Customer Reviews

Clue Suspects

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're looking for a new variant of a Clue game... keep looking. Clue Suspects is barely a game, it's a collection of deductive logic puzzles that just happens to involve the names of Clue characters. This "game" is for one player only, which I don't think is made clear by the places where I've seen it sold.

Clue Suspects consists of the mansion and twelve character pieces, and sixty cards. Each card has a set of clues on it. You use these clues to put the characters in the mansion. And that's it. The "right" answer is located on the back of the card to check your solution. Clues vary in usefulness and are often redundant when considered as a set. On a couple cards, the clues actually admit multiple solutions, only some of which the back of the cards acknowledge. Once you've gone through the sixty cards, that's it, there's nothing else to see, move along.

All in all, I consider this item to be a waste of time. You'd be better off buying one of those brain teaser magazines, which are produced more carefully than these puzzles, which are basically thrown together.

I purchased this game for my gifted students. I teach at the elementary level, and I feel that it is ideal practice for them. It requires them to draw logical conclusions, to work deliberately, and to double-check their work. They are also learning how to interpret more complex language, since the wording on some of the clues can be confusing. They love being able to place the tokens directly into the house, and of course, they love the fact that a school activity involves a "dead body"! My first, second, and third graders use the blue cards, and my fourth and fifth graders use the red. The only drawbacks are the size of the cards and the house-- my kids usually play in pairs or threes, and it is hard for them to see everything at once, but they do learn patience and cooperation. I would buy duplicates of this game if my budget allowed it, so that more students could play at one time!

When's the expansion pack comming out? The scenarios start out easy, just follow the steps on the card, and it gradually gets more challenging. You'll find yourself talking like Peter Graves in an Airplane movie - "He was over Under and I was under Dunn". Sudoku players and problem/puzzle solvers would enjoy this game despite its simplicity which was probably a result of the limited media (a card can hold only so much information). I encourage Math majors to create and post "new cards" on the web somewhere as the game format and play style is quite addictive once you're in a groove. Convenient and compact board design makes it easy for travel and storage - the whole family will be fighting over it on a rainy day at the beach. I'd like to see a lager version with additional rooms, incorporated the murder weapons and came with a page of clues instead of the card deck.

My children enjoy logic puzzles & the game of Clue, so combining the two to create a Clue theme-based logic puzzle was a hit with them! Use caution when placing & removing the "people" pieces so that they don't break of their bases.

For the Clue addict who can't get the requisite additional 2 players, this solotaire version fills the void. With progressively harder solutions it is entertaining.

Some days I just want to sit down to play a game without need to gather a herd of people to play with me. Options are limited in this respect, unless you are fond of crossword puzzles and sudoku. Clue fills the void, as it is made for a single player. Solves crimes while you drink your coffee. Perfect.

Good game for kids. Requires their deductive reasoning skills to solve crimes. Clues and people to keep track of requires concentration on their part.

The game travels well. All the pieces are neatly stored within the clue case. Whip it out on the plane and guaranteed your neighbors will be looking over your shoulder to play too.

Drawbacks include:
-It is monotonous. Entertainment quotient is low. Same clues over and over, except different people are involved.

-Not very difficult. Too few options and possible combinations to make it very challenging for the average adult. As one reviewer pointed out, Clue needs to throw in some weapons to make it more interesting.

-The "hints" are way too big. The clues often eliminate suspects from the start by indicating what room they were in. No fun in that. The point of the game is to figure out on your own who was where. By the time the clues finish eliminating people, it is almost obvious who "did it" without needing to finish play. Or at the very least, you know who didn't do it by their placement in the house.


Clue provides a temporary distraction from boredom when I have nothing else to do. It is not a game I would think of playing when I want something fun to do--not creative and stimulating enough to be considered "fun". Younger kids would find it more challenging and likely more enjoyable.

My 12 yr old son received this as a gift for his birthday, so we had no preconceived notions about the product. We were not expecting it to be anything like the original Clue game, just curious about what this new spin-off would entail. The first time my son played the game, he was riveted for an hour straight. He enjoys figuring out puzzles, following the clues.

The game started out easy enough and became more challenging. At that point, he asked me for some help, and the next thing I know - I'm the one who's been riveted for the past hour! It's fun to have a tangible representation of the mind game your are solving. It challenges you much like Sudoku or crossword puzzles can, yet, you can touch and see the puzzle pieces. It adds a nice element to be able to use more than one of your senses.

Intended to be used by one person - we've found it can also be fun to problem solve together. High 5's are in order when you peek at the answer card and you verify you were correct. We don't play often enough to have grown tired of the cards, but this is a consideration, and an expansion pack of clue cards would be an added bonus. For the price, this is a fun alternative to electronic gaming, that encourages problem solving and potentially teamwork.

Janet Stephenson, author
"Young Bodies, Old Souls"
(coming soon to Amazon)
www (dot) young-bodies-old-souls (dot) com

My daughter (12) received this game as a birthday gift, and it has been a great hit! Even though it's a one person game, she often huddles together with a group of friends to solve the puzzles. She thinks it's loads of fun, and even her older sister (15) begs to borrow it.