Clue DVD Game
Clue DVD Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
1 DVD, 1 game board, 42 cards, 10 figures, 1 red magnifying glass, 1 "confidential file" envelope, 1 detective notepad, 4 plastic padlocks.
Unboxing
Before starting to play, remove the padlocks from their backing and take the figures and cards out of their packaging. Discard the packaging.
Suspects
The suspects are men and women.
Men: Colonel Mustard, Reverend Green, Professor Plum, Prince Azure, Francis.
Women: Mrs. White, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. Beaumont, Lady Lavender.
Rooms
Some rooms are in the West wing, others in the North wing, others in the South wing, and others in the East wing. A few rooms are in two wings at once, such as the study, which is in both the North and West wings. The fountain and the rose garden are outside. All other locations are indoors.
Rooms: Hall, Lounge, Dining Room, Kitchen, Ballroom, Conservatory, Billiard Room, Library, Study, Rose Garden, Fountain.
Times of the Crime
It is daylight outside between dawn and dusk. After dusk, it is dark outside. It is neither day nor night during dusk and dawn.
Times: Dawn, Breakfast, Late Morning, Lunch, Early Afternoon, Tea Time, Dusk, Dinner, Night, Midnight.
Objects
The objects can be divided into 3 groups: antiques, desk accessories, and jewelry.
Antiques: Spyglass, Revolver, Rare Book.
Desk accessories: Wallet, Gold Pen, Letter Opener, Crystal Paperweight.
Jewelry: Medal, Pocket Watch, Jade Hairpin, Scarab Brooch.
Setup
Place the game board in the center of the table so that every player can reach it easily. Put the DVD in your player.
After the introduction, the main menu appears, offering 10 numbered cases and one randomly generated case. Using your remote control, choose one of the cases.
The solution to the 10 numbered cases is always the same every time you play. The random case, on the other hand, has a different solution every time.
Once the case is selected, the DVD will guide you through setup, since each case has its own specific setup.
- A padlock can block a secret passage.
- The suspect figures begin the game in the Evidence Room.
- 10 Object cards, face down, are placed in the Butler's reserve.
- Each player has a hand of cards. Your hand can contain suspects, places, or times of the crime.
- Keep the red magnifying glass close at hand — you will need it to decode secret messages.
- The Confidential File envelope contains the solution: a suspect, an object, a place, and a time of the crime.
The Evidence Room
The Evidence Room is at the center of Tudor Mansion. This is where Inspector Brown has set up. All players start the game in the Evidence Room, and this is where they must go to give their conclusions about the case. As the game progresses, players will be asked to put cards into the Evidence Room. When this happens, the cards are placed face up, and their contents are revealed to all players. Any player, at any time, may look at the cards in the Evidence Room.
On Your Turn
The DVD will tell you which figures to use and who goes first. Before starting, each choose your figure. Play then proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you always do two things. At the start of a case, do these two actions, in order:
- Move your figure to an adjacent room.
- Make a suggestion.
1. Move to an adjacent room
The first thing to do on your turn is move to an adjacent room. Rooms are adjacent if:
- They are connected by a hallway, or
- They are connected by a secret passage. (If you take a secret passage, you must indicate this to the DVD. Use the remote to highlight TAKE A SECRET PASSAGE and press Enter.)
Sometimes secret passages and doors are locked at the start of a case. During setup, the DVD tells you which doors are locked. You may not go through these doors until they are unlocked. Inspector Brown will tell you when they are.
2. Make a suggestion (In any room except the Evidence Room)
You can make a suggestion from any room, except the Evidence Room. The goal is to determine which cards the other players hold in hand (and which are therefore not in the confidential file). When you make a suggestion, name 3 categories (not 4) that could make up the solution. It is up to you to choose which three categories you name.
Example: You could suggest that Colonel Mustard stole the brooch near the fountain (leaving out the time), OR that Colonel Mustard stole the brooch during lunch (leaving out the place), OR that the brooch was stolen at the fountain during lunch (leaving out the suspect), OR that Colonel Mustard stole something at the fountain during lunch (leaving out the object).
