Cluedo Mysteries

Not to be confused with Clue mysteries (book series).

Cluedo Mysteries

(Clue Mysteries in North America)
Box cover
Publisher(s)	Parker Brothers
Players	2 to 6
Age range	8 and up
Setup time	< 5 minutes
Playing time	30 minutes
Random chance	High
Skill(s) required	Deduction Dice Rolling

Cluedo Mysteries (Clue Mysteries in North America) is a board game which is based on Cluedo, but varies greatly from the original. It was released in 2005 in the United States, as part of a new line of Cluedo games including the 2002 edition of Cluedo, Cluedo FX, and the Cluedo DVD Game.

Overview

The most obvious difference featured in Cluedo Mysteries from Cluedo is the objective. Unlike Cluedo and Cluedo SFX, the objective of this game is to find a culprit and where they are hiding. There are no murders involved in this game. There is also no player-to-player deduction. The game is a remake of the 1980s game "Mysteries of Old Peking". Players use tokens and move around the board - which is not Tudor Mansion, but Hampshire, England. Once players visit various locations on the board and get information there, they eliminate suspects one by one until they think they have solved the case.

Suspects, Victims, and Witnesses

Suspects

Biographies given in the game displayed, the following twelve are suspects for all 50 cases:

• Miss Josephine Scarlett

Age: 25

Aspiring Actress. Would she accidentally uncover a well-guarded family secret?

• Col. Michael Mustard

Age: 61

After a mediocre military career in England, he served with some distinction in Africa. Now penniless and hounded by creditors, he's struggling to pen his memoirs. What dark secret from his past is haunting him?

• Mrs. Blanche White

Age: 62

She was Sir Hugh's cook, housekeeper, and nanny to his young nephew John Boddy. With little to show for decades of dedicated service, she now wants compensation. What delicious scheme is she cooking up to get it?

• Rev. John Green

Age: 53

A pastor with a shady past, the charismatic "Reverend" had several run-ins with the law in America. Escaping to England, he quickly began courting wealthy patrons. By what unholy schemes will he fleece his new flock?

• Mrs. Patricia Peacock

Age: 48

This socialite and three-time widow is running low on youth and inheritance. What is she hiding from her daughter, Josephine? And what juicy tidbits can be found in her diary?

• Prof. Peter Plum

Age: 37

Formerly a professor of Ancient Mid-Eastern Culture, Plum made several trips to Egypt - all funded by Sir Hugh Black - in search of ancient artefacts. Will he find the secret map that leads to a tomb full of hidden treasure?

• Mrs. Jane Meadow-Brook

Age: 44

She's the town busybody and the wife of Boddy's attorney, Miles Meadow-Brook. What dirt will she dig up on her neighbors? And what mischief will she make during her husband's final days?

• Rusty Nayler

Age: 61

Rusty served in the military under Sir Hugh Black, and later became his groundskeeper. Crusty, cynical, short on funds and soon to retire, he's desperate for cash. Who is he blackmailing to keep an old secret?

• Lady Su Sian Lavender

Age: 29

Social-climbing herbalist Lady Lavender was widowed when her husband was mysteriously poisoned. Her clients keep her wealthy and entertained, but she wants more. What plan is she concocting to spice up her life?

• Prince Philippe Azure

Age: 33

Handsome, worldly and well educated, the "royal" Azure has both an elusive lineage and a knack for cashing in on it. Will his long-standing feud with fellow gun collector Colonel Mustard come to a nasty end?

• Miss Amelia Peach

Age: 22

After a happy childhood in America, fun turned to tragedy for Miss Peach: her father went broke, she left law school, and her fiancé left her. Bitter, lonely and miserable, she wants someone to pay - but who?

• Lord Alfred Gray

Age: 44

Charming, artistic and temperamental, Lord Gray served as a cartographer in World War I, and now designs water gardens for wealthy clients. With whom is he feuding, and how far will he go to get the upper hand?

Victims

All of the suspects and Mr. Boddy are victims of the petty crimes that occur throughout Clue Mysteries. Another victim of a few crimes is Mr. Miles Meadow-Brook, the ill-fated lawyer who is murdered in Clue FX, which chronologically follows this game.

Witnesses

The six original suspects (Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Rev. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum) as well as Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy) and Inspector Brown make up the eight witnesses. They each have their own location on the board where players go to receive information about the cases. In addition to those eight, Mr. Reginald Ash, butler, is mentioned in the mysteries. His journal provides some of the mysteries.

