- Learning time
- 10 minutes
- First play time
- 60 minutes
Cluedo
Designed by: Anthony E. Pratt
This fits in to the same bracket as Monopoly – a ‘classic’ that almost everyone will have played at some point in their lives, but one that really has very little to offer that isn’t vastly improved upon by a swathe of more recent games. As such, an overview seems redundant; but in a nutshell, players attempt to discover whodunnit, to whom, where and with what. Beyond the deduction element, as with Monopoly the gameplay revolves around rolling a dice and moving as many spaces as there are pips on the die – which immediately becomes exasperating and tedious as you try to walk-crawl-plod from room to room. As with Monopoly, Cluedo’s inclusion here is to help suggest other games that use deduction and sleuthing to far more enjoyable end.
The guru's verdict
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Take That!
Take That!
Not much.
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Fidget Factor!
Fidget Factor!
Not too much.
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Brain Burn!
Brain Burn!
Not much.
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Again Again!
Again Again!
Probably okay once in a while.
Sam says
The deduction aspect of Cluedo is fun. However, it's hobbled by the dice-rolling element of trying to get around the board - the first person to figure out Colonel Mustard committed the murder with a candlestick in the conservatory can spend the rest of the game struggling to get across the board, rolling ones and twos and ending up a mere spectator. I think Mystery of the Abbey is neat updating that dispenses with dice altogether, although admittedly it's a slightly more complex game and as a result, less kid-friendly. For two players, Joe's recommendation of Mr Jack is a good one.