Your only restriction when making a suggestion is: if you name a room, it must necessarily be the one you are in. So, for example, to be able to name the fountain as the place of the crime, you must be standing there!
If you are a fan of classic Cluedo, note that in this version, you do not move the suspect you named into the room you are naming.
When you make a suggestion, it is up to the other players to prove it wrong. The first to try to disprove you is the player immediately to your left. That player looks at their hand to see if they hold any of the 3 cards you named. If the player holds one of the named cards, they must show it to you (AND ONLY TO YOU). If that player holds more than one named card, they choose one (AND ONLY ONE) that you named and show it to you. If the player to your left has none of the named cards, then the chance to disprove your suggestion passes to the player to their left, and so on.
When a player shows you a card you named, that is proof it is not in the confidential file! No other player needs to show you a card, and your turn ends. Don't forget to check the corresponding box on your detective sheet to remember that this card was shown to you. If no player can show you a card to disprove your suggestion, you are on the right track toward the solution.
Inspector Brown and Ashe the Butler
During the game, Inspector Brown and Ashe the Butler will step in and may give you interesting information. As the game progresses, more and more options will become available on the DVD's main menu. On your turn, after moving, you may make a suggestion OR choose one of the following options on the DVD:
- Call Ashe the Butler
- Look at an Object card
- Read a note from the Inspector
Call Ashe the Butler (In any room except the Evidence Room)
Once Ashe has started his shift, you may choose to call him to any room, except the Evidence Room. To do this, on your turn, use the remote to highlight CALL THE BUTLER, and press ENTER.
Ashe will then tell you what he saw or heard about this case. All players hear the information and may take note of what Ashe tells them. Some information will be useful right away; other information won't be understood until later — but everything he says is true!
When you call Ashe, he also gives you one of the missing objects that he found around the mansion. Take the top card of the deck in the Butler's reserve and, without showing it to anyone, add it to your hand.
Look at an Object card (Only in a room where there is a face-down card)
Bit by bit, as the game progresses, Inspector Brown will find some of the missing objects in and around the mansion. When he discovers an object, the DVD asks you to take the top card of the deck in the Butler's reserve and place it, face down, in the room specified by the Inspector. But he will only agree to share his information if you prove your sense of observation. If you find yourself in a room where an Object card that has just been discovered is located and you want to see it, use the remote to select LOOK AT AN OBJECT CARD. Then select the room you are in and press READ. The DVD will ask you a question. When you have your answer, press "Show Answer." If you answered correctly, choose "Yes." If not, choose "No."
If you win the Inspector's challenge, you may look at the room's card, but be careful — DO NOT ADD IT TO YOUR HAND! Once you have looked at it, put it back face down in the room where it was and check it off on your detective sheet. If you fail the Inspector's challenge, you do not look at the card, and your turn ends.
Read a note (In any room except the Evidence Room)
From time to time, Inspector Brown will write notes in his notepad. These are clues or facts he has noted that may help you solve the case. When Inspector Brown has noted clues, he will tell you. Then, on your turn, you may read one of his notes. If several are available, you must choose which one you want to see.
To read a note, use your remote to highlight READ A NOTE FROM THE INSPECTOR and press ENTER. A screen will appear. Use the red magnifying glass to read the note number. You are the only one who can see this number. Then take the Inspector's notepad, which you will find in the last pages of the rules booklet, and read the matching note. You may consult the note for as long as you like, and write down what you want on your detective sheet. You may also reread the note later during the game.
Making Your Accusation (Only in the Evidence Room)
If you move into the Evidence Room, you must give your conclusions — this is the only action allowed when you enter this room. Using the remote, select GIVE YOUR CONCLUSIONS TO THE INSPECTOR on the DVD. A screen will appear and tell you which letter to use to indicate your 4 choices. Using the arrows on your remote and the red magnifying glass, move the indicated letter under each of your choices and press ENTER. For example, if the DVD asks you to use the letter B to select your choices, use your remote's arrows to bring the B under each of your choices. Other players cannot see what you are doing. Do this for all 4 elements of the mystery.