The Board

Unlike Cluedo, Cluedo FX, or the Cluedo DVD Game, the crimes that occur in Cluedo Mysteries' fifty cases do not all occur on the grounds of Tudor Mansion. The board is of Hampshire, England - where Tudor Mansion is located. The crimes occur at other various places, but there are eight locations on the board that players visit and interrogate witnesses. They are:

• Tudor Mansion (Dr. Black/Mr. Boddy)
• White Cottage (Mrs. White)
• Professor Plum's Castle (Prof. Plum)
• Scarlett Theatre (Miss Scarlett)
• the Police (Inspector Brown)
• Peacock Residence (Mrs. Peacock)
• Mustard Lodge (Col. Mustard)
• Hampshire Church (Rev. Green)

There is a ninth location: the Town Center, the circle in the middle of the board. All players begin here.

The Crimes

Cluedo Mysteries revolves around 50 mysteries included in a booklet. Players choose a mystery, read the synopsis before, and attempt to solve it. There are 50 mysteries in all. They span a period between June 1 and August 7, with each crime given a specific date. They are:

• 1: The Parting Shot (Mon., June 1)
• 2:The Phantom of the Theatre (Wed., June 3)
• 3: The Wheels of Misfortune (Thurs., June 4)
• 4: The Tabloid Attack (Fri., June 5)
• 5: The Borrowed Book (Sat., June 6)
• 6: The Unholy Heist (Sun., June 7 [Trinity Sunday])
• 7: The Vanishing Vase (Tues., June 9)
• 8: The Spooky Séance (Fri., June 12)
• 9: The Catnap Caper (Sat., June 13)
• 10: The Unsafe Safe (Sun., June 14)
• 11: The Ransomed Map (Mon., June 15)
• 12: The Scarlet Letter (Tues., June 16)
• 13: The Phantom Planter (Wed., June 17)
• 14: The Nosy Neighbor (Thurs., June 18 [John Boddy's 29th Birthday])
• 15: The Missing Crown (Sat., June 20)
• 16: The Message in the Bottle (Mon., June 22)
• 17: The Unsavory Stew (Tues., June 23)
• 18: The Vandal Scandal (Thurs., June 25) from the journal of Reginald Ash
• 19: The Tainted Tea (Sat., June 27)
• 20: The Shear Disaster (Sun., June 28)
• 21: The Suspicious Flood (Wed., July 1)
• 22: The Mail Mishap (Fri., July 3)
• 23: The Herbal Upheaval (Sat., July 4 [Lady Lavender's 28th Birthday])
• 24: The Castle Caper (Sun., July 5)
• 25: The Dirty Little Secrets (Mon., July 6)
• 26: The Surprise Shower (Tues., July 7)
• 27: The Poisoned Prince (Wed., July 8)
• 28: The Haunted Castle (Fri., July 10)
• 29: The Missing Medal (Sat. July 11)
• 30: The Missing Manuscript (Sun., July 12)
• 31: The Mysterious Warnings (Mon., July 13)
• 32: The Dinner Disaster (Tues., July 14 [Bastille Day]) from the journal of Reginald Ash
• 33: The Forged Check (Wed., July 15)
• 34: The Late-Night Lurker (Tues., July 16 [Miss Scarlett's 25th Birthday])
• 35: The Purloined Pistol (Fri., July 17)
• 36: The Switched Sketches (Sat., July 18)
• 37: The Wet Blanket (Sun., July 19)
• 38: The Secrets of the Tomb (Mon., July 20)
• 39: The Racquet Racket (Thurs., July 23)
• 40: The Sudden Sickness (Fri., July 24)
• 41: The Trespasser (Sat., July 25)
• 42: The Reckless Rider (Sun., July 26) [see Note]
• 43: The Ruby Robbery (Wed., July 28)
• 44: The Phony Fliers (Sat., August 1)
• 45: The Love Letter (Sun., August 2)
• 46: The Purse-Switcher (Mon., August 3)
• 47: The Missing Diary (Tues., August 4)
• 48: The Pilfered Painting (Wed., August 5)
• 49: The Good Gossip (Thurs., August 6)
• 50: The Petty Payback (Fri., August 7)

Note: Mystery 42 (the Reckless Rider) appears differently in the Casebook. The date reads: Sunday 26TH July 1925. For unknown reasons, the date is the only one written in this style and the only to include the year.

Game Play

Set Up

• Lay out the board.
• Players choose their tokens and place them in the Town Center.
• Place each scene token on the open road space in front of the four corner buildings (Tudor Mansion, Professor Plum's Castle, the Police, and the Mustard Lodge). It does not matter which token goes where.
• Shuffle the Clue cards and keep them in reach. Do not deal them out.
• Place the spyglass, secret mirror, and location key in reach.
• Pass a detective notebook out to each player, with a Clue sheet in it.
• Choose the mystery you want to play (1-50). Read it aloud.
• Set the character wheels to the correct number (see below the mystery you are playing for the numbers for each wheel).

Game Play

• Once order for play has been established, the first player takes the die and rolls.
• Move your token the number of spaces shown on the die you rolled.

