Part two of the Cluedo board game review

Cluedo board game review, part two

Click here to read part one of this review

The gameplay

There's plenty of scope to make a mess of things as a bumbling suspect-cum-detective in Cluedo's creepy mansion.

You may end up being more Clouseau than Poirot, especially if you aren't diligent about keeping track of the cards that have been displayed to you.

The game can be frustrating. One particularly nasty rule is the one about moving a player to a room when a suggestion is made.

If you are on one side of the mansion and need to get to a certain room, being 'summoned' to hear a suggestion involving your character is extremely irritating. And hilarious for everybody else.

This is all part of the Cluedo board game charm, though. And I doubt if there's a player alive who hasn't got excited and made a premature exit from the game after a half-baked accusation. (This was a speciality of mine as a youngster. I lacked the patience required to win!)

Each game has the potential to last an hour or more, depending on how long it takes to narrow down the possible outcomes and figure out 'Whodunnit'.

Pros and cons

Unlike many board games, which seem to lack a certain charm, Cluedo board game has bags of character. Take my advice about playing by candlelight, especially with children. It really turns up the heat under the game!

Some of this charm is the very English nature of the board, the pieces, the names and the methodical approach to the problem-solving gameplay. It's very much like a 1950s British movie.

Later versions of the Cluedo boardgame have featured much more stylish, but less charming, board designs, such as this one. This is especially true of versions featuring the original board. I am all for improving something, but later versions (like the one pictured here) miss the point, in my opinion. Less is more in this case.

People with a need for more immediate gratification may find the slow, patient approach needed for Cluedo off-putting.

Some children especially play games to avoid using a pencil! But there's educational value here, with reasoning and observation skills required to be successful.

I would recommend at least one older teenager or adult plays with a group of younger children, as the game does play better with a calm head supervising proceedings.

It's perhaps a better game if played occasionally. The magic of Cluedo can wear off if you have too much exposure to it, but that's true of most board game experiences.

The verdict

An ingenious design and playable for people of all ages, Cluedo (or Clue) is a top-class board game. Sure to build many happy family memories and is missing that "kick the board in frustration" factor that some kids feel with more hyperactive boardgame experiences. Recommended.