After you have entered your choice for Who, What, Where, and When, Inspector Brown will tell you how many of your 4 choices are correct. If you found all 4 correct elements, you win! If some are wrong, you may keep playing, but for each wrong answer, you must turn face down one of the Object cards you have in your hand in the Evidence Room. Be careful before giving your conclusions — the cards you lose could help the other players.
If you must discard more cards than you have in hand, you are eliminated from the game. You must then reveal all the cards in your hand.
If you are in the Evidence Room because of a DVD instruction, and not because of one of your normal moves, you are not required to give your conclusions. On your next turn, simply move to an adjacent room and play normally.
DVD Event
As the game progresses, the DVD will interrupt play to inform you of an event. The screen will change and Inspector Brown will let you know he has something to tell you. When this happens, finish the current player's turn, then use the remote to watch the event. Do not watch the event during an ongoing turn.
Victory
The first player to return to the Evidence Room and give the 4 correct elements of the mystery wins the game! Inspector Brown will then summarize the case for you. Look in the envelope to confirm your success!
Tips and Tricks for the Game
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you play:
- Be careful not to check a box on your detective sheet based only on what Ashe or the Inspector say. When you see a card, that's a fact; before that, it's only a suspicion, so mark the boxes differently to clearly tell the two apart. Use Ashe's and the Inspector's revelations to confirm your suspicions, then check whether your suspicions are well founded (see also "Example of a Case").
- All clues, notes, and testimony are true — do not question them.
- Whenever all the suspects are together, you may eliminate the time at which they are together, since there is no chance anyone could have slipped away from the group to commit the theft.
- Clues are not given in chronological order.
- Meals always take place in the Dining Room, unless specifically indicated otherwise.
- The fact that an object is in a room does not mean a specific DVD event put it there. After events, objects have been moved around in one way or another and so are not necessarily still where they were at the time of the theft.
The Random Case
Unlike the 10 numbered cases, the random case is different and has a different ending every time. To play it, select THE RANDOM CASE from the menu and follow the setup instructions. Since the DVD does not know the answer, some elements differ from the numbered cases:
- You will know which object was stolen and will only need to determine Who, When, and Where.
- The Butler is off duty and so cannot help you.
- The Inspector is on the case and will step in from time to time to announce that an event has occurred.
- The Inspector does not know the solution to the case. So, when you give your conclusions, you look in the envelope, and if you guessed correctly, you win; otherwise, you are eliminated from the game.
In this game, giving your conclusions therefore carries much more weight than in the 10 numbered cases.
Example of a Case
Guide to Clues and Testimony
This example case is not on the DVD. It is here to show you how what the Inspector and the Butler say can help you form hypotheses and steer you in the right direction. In this example, we will use a cross (X) when we have seen a card and can therefore rule it out completely, and a single slash (/) to mark something that is presumably ruled out but whose card has not actually been seen.
At the start of this case, you receive the following cards: Prince Azure, Francis, Dawn, Lunch, and the Billiard Room. Since these cards are in your hand, they cannot be in the confidential file. Mark the corresponding boxes with an X on your detective sheet to show they are ruled out.
A few turns later, you call the Butler, who tells you: "A few days ago, Francis dropped a huge bowl of custard in the Kitchen — it was everywhere! Mrs. White spent all of yesterday cleaning the Kitchen, and no one was allowed in until today."
This testimony tells you that Mrs. White cleaned the Kitchen all day and that no one was let in. This indicates that the Kitchen and Mrs. White are not involved in the crime and are therefore not in the envelope. Use a slash (/) to mark this testimony. You will turn it into an X once you have seen the cards!
After a few more turns, you call the Butler again. This time he tells you: "At the time I went to bed, after midnight, all the Jewelry was locked up and accounted for."
This testimony indicates that at midnight, no Jewelry was missing since it had been accounted for, and so none of it is in the envelope. Check all the jewelry boxes with a slash (/) until the information is confirmed, once you see the cards.