Clue Cards

Cluedo Mysteries features Clue Cards. When you land on an Open Road space, you take one from the pile and follow the directions. They can tell you to go to specific building or lose a turn. You must follow the directions as soon as you pick it up. Discard it. If you go through all of the cards, reshuffle. There are 24 Clue Cards.

Scene Tokens

There are four scene tokens. The culprit is hiding at one of these scenes, and it is up to the players to find out which one. A visit to Dr Black at Tudor Mansion will help out immensely. The tokens move around the board throughout the game and are path blockers. The four tokens are:

• Parade
• Fair
• Cart
• Bus

Pawn Movement

• You must move the full count of the die. There are two exceptions: you can stop short to land on a building space or stop short on a scene token (but only to make an accusation).
• You can move your pawn in any direction, but moving onto the same space twice in one turn is forbidden.
• Your pawn can pass other pawns and share spaces with them.
• Your pawn cannot pass over a scene token, unless you plan on landing on it to make an accusation.

Spaces

There are four types of spaces:

• Building spaces: They are the eight locations. You can pass a building space without having to stop or stop short to land on them. It is here that you interrogate the different witnesses.
• Open Road spaces: Open road spaces are ones of open roads. If you land on them, pick a Clue card, read it aloud, and follow the directions on it.
• Vehicle spaces: Vehicle spaces have a 1920s car on them. There are four total. If you land on these exactly, you can move to any other space on the board.
• Scene spaces: Scene spaces have a scene token on them. The tokens can be moved throughout the game, but you cannot pass them. You can only land on them if you want to make an accusation.

Interrogating a Witness

There are three kinds of locations. Each has its own use and device to help read the information. They are:

• Suspect Witness Wheels: These are Miss Scarlett's, Col. Mustard's, Mrs. White's, Rev. Green's, Mrs. Peacock's, and Prof. Plum's wheels. To read the statements, take the spyglass and hold it over the back of the character wheel. Their statements will become clear to read.
• Inspector Brown's Wheel: To read the Inspector's statement, take the secret mirror and hold it against the back of his wheel. His statements (which are backwards) can be read in the mirror. He tells you who - if any - of the witnesses is lying.
• Dr. Black/Mr. Boddy's Wheel: To decipher Dr. Black/Mr. Boddy's hint, take the location key and hold it against the back of his wheel. His hint (which a series of letters that make a word) can be read through the holes in the key. He tells you where the culprit is hiding.

After you visit each of the locations, you can write down the information you receive. The suspects will tell you physical traits about the culprit (man or woman, gray or black hair, glasses or not, etc). On the inside of the detective notebook are pictures of each suspect for help. You can write down the statements from each witness on their respective line on your Clue sheet. In the upper right corner of each sheet is a number for each suspect (which corresponds with the pictures in the notebooks) that you can mark off when you have eliminated him or her from suspicion. You can write the culprit and where they are hiding in the solution bubble at the bottom of the sheet.

Final Accusation

Despite the differences between Cluedo Mysteries and Cluedo, the final accusation holds the same. If you are confident that you known whodunit and where they are located at you can make a final accusation. In order to make an accusation, you must be on the scene token where the culprit is located. You state your accusation, and then you check it by reading the solution in the back of the Casebook to yourself. If you are wrong, you are out of the game. Do not tell the other players the solution. The game will continue, but without you. If you are correct, you win the game. Read the solution aloud for all the other players.

Points of interest

• Cluedo Mysteries goes from June 1, 1925 to August 7, 1925 - the day before Mr. Meadow-Brook's murder (the premise for Cluedo FX).
• There are changes in the physical look of many suspects compared to other games. For example, Lady Lavender and Miss Peach both sport glasses and hats in this game, but not in Cluedo FX or the Cluedo DVD Game. Prince Azure has a hat for this game only. Mrs. Peacock is shown with a cloche hat, a common 1920s style.
• This edition emphasizes Mr. Green as Reverend the most of all American editions. Oddly, he is not referred to as Reverend in Cluedo FX or the Cluedo DVD Game (chronologically, both sequels to Cluedo Mysteries). However, the biography for the 2002 edition of Cluedo explains that Mr. Green is a reverend and his character space is Rev. Green.
• This was the first edition where Inspector Brown was featured. Oddly, the Inspector Brown in the Cluedo DVD Game is much younger-looking, but retains the same overall look.
• This was the first edition where Mr. Boddy was featured. He is shown as a young man (at age 28 to 29) in a teal jacket with a pocketwatch. This image appears in the Cluedo DVD Game for him, as well.
• Mr. Meadow-Brook, though mentioned, is not pictured anywhere in the game.
• There is a date error. The game gives Lady Lavender's age as 29. However, Mystery 23 (the Herbal Upheaval) says that it is on her 28th birthday, making her a year younger.
• The heading for the newspaper half-featured on the inside of the box ends with 'Sentinel.' In other editions, the local newspaper was referred to as the Daily Echo.