Cluedo Rules Explained: How To Play And Actually Win

Cluedo is simpler than it looks, and the one rule people get wrong - the difference between a suggestion and an accusation - is the one that decides the game.

Here's how it works and how to play it well.

Setting up

• One suspect card, one weapon card and one room card go into the envelope without anyone seeing them. That's the murder.
• Deal the remaining cards out to all players. Cross off everything in your hand immediately.
• Everyone starts at their character's marked space, and Miss Scarlett goes first.

Suggestion vs accusation - the crucial bit

• A suggestion happens when you enter a room: you name a suspect, a weapon and the room you're in. It costs nothing and is how you gather information.
• The player to your left must show you one card that disproves it, privately. If they can't, it passes round until someone can.
• An accusation is your one shot. You name all three, check the envelope in secret, and if you're wrong you're out of the game - though you still show cards to others.
• You can make an accusation from any room and you can only make one. Never accuse until you've eliminated everything else.

Movement and secret passages

• Roll one or two dice depending on the edition and move that many spaces, horizontally or vertically, not diagonally.
• You must leave a room by a different door than the one you entered by if you want to return to it later in the same turn - and you can't re-enter the room you just left.
• The four corner rooms are linked by secret passages. Using one moves you across the board instantly and you can suggest straight away.
• Being dragged into a room by someone else's suggestion is a free move - use it.

Playing well

• Watch who shows cards to whom, not just what you're shown. That's where most of the information is.
• Occasionally suggest a card you're holding yourself - it tells you what other players have without giving anything away.
• Keep a proper grid, not just ticks. Note which player disproved what.
• Use the secret passages. Walking the long way round loses games.

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How to write it so it lands

• Note who disproved each suggestion, not just which card you saw.
• Suggest your own cards sometimes. It's the best trick in the game.
• Don't accuse until you're certain. There's no second go.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a suggestion and an accusation in Cluedo?

A suggestion is made in a room to gather information and costs nothing - other players disprove it privately. An accusation is your single guess at the envelope, and getting it wrong knocks you out of the game.

Can you make an accusation at any time in Cluedo?

Yes, on your turn from any room, but you only get one. If it's wrong, you're out.

How do secret passages work in Cluedo?

The four corner rooms are connected in pairs. On your turn, instead of rolling, you can take the passage straight to the opposite room and make a suggestion there immediately.

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