Clue Jr. Game Instructions

Just like the original Clue board game, Clue Junior lets players develop their detective skills while solving a fun mystery. Clue Junior doesn't include any murders, so it is a great family-friendly board game. It's a super fun game for those aged 5 and up to play with friends or family members.

Clue Jr. Game Objectives

Designed for two to six players ages 5 and up, Clue Junior usually takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to play through. The object of the game, depending on the version, is to figure out a mystery, such as who broke a toy or who took the last piece of cake. There are currently two versions of Clue Junior: The Case of the Missing Cake and The Case of the Broken Toy. They can be purchased for around $15 each.

Clue Junior Game Contents and Setup

Clue Junior includes a game board, playing characters, furniture tokens, white and yellow bases, detective notepads, die, label sheets, and instructions. Before you play for the first time, will need to label the die and the bases. Stick the square labels on the die (one per side), apply the yellow labels to the yellow bases, and affix the other labels to the white bases. One side of the die will be blank. Depending on the version of the game you have, some bases may not have labels. Once that has been done:

1. Place the gameboard on the surface you will use to play the game.
2. Set aside specific bases, depending on the version you are playing.
   • For The Case of the Missing Cake, set aside the white base with no label and the one with crumbs (face down) as well as the two yellow bases that do not have labels.
   • For The Case of the Broken Toy, set aside the white base with the toy chest on it (face down). Do not set aside any of the yellow ones.
3. Mix up the remaining white bases and place one in the middle of the game board. (Do not look at it.)
4. Mix up the yellow bases that have not been set aside and put one in the center of the game board. (Do not look at it.)
5. Place a character token in each remaining base, including the ones that were set aside in step two. These become the game pawns.
6. Place each game pawn next to its corresponding image on the game board.

Clue Junior Rules and Instructions

Once setup is complete, it's time to begin playing the game. Follow these instructions if you are playing either of the current versions.

1. Take a piece of paper from the notepad that's included with the game. You will use it to make note of the clues you discover as you play the game.
2. Decide who will go first. You can roll the die to see who goes first, let the youngest player goes first, or stick with the theme of the game version by letting the person who most recently ate cake or broke a toy be first.
3. When it is your turn, spin the spinner and proceed based on what shows on the die.
   • If the die lands on yellow, look under any yellow pawn for a clue.
   • If the die lands on white, look under any yellow pawn for a clue.
   • If the die lands on a number, advance any pawn the designated number of spaces. You cannot jump another pawn or land in the same space as a pawn, nor can the move end in the same place it started.
     • If you land on yellow, look under the token that matches the piece of furniture in that room.
     • If you land on white, look under the character pawn that you moved if you are playing the cake version. If you're playing the toy version, landing on white allows you to look under any pawn that you want.
     • If you land on another type of space, you don't get to look at a clue this time.
4. Players should keep taking turns until someone is ready to solve the mystery.
5. A player can guess at any point during their turn by speaking up and stating what they think took place to solve the mystery.
   • For The Case of the Missing Cake, the player will need to state who they think ate the cake, what time they did it, and what they drank with it.
   • For The Case of the Broken Toy, they will need to specify which toy was broken, what time it was broken, and who did it.
6. The person who is guessing will need to secretly look at the bases located in the middle of the board and check under the character they are accusing to find out if they are right.
7. If the player guesses correctly, they win. If they are wrong, they are out of the game and the other players will continue playing.
8. The game keeps going until someone solves the mystery, or until there is only one player left.

Previous Clue Junior Versions

Over the years, Hasbro and Parker Brothers have released several versions of Clue Junior that are no longer available for retail purchase, including a travel version to take along on vacations or road trips. Discontinued versions can sometimes be found on eBay or other online auction sites. They also sometimes turn up at thrift stores, second-hand toy stores, yard sales, or estate sales. Pricing will vary depending on game condition and rarity, but the price generally ranges from around $10 to $50. Examples include:

• Case of the Missing Pet: The object is to figure out which pet is missing, where it's hidden, and who took the pet. Unlike other Clue Junior versions, the board includes seven trap doors and two spaces specific to this version: check clue here and check clue anywhere. These spaces give players a free pass to learn new clues.
• Case of the Hidden Toys: Players must solve which pet has hidden which toy in the clubhouse, using "neighborhood places" instead of rooms. When players land here, they can look to see which toy is there. This game's die has numbers and images. If a player rolls a number, they advance that many spaces. If they get a skateboard, they can move anywhere on the board. If they get a magnifying glass, they stay put but can pick up any other player's piece and read the clue on the bottom.
• Carnival - Case of the Missing Prizes: There are two ways to play this game based on the child's age. In the simple version, players must figure out who took the prizes and when they were taken. When a player lands on a ride, they can secretly look at the clue located there. In the version for slightly older kids, players must also figure out where the prizes were before they went missing.
• SpongeBob SquarePants version: Players help the popular cartoon character find his jelly fishing net, and solve who took the net and when it was taken. This game is based on the instructions for the Case of the Missing Cake version.
• Pirate Treasure Hunt: In this version, the object of the game is to find the hidden treasure. Players get to figure out which pirate hid the treasure and where. The suspects include Anne Bonny, Black Bart Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Captain Kidd.

Enjoying the Clue Junior Board Game

Clue Jr. is a great game board game for young kids to play with their peers or family members during game night. Clue Junior is not only fun, but it can also help young children develop deductive reasoning skills. It also helps to prepare them to step up to the regular Clue board game when they are ready (usually around the age of eight), as well as other popular strategy board games when they become old enough to play.