or in a space immediately inside any doorway.
3. Cameras: Set up your Video Cameras number-side-up on any floor spaces not occupied already by a painting — in the different rooms, in the hallways, at the front door — wherever you think you'll catch a Thief! Hint: Place cameras so you get the most out of them, by letting them "see" in several key directions at once...down a hall and into a room, for example. (See illustration on page 7.)
4. Pawns: Each "Character" selects one of the colored (not gray) pawns and places it on any space NOT occupied by a painting. Choose from: Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. White. Hint: The Characters are working together to track and trap the Thief, so spread out when you start and during your search of the museum. Keep spread out until you locate the Thief — then close your net!

Gameplay: The Thief's Moves

Note: The Thief does NOT use the dice to move, even if the Thief pawn has been forced onto the board.

The Thief makes the first move and moves again after each Character moves: Thief, First Character, Thief, Second Character, Thief, Third Character. As the Thief, you mark all your moves on the Thief Plotting Pad, unless you've been SEEN by any one of the CLUE characters, as explained on page 9: then you must place your gray Thief pawn on the board, on the space where you were spotted, and make all further moves on the board.

• Enter the museum: Wait until the Character pawns are on the board then, on your pad, put an "E" on the window or door where you will sneak into the museum. (You don't look at the locks when entering the museum — only when you're making your escape! — and you may not re-enter once you've escaped.)
• Moves: After entering at the space marked "E," move 1, 2 or 3 spaces up, down and/or sideways (you may turn and make a right angle) — but never diagonally. On your pad, draw a line through the spaces you cross, and put a dot (•) where you land. You may not return to the same space on the same turn. Notes: And don't land on a space with a Character — you'll be immediately "caught"!
• To snatch a painting, you must end your turn on the exact space where it's located and draw a circle around the X on your pad... then, on your next turn, make your move and THEN remove the painting from the board. (Because you delay removing the painting by one turn, the Characters know the general vicinity you're in but they can't tell exactly which space you're on because you've already moved 1, 2 or 3 spaces away!)
• Video Cameras: To keep your movements even more secret, you may land on any Video Camera space and "disconnect" the Camera. Cross out the corresponding Camera number on your pad to show it's out of commission. You do not have to reveal the fact that you've disconnected the Camera until a Character asks you about that Camera, or "Scans" all Cameras. (See Dice, page 9.)
• Motion Detectors: No one can see the Motion Detectors — they are hidden in the museum walls. But you, the Thief, can shut them down: If a Character asks you what color space you are on (see Characters and Dice section on pages 8,9), you must reveal the color unless you choose to snip the wires to "disconnect" the Motion Detectors. To show that you've wielded your wire snippers, cross through one of the letter M's on your pad. You may only do this twice in one game; when you've crossed off both M's, you've used up both chances to disconnect the Motion Detectors.
• P – POWER Source in the Security Command Center, one of the small gray rooms next to the main museum entrance. If you go to the P space, you may turn off all the Cameras and all Motion Detectors. Don't reveal that the Power's off unless a Character tries to use a Video Camera or Motion Detector, at which time you announce, "Power's off." (At this point, one of the Characters will have to land on the P space to turn the Power back on and reactivate the Video Cameras and Motion Detectors.)

If a character lands on you while you're "invisible" or on the board: The honor system requires that you announce, "I'm caught!" and surrender. The Characters win.

Thief Pad setup after 4 moves:

You've "disconnected" 2 cameras: 1 and 6. You've "disconnected" the Motion Detectors 1 time. You've snatched 1 painting.

Gameplay: The Characters' Moves

The Characters work together as a team, patrolling the museum trying to spot and nab the Thief. They'll use the Video Cameras and Motion Detectors as well as their own "eyes" to scan the building's rooms and corridors. Once any one of the Characters sees the Thief with his/her own eyes, they give chase until the culprit is caught — or escapes!

The Characters' Moves...

• The Characters are a team, but each Character/player takes separate turns. Throughout the game, one Character moves, then the Thief moves; then the other Character moves, then the Thief moves again, then the third Character (if there is one) moves, and the Thief moves again.
• Characters move up, down, and/or sideways (you may turn and make a right angle) — but never diagonally.
• Two characters may not occupy the same space at the same time.
• Characters may land on a Video Camera space, but they may NOT land on a Painting.
• A Character may either move first and then look, or look first and then move.
• If any Character lands on the same space the Thief is on — either on the pad or on the board — the Thief is caught and surrenders. The Characters win the round.

On your turn, roll both dice:

The die with the numbers tells you how many spaces you may move: move any number of spaces UP TO and including the number you rolled.

The special picture die tells you what you may do in addition to moving.

Remember:

• Move any number of spaces UP TO and including the number you rolled.
• You may move and then look, or look and then move. (When using a Camera or Motion Detector, it often pays to LOOK first!)

Choose one of these two options: either look with the Camera's "eye" OR with your Character's "eye":

Option 1:

To use a Camera, ask the Thief these questions, in this order: "Is Camera Number __ still working?" If the answer is No, remove that Camera from the board; it cannot be used again. Play continues immediately. But if the answer is Yes, ask: "Can Camera (same number) see the Thief?" If No, the Thief remains safely hidden. But if the answer is Yes, the Thief must answer Yes — but does NOT reveal his/her exact location.

Option 2:

To use your Eyes, ask the Thief, "Can my Character see you?" (This means, the Thief is in your direct line of sight, either straight ahead or in back or sideways — but not diagonally.) If the answer is Yes, the gray Thief pawn must be placed on the board in the space corresponding to where he/she is on the Thief Plotting Pad. THE CHASE BEGINS! (See page 10.)

