Best Clue Board Games

Was it Professor Plum with the wrench in the library? Or Mr. Green with the candlestick in the study?

Clue is one of the most popular board games, and it’s easy to understand its appeal. Clue is the quintessential board game that combines clues, mystery, and a few zany suspects. With every new edition of the game, there are always beloved characters and fun new elements to consider when looking at the clues.

What’s fantastic about Clue is they really know their audience. Whether you’re a Potter-head, a Disney Darling, or a D&D level-four Elf Warlock, there’s the classic game of Clue with a perfectly-themed edition for you. 

Whether you enjoy solving mysteries and puzzles or are just here to check out a specifically-themed edition, here are 10 of the best Clue board game choices for you to try out.

🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Clue Board Games 

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#1. Clue (2012)

Players: 2- 6
Playing time: 40 mins

Clue’s 2012 edition is a refresh of the classic 1949 Clue game. 

We’ve started off with the classic murder mystery game. If you haven’t played Clue before or are looking to welcome new players into the Clue world, Clue 2012 is a great start. 

Players try to solve a murder mystery by asking clever questions. The aim is to find out who committed the murder, where it took place, and with which weapon. Through a process of elimination, a player correctly guesses whodunit. 

What makes the 2012 edition even better is that it adds a new character, Dr. Orchid, and includes two-player rules!

#2. Clue: Master Detective

Players: 3- 10
Playing time: 40 mins

If you’re looking to play with a larger group, Clue: Master Detective comes with a huge cast of characters that make the game that much more mysterious.

Master Detective was first introduced in the 1980s and includes more suspects, more weapons, and more possible murder locations. The mystery starts with the death of Mr. Boddy.

There are classic characters like Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, and Miss Scarlet. Master Detective also includes many new characters like Madame Rose, Mr. Boddy’s eccentric former secretary who only last week “saw” a dark ominous cloud and felt she needed to get home. She didn’t make it in time — or did she? 

There’s also Miss Peach, who arrived at Mr. Boddy’s door as unexpectedly as his long-last great-step niece from Georgia. 

#3. Clue: Harry Potter Edition 

Players: 6
Playing time: 50 mins

Inspired by the wizarding world, Clue: Harry Potter Edition takes you into a magical and suspenseful world of whodunit. 

In this Harry Potter-themed game, a student has vanished from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Players work to see who can solve the mysterious disappearance. 

Players take on the roles of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville and try to discover who did it, where the attack happened, and what spell or item was used. 

Possibly the best part about this game is that there’s a changing gameboard. Players can move the wheels in the corners of the board to reveal secret passages. 

Unfortunately, there’s no Invisibility cloak, Room of Requirement, or Maurader’s map to help you out so you’ll have to rely on your detective skills. 

If you’re a Harry Potter fan you’ll like this edition because the cards and maps have amazing artwork that’ll immerse you into the magical world. 

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#4. Clue: Dungeons & Dragons  

Players: 2- 6
Playing time: 60 mins

Was it Mialee in the Dragon’s Lair with the Staff of Power? Or, Tordek in the Dungeon with the Flaming Battle Axe?

In Clue: Dungeons & Dragons, a group of heroic adventurers travel to the Archmage’s Castle. But, one is actually the hero’s doppelganger. The group has been infiltrated by a shape-shifting monster. 

In Clue: Dungeons & Dragons is that it’s up to you to determine who has been replaced by the devil in disguise. You’ll have to guess where in the Forgotten Realms the infernal puzzle box could be hidden. You’ll also guess what weapon was used in the execution.

An added element is the Wandering Monsters deck. If you land on the claw-marked space, you draw a card to battle a creature by rolling a die. If you win you can add a magic item to your collection that can give you an extra turn or look at an opponent’s card. 

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#5. Clue: Disney Villains

Players: 3- 6
Playing time: 60 mins

Clue: Disney Villains is a villainous twist on a classic game! 

In this edition, Disney’s most mischievous Villains team up to steal all the magic in the universe. But villains can’t be trusted, even in the company of other villains. One Villain is hiding something from the rest, and the players need to figure out who that is, what magical item they stole, and where it’s hidden. 

Players can play as Ursula, Gaston, Lady Tremaine, Dr. Facilier, Mother Gothel, or Jafar and move through the gameboard to solve the mystery. 

