Clue: Master Detective is vastly superior to regular Clue

[conuly]

There's better balance between the who, the what, and the where. (Though I still don't know why we're so incompetent we can't tell the difference between strangulation and gunshot wounds.)

I spent a ridiculous sum buying a copy of Master Detective used, because it was out of print.

I'm both pleased and perturbed to note that it's now back in print. So, um, buy yourself a copy?

Comments

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Mystery world forensics are like comic book physics-people have had non-fatal gunshot wounds and have been nearly strangled and you just can't tell how old these things are.

There, now you have a plot bunny to hide on your nearest writer. Not It!

[notasupervillain]

What age range is the game? Is this a family thing or a games night with the friends thing?

My friends and I play mysterium a ton. If you can overlook the, erm, let's be generous and say "cultural appropriation" of one of the game tokens, it's a fantastic murder mystery game.

[bibliofile]

> it's now back in print

They knew that you were going to recommend it and so got ready for all the publicity! They should send you at least one copy for free, as thanks.

[conuly]

Mmm. It's the best of the games that most people grew up with, I think - better than Monopoly, certainly :)

Tabletop geeks are liable to be a bit sniffy about it, but honestly, sometimes you just want to spend time doing something with the family and not trying to convince them to play your thing.

[conuly]

You've never played Clue? It's definitely a family game night thing, though you can decrease the randomness considerably by removing the dice-rolling rules and just making your guesses regardless of what room your pawn is in. (If you do it this way you can dispense with the pawns, the weapons, and the board altogether and just use the scorecards and cards.) My mother used to play that variant as a child so she and her friends could finish a game over lunch.

[conuly]

And how is it you might not know you're the guilty party? (My family tends to ham it up if we're suspecting ourselves. "I suspect that it was myself, Miss Scarlet! - in a fit of passion which I forgot due to a conveniently timed bout of amnesia - in the, um, ballroom, with the lead pipe. See, all that lead messes with the brain."

[notasupervillain]

I've played Clue, but not the variation you mentioned.

[notasupervillain]

I'm a tabletop geek, but there's a time and place for every game. It's hard to find things that are entertaining enough with concise enough rules for non board game geeks to play when they come over. There's nothing worse than having one non geek in the room with gamers and looking through my collection and thinking "there is literally nothing that she's going to feel comfortable playing."

[conuly]

It's Clue but with twelve rooms, ten people, and eight weapons and also a more equitable starting position for players.

There are a few rule changes, but they're a. small and b. not mandatory.

[conuly]

You said it. That's why I insisted on having Uno on our shelf, so that if god forbid the kids have a friend over who is only comfortable playing a game they know - welp, everybody knows Uno, and it's at least reasonably fun!

(We have Apples to Apples for much the same reason.)

[conuly]

Or do you mean 'not the without dice' variation?

[notasupervillain]

Uno is a good one. I played Apples to Apples too much, and I don't mind the occasional game but I don't want to own it. Which is a shame, because it's basically ideal in these situations.

We have bananagrams, but ironically the non gamer trounced everyone else so hard, every time, that eventually it stopped being fun for the rest of us and we wanted something else.

I've bought a picture matching game (dobble) that I'm hopeful about if this happens again. But I'll consider that variant on clue as well if I know this couple is coming over.

[notasupervillain]

I meant master Detective! My brain just blanked on the name.

[conuly]

Dobble - which is sold in the US as Spot It! - is pretty easy/fun to learn, and also good for non-gamers.

[notasupervillain]

Yay!

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

That's an option?!

It's your surprise twin, who should be a surprise to yourself.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Qwirkle is good, and Set is fine as long as players with slower reaction understand they do and the fast twitchy person just has an advantage.

I am a geek but my games breadth and depth differs from my boardgame enthusiasts by about a generation.

[silveradept]

Interesting. I hadn't heard there was a master detective variation on the game.

(I believe Cluedo was banned in the household when dad managed to make a correct accusation in his first turn just by observing what had happened with the first turns of everyone else.)

[thekumquat]

Kill Doctor Lucky is a Cheapass Games alternative to Clue(do) where you are all trying to kill Dr Black who has changed his name for copyright reasons, and works well with kids and non-gamers.

[conuly]

Qwirkle can also be described as "scrabble, but without the words", which gives you a little edge in introducing it to people. (Similarly, any dice game such as Zombie Dice or King of Tokyo can be summed up as "Basically Yahtzee but...")

[conuly]

Identical twins? Well, why not.

[conuly]

Hah, I did that once by total luck. I didn't really understand strategy yet, so my first few turns I tended to just guess three things I didn't have at all (which my family knew) and I managed to hit on person/place/item by accident. BEST. WIN. EVER.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

I've met the Cheapass Games.

(Re:icon. Kumquat?)

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Unless identical cousins are funnier.