Which Clue Edition to Give: Classic, Themed and Card Game Versions

For most families, give the current Hasbro Clue board game: it plays 2 to 6 people aged 8 and up. Choose Clue Junior for children from age 4, the Clue Suspect card game for travel or a quick game, and a themed or vintage edition for a fan who already owns the standard box.

Clue editions compared by age and players

Every Clue edition keeps the same goal: work out who did it, with what, and where. What changes is the age range, the time a game takes and how the clues are handed out.

Themed versions change art, names and rooms, so check the box for player count and age before you buy.

How a game of classic Clue plays

A game of classic Clue starts with three cards hidden in an envelope: one suspect, one weapon and one room. Wikipedia describes the standard game as six suspects, six weapons and nine rooms. Players move around the mansion, suggest a combination when they enter a room, and other players show a card to prove part of the guess wrong. The first player to name all three correctly wins.

The current Hasbro edition, F6420, is set in Tudor Mansion, and the victim is Boddy Black. Its suspects are Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, Chef White, Solicitor Peacock and Professor Plum. The box holds 50 cards, including 29 Clue cards, plus two dice and a detective notepad. Rolling the magnifying glass on the die lets a player draw a Clue card, which adds a twist to each turn.

Clue Junior for young children

Clue Junior, Hasbro item F6419, is rated for 2 to 6 players aged 4 and up. Its board is double-sided, with two different games. Playground Mix-up is cooperative and rated 4 and up, so the whole table works together. Science Lab Mystery is competitive and rated 5 and up. A family with a wide age range can start on the cooperative side and move to the competitive one as children grow.

The Clue card game for travel

The Clue Suspect card game drops the board and dice. According to Hasbro’s instructions, it is made for 3 to 4 players, has a 2 player variant, and comes with 86 cards. A card deck packs into a bag more easily than a boxed board, so it suits a stocking or a holiday trip.

Themed and vintage Clue editions

Licensed Clue editions swap the mansion and suspects for the setting of a show or film while keeping the deduction at the center. They make a stronger gift for a fan of that franchise than a second copy of the standard game would. The classic board games guide also covers bookshelf-style vintage editions made for display.

Older boxes can be a nostalgic find. Wikipedia lists Clue Master Detective from 1988, with 12 rooms, 10 characters and 8 weapons for up to 10 players, which suits a large group better than the standard game.

Where the Clue board game came from

The Clue board game began in England. Wikipedia credits Anthony E. Pratt as the designer and Waddingtons as the first publisher, in 1949, under the name Cluedo. Pratt’s first version had 10 characters, 11 rooms and 9 weapons before it was trimmed to the familiar set. The game took the name Clue in North America, and the 1985 film of the same name is based on it.

The Clue cast has changed in recent years. Wikipedia notes that Dr. Orchid replaced Mrs. White in 2016, and Chef White took that slot in 2023, which explains why an older board and a new one show different names.

Games for a Clue fan who has everything

A Clue fan who owns the standard box can move on to other deduction games. Scotland Yard, which won the Spiel des Jahres in 1983, has one player hiding as Mister X while the others chase. MicroMacro: Crime City, the 2021 winner, is a large illustrated city map where players hunt for clues to solve cases.

For more traditional games, see the classic board game gifts section, which includes our pages on Monopoly editions, cribbage and backgammon.