OBJECTIVE OF HUES AND CUES: Use one or two-word clues or “cues” to get others to guess the exact hue or color on the game board.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 to 10 players
MATERIALS OF HUES AND CUES: Game board, 100 color cards, 30 player pieces, scoring box
TYPE OF GAME: Board game
AUDIENCE: 8+
OVERVIEW OF HUES AND CUES
Warning: If you’re colorblind, this game is going to be very, VERY difficult. But don’t worry; even if you’re colorblind, you can have a lot of fun with this game. So, don’t be afraid to try it out. It just means you’ll have a more chaotic game, but that’s half the fun anyway!
In Hues and Cues, the goal of the game is to guess the exact hue of a color. You’ll be guessing these colors with the help of some limited word clues that you’ll somehow need to decipher. What we love about this game is that although kids as young as 8 can play, you can also make the game much more difficult by adding more house rules, perfect if you’re hosting a house party for adults!
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SETUP FOR HUES AND CUES
Setting up to play Hues and Cues is easy as 1-2-3.
- Lay the game board with 480 color hues flat on a table.
- Distribute the game pieces to each player, with each player choosing a specific color of game piece to play.
- Shuffle the color cards.
- Place one of each player’s game pieces on the scoring track.
Once all of that is set up, you are ready to play! Choose a player to go first. This player is the first clue-giver, or “cue-giver” in Hues and Cues. But don’t worry; everyone will take turns giving clues or “cues” as you play.
HOW TO PLAY HUES AND CUES: HUES AND CUES RULES
The rules for Hues and Cues are relatively simple to understand. And you should be playing like a pro in no time, and adding fun variations to spice up the game within a couple of rounds!
So, how do you play Hues and Cues?
CUE ONE
The first cue-giver takes a game card. Each card has four random colors. The colors on the card are also represented on the board. Don’t worry; the card tells you the exact coordinates of the colors. Pick one of these four colors to give a clue for.
The clue for the first round must be a one-word clue. But you cannot say a simple color word, such as blue or red. However, you can say more abstract or less common shades of colors. For example, you can say maroon or chartreuse.
Furthermore, cue-givers cannot:
- Refer to objects in the room.
- Refer to the color’s space on the board by saying letters or numbers.
- Repeat a clue given earlier on in the game.
GUESS THE COLOR
After the cue-giver gives the first clue, players take turns (going clockwise from the cue-giver), placing one of their two game pieces on an unoccupied space on the board.
CUE TWO
Now, the cue-giver gives another one-word or a two-word clue to further help players guess the color.
The cue-giver may not use words like “lighter” and “darker” to reference a color.
Skipping cue two: A cue-giver may strategically decide to skip the second round if they are happy with how many points they already have, preventing others from scoring more points.
GUESS THE COLOR
This time, go counter-clockwise from the cue-giver, with players taking turns placing their second game piece on the game board.
SCORING
The cue-giver now puts the scoring box on the game board, centering it on the correct color. Whoever guesses the exact hue wins 3 points, whoever is within one space of it wins 2 points, and whoever is within two spaces of it wins 1 point.
The cue-giver also wins points according to how many game pieces are within the scoring box.
TRACK THE POINTS
Now, track the points by moving the game pieces on the scoring track on the board.
END OF GAME
If 3–7 players are playing, keep playing and taking turns being the cue-giver until everyone has been the cue-giver twice.
If more than 7 players are playing, have everyone be the cue-giver once.
Once every player has had an appropriate number of turns, take a look at the scoring track to see who has the most points. The player with the most points wins the game!
VARIATIONS OF HUES AND CUES RULES
Hues and Cues is a relatively simple game at its core, so you can introduce whatever house rules you want to play and have endless amounts of fun. Don’t be afraid to be creative! I’ve heard of some crazy Hues and Cues rules over the years, including:
- The cue-giver looks at the hue from above, and everyone needs to guess the color by looking at their eyeline.
- The cue-giver tells a story to get people to guess the color.
- The cue-giver only gives hints based on “vibes”.
- The cue-giver can only give hints based on a theme.
- Use the game board as a shuffleboard, with players having to slide their game pieces to the color they are aiming for.
- For a drinking game variation of Hues and Cues: Whoever guesses wrong must take a drink, and whoever guesses right within the scoring box gives out a specific number of drinks, depending on how many points they win.
FAQ
How Long Does a Game of Hues and Cues Take?
Hues and Cues has an average playtime of around 30 minutes, but this can be longer or shorter depending on how well and fast players can think of cues and how many players there are.
Can You Play Hues and Cues 2 Player?
Technically, Hues and Cues is created for 3 to 10 players. However, you can play a variation of 2-player Hues and Cues by playing it as a cooperative game rather than a competitive game, with the two players taking turns giving clues.
Can You Say Blueberry in Hues and Cues?
You cannot say specific color names, such as “blue,” but you can say “blueberry” in reference to a specific hue of blue.
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