"SCAN": The Character is checking ALL Cameras to learn if they are working — and to try to spot the Thief. The Character asks, first, "Are all cameras still working?" If the answer is No, the Thief removes from the board any and all cameras that he/she has secretly disconnected. Then the Character asks, "Can any camera see you?" The Thief must reveal any and all numbers of the cameras that can see him/her.

MOTION DETECTORS: Ask the Thief, "What color are you on?" The Thief must tell the truth and answer you OR he/she can disconnect the Motion Detectors. The Thief may do this only twice during the game. (See page 7.)

Remember:

• If a Character "sees" the Thief with his/her "eyes," the Thief pawn must be placed on the board.

The Chase...The Escape?

If any one of the Characters has SEEN the Thief (spotted with "eyes," not with a Video Camera), the Thief must place the gray Thief pawn on the board in full view of all players. All Characters try to move to the space the Thief is on to nab the culprit!

If you're the Thief and you've been spotted — run for it! On your turn, try to get to the space directly in front of a window or door (you don't have to move through it, just up to it) and turn over the lock you find there. If it's Locked (L), you must stay in the museum and try to find another escape route — before a Character lands right on your space! But if it's Open (O), you're out and safe! Your time as a Thief is up, you disappear into the night with all the paintings you stole, and you win the round!

Hint: It's a good idea to try to escape from a room with two possible ways out, so if one's Locked, there's another close by!

Nabbing the Thief

Play continues until the moment any one Character ends his/her turn by landing on the exact same space the Thief is on — whether it's hidden behind the Thief Shield, or the gray pawn has been brought out onto the board. (You may use up to the number you rolled; you do not have to land on the Thief by exact count.) If this happens, the Thief must surrender and the Characters collectively win the round.

Winning the Game

In a short, one-round game: If a Character lands on the Thief space, the Thief is caught and the Characters win the game. If the Thief has successfully stolen a minimum of three paintings and ESCAPES from the museum, he/she wins.

In a longer game, you will play enough rounds so each player has the chance to be the Thief once. Then the player who stole the most paintings during the course of the game wins.

To Order Parts

To order a Thief Plotting Pad, send a check made out to Parker Brothers for $2.00 (postage and handling are included) to: CLUE GREAT MUSEUM CAPER Pad Offer, P.O. Box 0754, Deerfield, IL 60015-0754. Please allow four to six weeks.

The Story Behind Mr. Boddy's Collection...

It was a dark and stormy night, and all the weekend guests at Boddy Mansion had retired for the night...all except Colonel Mustard.

All evening, the Colonel's sixth sense sensed the coming storm — or was it a premonition of something else, something that would shake up the sleepy household and fill the dark hours before dawn with adventure and — did he dare even think it? — something just a little bit criminal...He loved anything that was just a little bit criminal!

A quick rummage through Mrs. White's refrigerator produced the makings of a cold mutton sandwich and a bottle of ginger beer, which the Colonel carried up to the Library. He'd always coveted this room, with its view of the croquet court and Boddy's silly old museum down the hill.

Old Boddy had certainly been a fanatic about his paintings, Mustard mused, using money, power and connections to amass his private collection, snatching up art at odd moments during his 'round-the-world fishing expeditions, while trout fishing in the Tuilleries or herring hunting in Holland. Not to Mustard's taste, but the old coot certainly knew how to spend his money!

Built a museum to house the paintings, he mused...even named the rooms after us, his dearest friends...built it right where the smashing lawn bowling court used to be...out there beyond the ridiculous thing Boddy called his "ha-ha," that infuriating four-foot ditch bisecting the lawn. The Colonel took another bite of mutton and chewed over the embarrassing moment during last summer's croquet tournament...he'd been paying such close attention to Miss Scarlet's three-ball break, he fell backwards into the ha-ha. It was right out there...out there on the lawn...what was that out there?...Did I see something? And is that a prick of light at one of the museum windows?

The old army adrenaline surged through Mustard's veins. Another swig of ginger beer to whet his appetite for intrigue...Better sound reveille and wake the others...we'll have to go down to the museum and check this out!

The Story Behind the Theft...

The thief oiled the rusty hinges, wrapped rags around them to muffle their creaking, then picked the lock on the rusty old front gate. That done, he slinked across the lawn, heading towards the darkened hulk of a vault Boddy called his museum. That repository of priceless masterpieces will be my triumph, the culmination of my life of crime! he mused. Little could Boddy know that the overly "curious" art lover he'd found fingering the Fragonard and kicked out of the charity ball would return years later under cloak of darkness...Boddy had shut the museum doors to the public for good after that incident and installed a security system. Nothing a pair of wire clippers couldn't fix!

Slipping from shadow to shadow across the vast expanse, the Thief thought about the guests all sound asleep up in the main house. Diligent spade work was the secret to this criminal's success, and it was vital to know not only the workings of the collector and his great household, but all the habits of its strange collection of guests as well. There was that dotty old retired military man, Colonel Mustard...the dumpy anthropology professor, Plum...and Mr. Green, the so-called "businessman" whose path the Thief had crossed several times — but Green would never know that!

And Mrs. Peacock...the Thief once worked for her — and against her, too. A real beauty in her youth, with a string of admirers as long as her string of precious pearls...she'd strung the Thief along too long...those pearls of hers had fetched a pretty penny! The only guest who remained a complete mystery was the exotic Miss Scarlet. She certainly did a good job hiding her past — not to mention her present.

No matter, after another of Mrs. White's leaden lasagnas, they were all sleeping the sleep of the dead a few hundred yards away, and they would never know what was going on just down the lawn...

The Thief reached the museum...Now leap the low wall, pad silently across the terrace...just like clockwork, a perfect plan...quick flick of the penlight to check the lock...and I'M IN! The old adrenaline surged through the veins. This will be the heist of the century...NO! This will be the greatest heist in history!