Board Games Like Clue: 9 Reviews and More

Clue is the classic board game of mystery and deduction. It was originally published in 1949 and has remained a popular game throughout the decades.

The spooky theme, colorful suspects, and campy tropes make this game entertaining for a wide range of people.

Clue Master Detective is like the original game but better. More character cards, murder weapon cards, and rooms to choose from. You can also play with more people, making it great for game nights or larger groups.

But if you’d like to try a different game, don’t worry. You have plenty of similar games to choose from.

Which game like Clue should be at your next game night? Keep reading to learn more.

Games Like Clue: At a Glance

Clue is the classic murder mystery game. The objective is to be the first to correctly guess the murder victim, weapon, and location of the murder.

The spooky mansion is the perfect backdrop for this game of intrigue. The cast of suspects includes characters like Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, and Colonel Mustard. Did the murderer use the revolver or the candlestick? It’s up to you to figure it out!

Clue is challenging and loads of fun, earning the game its long-lasting popularity. But different elements might appeal to different people. Once you understand what draws you to the classic board game, you’ll find it easier to choose a similar board game.

You can play Clue many times over. Each outcome is always different. If you prefer games with a high replay value, you might consider Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, Clue Master Detective, or Betrayal at House on the Hill.

Clue also requires deductive reasoning to win the game. Players must be able to keep track of different clues while using logic to draw conclusions. If you enjoy deduction games, you might like Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, or Clue Master Detective.

You must also use strategy in order to make the most of your moves and surroundings. If strategic moving games are your thing, take a look at Kill Doctor Lucky, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Scotland Yard, or Clue: Treachery at Tudor Mansion.

Of course, if you’re playing with children, you’ll want something family-friendly. Clue Junior or Scotland Yard Junior are great detective games for young players.

Best Mystery Board Game Like Clue: Product Reviews

Clue: Master Detective Game: Best Overall

Players: 3-10

Playing Time: 30-45 minutes

Age: 10+

There are several spin-offs of the original Clue board game, but Clue Master Detective has to be my favorite. With more suspects, more rooms, and more weapons, you’ll have even more fun.

This game requires three players but can handle up to 10 players. I remember playing this version as a kid with a large group of cousins, and it was a blast.

In addition to the regular characters, you also have Sergeant Gray, Miss Peach, Madame Rose, Mrs. White, and Monsieur Brunette. As for the murder weapon? It could be poison or a horseshoe, in addition to the original weapons.

Explore the carriage house, the conservatory, the courtyard, and more. Players roll dice to move between rooms.

The extra large game board requires more moves, so this version includes two dice, as opposed to just one. That helps speed up play.

Examine clues and mark them on your detective sheet. This newest version comes with plastic pieces instead of the original wooden pieces, and the notepad is a little different from the original.

Buyers had high praise for Clue Master Detective. Some of them, like myself, remember playing this as a kid. Others were happy to find a game similar to Clue that allowed more players.

Pros

• More suspects, weapons, and rooms
• Deduction game
• Great for large groups
• Fun detective board game
• High-quality game pieces and cards
• Can be played time and again
• Affordable

Cons

• Plastic pieces instead of wooden

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Kill Doctor Lucky: Best Runner-Up

Players: 2-8

Playing Time: 20-40 minutes

Age: 10+

Instead of solving the murder, what if you became the killer? Switch sides and become the villain in Kill Doctor Lucky. This version is the Deluxe 24-3/4 Anniversary Edition.

You have just been welcomed to Luck Mansion, a sprawling country estate with weapons, plenty of hiding places, and heartless killers… including you. Your objective is to kill Dr. Lucky without the other players noticing.

Move around the mansion, collect murder weapons, and attempt to kill Dr. Lucky in a secluded location, away from other players. But watch out! If you get caught, you’ll be sent to jail.

Use failure cards to thwart your opponents and movement cards to get close to Dr. Lucky in a secluded location. Use your weapons cards to commit the crime.

This is like an inverted prequel to Clue, where you’re trying to murder the victim and get away before getting caught. It’s a funny game of dark humor.

So what did buyers think of Kill Doctor Lucky? They enjoyed the game and found it fun and easy to learn. They liked the variation and the interesting twists.

For instance, if Dr. Lucky lands in your room, that can change the turn order. And if you fail at a murder attempt, you get a spite token that bolsters your future attempts.

This game does mention murder, so it might not be the best for younger kids. But it’s not gruesome or graphic. The suggested minimum age is 10, and I would agree. It’s up to you.

One drawback is that one unwise (or selfish) player could potentially ruin the fun for everyone else. If a player refuses to play their failure cards, they could hand a victory to a less-deserving player. It could also make the game unnecessarily long.

But unless you have a player like that, the Kill Doctor Lucky is loads of fun and a great game for parties, casual gamers, or even families.

Pros

• Fast-paced
• Easy to learn
• Requires strategy
• Good quality components
• Great for casual gaming

Cons

• One selfish player could flub the outcome

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Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Best For Solo Player

Players: 1-8

Playing Time: 90 minutes

Age: 12+

A detective game set in Victorian London with the best crime solver in literature? What’s not to like? In Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, you use your deduction skills to solve crimes as quickly as possible.