The Disney Villains edition has some fun added rules like the Maleficent icon on the dice. If someone lands on this, it lets players stir up trouble with the spellbinding Chaos Cards. 

Clue: Disney Villains is perfect for Disney fans, children, and Clue fans alike! 

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#6. Clue: The Great Museum Caper

Players: 2- 7
Playing time: 30 mins

Clue: The Great Museum Caper is a fun 3D board game of detectives and a thief. 

The Great Museum Caper takes the classic world of Clue with characters like Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum and adds a semi-cooperative element to the game. A thief is stealing paintings, and the rest of the players take on the roles of detectives together. 

Quite similar to Scotland Yard, Clue: The Great Museum Caper allows the one player, who has taken on the role of the thief, hiding behind a thief shield, to take their next turn before removing a painting from the gameboard. That means the thief could be up to 3 squares away while the detectives frantically try to catch up. 

The game board is 3D, giving you a realistic idea of the mansion. The detectives set up the gameboard to try to make the game as difficult as possible for the thief. Players choose where to place paintings and cameras in each room, as well as where players will start. 

Although Clue: The Great Museum Caper is a Clue edition, the characters and setting are the only similarities to the original. So, if you’re looking for a Clue-themed game that has different mechanics, we’d suggest this 90s 3D version! 

#7. Clue: Secrets & Spies

Players: 2- 6
Playing time: 60 mins

In Clue: Secrets & Spies, players work to become the ultimate spy, seeking to save the world from evil plots! 

Players take on the roles of international spies, working independently to complete missions before being discovered by Agent Black, a nefarious agent with an evil scheme to rule the world. The player who completes the most missions before being discovered wins the game and is named the world’s #1 spy.

You’ll go undercover as a top agent, using your wits, spy light, and even your cell phone. That’s right, Clue: Secrets & Spies, sends real-time tips via cell phone text messages. It’s a really fun added element to the game that makes you truly feel like a spy! 

Can you prove yourself as the world’s ultimate spy?

#8. Clue: Discover the Secrets

Players: 3- 6
Playing time: 60 mins

In Clue: Discover the Secrets, the classic mystery game gets a modern makeover. 

The iconic suspects remain the same but there are new rooms and new deadly weapons that give the classic game a refreshing twist. 

Although it’s very similar to the original, there are a few added changes that give the game a bit more depth. Like, at the beginning of the game, if you’ve dealt the cards out evenly and have a few leftovers, you put them in the middle. Players can see those cards, but they must travel to the middle room to take a sneaky look at them. 

Also, each character has a special ability. If you’re Mr. Green, you can accuse someone even if you are not in that room. 

If you’re a Clue fan and keen to take on a little more of a challenge, Clue: Discover the Secrets is a great choice!

#9. Clue: Junior

Players: 2- 6
Playing time: 30 mins

Clue: Junior introduces kids ages 5 and up to the iconic mystery board game that is Clue. In the Junior edition, the classic gameplay is the same but there’s a theme of the mystery of the broken toy. Don’t worry, there is no murder involved in the Junior edition.

Oh no! Someone has broken a toy, and the players will have to use light strategy and the process of elimination to solve the mystery. 

Clue: Junior is a great way to introduce kids to board games as it’s quite simple to play and very interactive. Kids can learn deductive reasoning and develop strategy and questioning skills. 

Throughout the game, clues are uncovered and there are detective sheets to help players keep track of the clues. 

#10. Clue: Retro 1986 Edition

Players: 3- 6
Playing time: 40 mins

Turn back the time machine, it’s 1986! 

I think it’s safe to say that if your family played board games when you were young, you’ve probably played Clue. That’s why the Retro version will give you a nostalgic, warm, and fuzzy feeling when playing. 

Clue: Retro looks just like the 1986 edition. It comes with wood tokens, retro weapons, and a retro die. The detective notes and envelopes have a cool vintage aesthetic, and the card deck has retro graphics that take you back to the 80s. 

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing, vintage-stylized game, Clue: Retro Edition delivers! 

Wrap-Up

Who, when, and where? What’s your favorite murder mystery board game?

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best Clue board games! This classic whodunit game has been a family game night staple since it first came out in 1949. Since then, Clue has been adapted to fit into any theme or fandom, with new elements, but the same great core that we all know and love.

Which of these have you tried? Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.

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