This time, you decide to read a note from the Inspector. You go to the last pages of the rules booklet. Here is what it says: "After the guests had their tea, Mrs. Beaumont noticed someone prowling about who seemed suspicious."
This could suggest that the crime was committed after Tea Time. You had already ruled out Dawn and Lunch — mark all the other boxes before Tea Time with a slash (/).
Over the following turns, you have made suggestions and ruled out new possibilities. Your detective notepad now looks like this:
You decide to consult a new note from the Inspector. It reads: "Around Midnight, Francis discovered that one of the Antiques had gone missing from its case, in the North wing."
This note suggests that the stolen object was an Antique and that the theft took place in the North wing. Use a slash (/) to mark the other objects and rooms.
You have already gathered quite a bit of information, but you decide to call the Butler again. This time he tells you: "I'm embarrassed to have to tell you this, but... I overheard a conversation between Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, and Reverend Green about who had the finest antique collection. The discussion got rather heated, and I can confirm that one of them, though I'm no longer sure which, was very angry afterward."
From this testimony, you deduce that the culprit is probably Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, or Reverend Green. Mark a slash (/) in the boxes of the other suspects. At this point, your deductions come to this:
Who: Reverend Green, Professor Plum, and Colonel Mustard What: Revolver, Spyglass, or Rare Book When: Tea Time, Dusk, Dinner, Night, or Midnight Where: Hall or Lounge
Inspector's Notepad
When the DVD tells you Inspector Brown has noted a clue, read the correspondingly numbered note below (using the red magnifying glass to reveal the note number on screen, as described under "Read a note").
- The thief never helped anyone organize the festivities.
- I am certain the thief committed the crime before meeting Dr. Lenoir.
- Francis was absent all day.
- The theft took place when the lights were out, in a dark room.
- Mrs. White admitted to me that she was afraid to tell Dr. Lenoir she had dropped her crystal paperweight on her medal while cleaning. Fortunately, nothing was damaged, as she checked several times during the day.
- Dr. Lenoir bought his desk accessories while he was in London.
- The theft could not have been committed in a room that was cleaned today.
- Dr. Lenoir still had all of his possessions by late morning.
- One of you was with the thief today.
- The smell of bacon drew all the men to the Kitchen at Dawn.
- Mrs. Beaumont, Lady Lavender, and Colonel Mustard arrived together.
- The thief did not stay more than a few hours.
- Reverend Green heard glass breaking while he was hurrying to have his breakfast. Afraid of being late for the service, he did not stop to see what it might have been.
- A woman was running strangely in the South wing at Tea Time.
- The object found in the Hall was given to Dr. Lenoir by his uncle. Also, Mrs. White nearly stepped on the object in the Study.
- Mrs. White is furious. She told me she heard someone say they wanted "a pound of bacon," but she doesn't have a pound of bacon in the kitchen and doesn't want to go buy any.
- Someone at the fountain said they saw something odd at one of the windows, but couldn't remember which window it was.
- No one was in the North wing during the party.
- After the ball, Prince Azure, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, and Reverend Green were outside stargazing. Professor Plum is a knowledgeable astronomer and was asked to point out the different constellations.
- The thief arrived after the reading of the book.
- Prince Azure is an early-to-bed, early-to-rise type; he retired right after dinner.
- Colonel Mustard found a wallet on the floor tonight and asked whose it was.
- Miss Scarlet met Dr. Lenoir in the early afternoon, while Professor Plum was seen at dusk.
- The theft did not take place in a room where a game was being played.
- The dog was never indoors.
- All the women were absent during the daylight hours.
- Dr. Lenoir thought it safer for me to keep the antiques locked up during the day.
- Colonel Mustard wore an old sea captain's costume; Mrs. Beaumont was dressed as a librarian.
- The suspects were all together for breakfast and for lunch; for dinner, people came and went as they pleased.
- Mrs. Beaumont left dinner abruptly, saying she wasn't feeling well and was going to bed.