In this mystery board game, you play as a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the ragtag group of boys that assist Sherlock Holmes by roaming the streets of London in search of clues.

Your objective is to solve the crime in as few steps as possible. You’re essentially trying to beat Sherlock Holmes to the punch. Will you visit the crime scene? Revisit clues? Meet Inspector Lestrade? You get to decide.

Interview suspects, search the newspapers, and walk the streets for clues. Check the book to see if you solved the crime as quickly as the master sleuth.

This is a cooperative game where players work together as a team of detectives to gather clues and solve mysteries. But several buyers enjoy playing solo. This makes a great single-player board game.

This mystery game comes with 10 epic cases to solve in Victorian London, including:

• The Mummy’s Curse
• The Munitions Magnate
• The Pilfered Paintings
• The Thames Murders
• Plus several more!

This game is quite immersive. The newspaper, directory, map, and casebook are high-quality and have that Victorian feel to them. You feel like you’ve been transported into a Sherlock mystery.

This isn’t a game to be played repeatedly. Once you solve the crimes, that’s it. The good news is that with 10 challenging cases to solve, you’ll have plenty to chew on before the game is done.

This game is on the pricier side, and it’s not a walk in the park. Well, there might be a walk in the park, but you get the idea. It challenges players.

Don’t get frustrated if you don’t solve the crimes as quickly as Sherlock. It’s difficult to do. If you go into it just to solve the crime, you shouldn’t be disappointed. If you really want to beat Sherlock? Let’s just say good luck.

Pros

• Can be played cooperatively
• Great deduction game
• Challenging
• Suited for solo play
• High-quality map and components

Cons

• Pricey
• Low replay value

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Deception Murder in Hong Kong: Best for Large Groups

Players: 4-12

Playing Time: 20 minutes

Age: 14+

In Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, players find themselves amidst intrigue, murder, and deception. Your job is to interpret forensic evidence to solve a murder. But the murderer could be anyone, including the player sitting next to you.

In this fast-paced deduction game, players take on the role of investigators attempting to solve a murder case. One of the players, however, is actually the killer!

Another player is the forensic scientist, who has the solution but can only express the clues using special crime scene tiles. The other investigators must interpret the evidence and work cooperatively to deduce the truth from those clues.

Investigators must discover who the murderer is and other details of the crime, including the murder weapon, location of the crime, time of death, and more.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is like a mashup of Werewolf and the Clue board game.

Buyers had rave reviews for this board game. They enjoyed the social deduction element and the simple rules. They also liked that you can play this game many times over and get a different result each time.

The cards feature beautiful artwork, but they’re small in size. This isn’t a problem with a small group, but it can be tough to see the cards when the group is large.

One other tricky part is the role of the forensic scientist. It’s best if a more experienced player takes on that role since the gameplay is heavily dependent upon that person’s ability to give clues. But the roles are randomly assigned at the beginning of the game.

Other than that, the game mechanics are pretty smooth. This game is great for larger groups. Eight seems to be the magic number, but it accommodates anywhere from 4-12 players.

Pros

• Fast-paced deduction game
• Great for large groups
• Easy to learn
• High replay value
• High-quality artwork

Cons

• Heavy on the forensic scientist role
• Cards can be difficult to see

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Betrayal at House on the Hill: Best Role-Playing Game Like Clue

Players: 3-6

Playing Time: 60 minutes

Age: 12+

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great board game for those who like their mystery paired with the paranormal.

In this mystery game, you and your friends are exploring the house on the hill. You move around the board exploring different rooms, finding symbols that show you which card to take: event, item, or omen.

Each time an omen card is picked, a dice roll will determine whether the haunt begins or not. The fun really begins once the haunt starts. One player is now the traitor as the rest become heroes.

The traitor follows the scenario dictated by the omen card. The heroes also get their own survival book to prepare them for the betrayal. The heroes have their own objectives to complete while battling with the traitor’s monsters.

Will the heroes prevail or will the traitor stay one step ahead?

The game begins as cooperative but turns semi-cooperative, with one player pitted against the others after the haunt begins.

With 50 different scenarios and 44 room tiles, Betrayal at House on the Hill can be played countless times. Play again and again, experiencing new haunts each time.

Buyers loved this board game. They enjoyed the role-playing elements and the high level of variation in the haunts and on the tile-based game board.

There is a learning curve to this mystery game. You’ll want to carve out some time to learn the rules and play through it a couple of times. However, after playing one game or two, you’ll be hooked.

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a fun game for teens and adults who like spooky mansions, betrayal, and mystery.

Pros

• Semi-cooperative play
• Fun traitor mechanism
• Can be played repeatedly
• Role-playing game
• Challenging

Cons

• Learning curve

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Clue: Treachery at Tudor Mansion: Best Escape Room Game Like Clue

Players: 1-6

Playing Time: 90 minutes

Age: 10+

This board game is one of the more unique options on the list. Clue: Treachery at Tudor Mansion is similar to Clue in that players must examine clues and solve a mystery.

