OBJECTIVE: Be the first player to solve the murder mystery
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 – 4 players
MATERIALS: 18 card character deck, confidential envelope, 3 suspect dice, 1 bonus die, 1 suggestion board, 1 detective pad
TYPE OF GAME: Deduction dice game
AUDIENCE: Ages 8+
OVERVIEW OF CLUE DICED
Clue Diced is a murder mystery deduction dice game. Players roll the suspect and bonus dice on their turn and formulate guesses based on the results. As play progresses, you and your opponents will be able to check off suspects from your suspect sheet. Collect enough information to make a final accusation and win the game.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
The character deck contains six different characters. Each character has a brains, brawn, and driver card. Three suspect dice each contain the six characters upon them. A bonus die gives you extra actions on your turn. Two or three suspect cards are kept in the confidential envelope until the end of the game. Players each receive their own detective sheet from the detective pad.
SETUP OF CLUE DICED
Give each player their own detective sheet and pencil. Place the suggestion board in the center of the table. Make sure the detective side of the board is showing. The master detective side is for a more complex version of the game. Separate the character cards into three piles: brains, brawn, and driver. Driver cards are only used in the master detective variation.
Shuffle the brain and brawn pile, and secretly take the top card from each. Put those cards in the confidential without looking at them. Now, shuffle the remaining brain and brawn cards together. Deal them all out. It is okay if some players have more cards than others.
Each player should look at their cards and check off the characters they have on their detective sheet. Those particular cards are not in the envelope and should not be part of your final guess.
THE PLAY
The youngest person goes first, and they roll all four dice. After rolling, look at the three suspect dice. Pick two of them and place one on the Brains section of the suggestion board and the other on the Brawn section.
Remember, you have some information in your hand. It might be wise to suggest a suspect that you have in your hand in order to throw off your opponents or gather information from them.
The player seated left of the person taking their turn then secretly shows a card from their hand that matches the suggestion. Only the player making the suggestion should see the card. If they do not have a matching card, they say pass and the next player secretly shows one card to the player who made the suggestion. After a card is shown, this phase of the turn ends.
Next, the player taking their turn looks at the bonus die for a possible additional action. A magnifying glass allows them to pick one card randomly from a single opponent to see. The question mark gives you the ability to ask one opponent about the third die rolled. An eye lets you open the confidential envelope for a peek at the color showing, and the pointed finger enables the player to make a free accusation.
Make the accusation by placing the two character dice on the brain and brawn locations accordingly. Each opponent in turn then tries to prove it false. If none of the players can prove it false, the crime might be solved.
Once the bonus die action is resolved, your turn is over (unless you want to make a final accusation).
MAKING A FINAL ACCUSATION
At the end of your turn, you may choose to make a final accusation. Announce that you would like to do so and place two suspect dice accordingly. Your opponents do not try to disprove this accusation. Instead, you open up the confidential envelope and check the cards secretly. If you are wrong, put the cards back in the envelope. You are out of the game. However, you still participate by disproved suggestions and bonus accusations.
WINNING CLUE DICED
Win the game by making a correct final accusation. If your accusation is correct, pull the cards out of the envelope and show your opponents.
MASTER DETECTIVE VARIATION
The master detective variation is played the same way, but it includes the driver cards as well. A brains, brawn, and a driver card will be placed in the confidential envelope.
Suggestions still only use two of the dice, but you must pick between the three categories: brains, brawn, or driver. When you make an accusation, use all three dice and place one in each of the three categories.
If you like playing this game, you should check out Left Center Right, another super fun dice game!
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021