However, where this game differs is that you’re on a precious time limit. You must solve the murder mystery and escape the mansion before the police arrive. This is essentially an escape room set in the Cluedo world.

This version of Clue has a cinematic feel. It’s cooperative, so you must work with other players to solve the mystery. The game board builds and changes, revealing rooms and clues as players solve puzzles and unlock the mansion.

You can play this mystery game with just one player or in a group with up to six players.

Buyers liked this game, although many were disappointed to learn that you can only play it once. I suggest gifting this game to someone after you play. They’ll enjoy examining clues and solving the murder mystery.

If you like escape rooms and playing Clue, this is the perfect game for you.

Pros

• Cooperative game
• Escape room format
• Cinematic experience
• Ideal for game nights
• Affordable

Cons

• Can only play it once

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Clue Junior: Runner-Up for Younger Kids

Players: 2-8

Playing Time: 20-40 minutes

Age: 5+

If you want something fun for the whole family, Clue Junior is one of the best board games like Clue for kids.

In this easy-to-learn mystery game, players must solve the mystery of the broken toy. Find out who broke the toy, which toy was broken, and what time it happened.

The notepad features picture-based clues, so children who are learning to read can still play.

Large plastic pieces are easy to handle and hold, and the board is bright and colorful. Some buyers did find it confusing for kids to make their way around the convoluted spaces, however.

Still, many people enjoyed playing Clue Junior with their children or grandchildren.

This won’t be intellectually challenging for adults, but it will be a great way to introduce younger kids to board games like Clue. They can flex those deduction reasoning skills and have fun along the way.

Bonus? The game is affordable, so you don’t have to break the bank to find out who broke the toy.

Pros

• Ideal for kids
• Easy to learn
• Fast-paced, quick gameplay
• Nonviolent theme
• Solid game components

Cons

• Not stimulating for adults

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Scotland Yard: Best Semi-Cooperative

Players: 3-6

Playing Time: 30 minutes

Age: 8+

In Scotland Yard, you must work with other players to find the escaped criminal mastermind, Mister X.

Players take on the role of detectives in this fun game. Use travel tickets to chase him by taxi, bus, and underground, around Piccadilly Circus, along the River Thames, and through Paddington Station.

This is semi-cooperative, so you have one person playing as Mister X while the other players work together to catch him.

Buyers enjoyed the fast-paced gameplay and the strategic maneuvering required to catch the criminal. It’s like Clue in that you must move around the board in your quest to capture Mister X.

The only complaint was in regard to the instruction manual. The booklet has German listed first, but there are English instructions later. However, they appear incomplete.

If you’re unsure of how to play, I suggest watching a couple of videos on YouTube to help figure out the rules. This is a classic game from the 80s, however, so you might have played it before.

If you want a game like Clue and enjoy the immersive London setting, Scotland Yard is a great board game.

Pros

• Easy to learn
• Fast-paced mystery game
• Semi-cooperative
• High-quality components
• Requires strategy
• Can play repeatedly

Cons

• Pricey
• Poor instruction guide

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Scotland Yard Junior: Best for Young Children

Players: 2-4

Playing Time: 15 minutes

Age: 6+

If you enjoy Scotland Yard, this kid-friendly version can be played in as little as 15 minutes. Scotland Yard Junior is suitable for children six years and older, and it’s a cute game for the budding detective.

The game board is a simplified map of London, with landmarks like Westminster Abbey and the London Eye. Players work cooperatively to catch Mister X by arriving at the same place at the same time.

If Mister X evades capture nine times, he wins. However, if you can land on the same space three times, your team will win the day.

This game is easy to play, with simple rules and fast-paced gameplay. The map is colorful and easy to see, while the pieces are of good quality.

People enjoyed playing Scotland Yard Junior with their kids. Some suggested a privacy piece to keep your game pieces from prying eyes. But they had fun traveling around London trying to catch Mister X.

Cooperative play is also nice, especially for children who may struggle with highly competitive games. This is casual and fun.

Pros

• Great for kids
• Quick gameplay
• Simples rules
• Cool artwork
• Cooperative play

Cons

• Not as stimulating for adults
• Easy to see everyone’s pieces

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What to Look for in an Investigation Board Game

Mystery board games come in all shapes and sizes, but there are certain things to look for when choosing a game like Clue:

First, the best board games have high-quality components. Pieces that are sturdy and will last. No one wants to spend money on a game that looks and feels cheap.

Secondly, look for games that require deductive reasoning. Games that are mentally challenging are more fun than games with an easy solution.

Third, the best board games like Clue will have built-in variation. Whether it’s a semi-cooperative game where different people can be the criminal, or whether it’s a different ending each time. The game should have variations to make it exciting and fun.

Games Like Clue: Last Thoughts

When it comes to board games like Clue, which one is the best? If you want a game similar to Clue, I would go with Clue Master Detective. It has all the best elements of Clue–mystery, deduction, and fun characters. It just has more of them. 

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