Clue Jr. Game Instructions

Just like the original Clue board game, Clue Jr. lets players develop their detective skills while solving a fun mystery. Clue Junior doesn't include any murders and is a super fun game for those age five and up making it a great family friendly board game.

Clue Jr. Game Objectives

The game is designed for two to four players ages 5 and up and takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to play through. The object of the game, depending on the version, is to figure out who broke the rules in some way or which child is in which room with which pet or even who took the last piece of cake. Like the adult version, Clue Jr. takes place in a mansion but there is no murder.

Clue Junior Rules and Game Contents

The game includes a game board, playing characters, furniture tokens, bases, detective notepads, die, label sheets, and instructions. To begin playing Clue Jr., the card with the mystery in question is placed in the clue revealer sleeve with the door closed.

1. Players start by picking a character and a notepad.
2. Each player puts their character on the colored start space that matches his playing piece.
3. The youngest player goes first and play moves to the left or you can roll the die to see who goes first.
4. To move, spin the spinner and go as many spaces as it says in any direction. If there is already a player in the space you would end up in, skip that space. But if you want to see the room that person is looking into, wait in the space in front of the room and look into the room before you roll the dice on your next move.
5. When you end your turn in front of a room, you can turn the keyhole and look into the room. Mark your notes in your detective pad.
6. If your spin lands on the magnifying glass, choose a keyhole space on the board that isn't occupied by another piece. Look inside and record your findings on your notepad, then remain on that space until your next turn.
7. When you have seen enough rooms that you're ready to guess, share your opinion and look at the mystery card to see if you are right.
8. If you aren't right, put the card back so the other players can try to solve the mystery. If you are right, you win!

   

Clue Jr. Versions

Over the years, Hasbro and Parker Brothers have released several versions of Clue Jr. (about $15 for the original), including a travel Clue Junior to take along during vacations or road trips. Many of the games are out of print, but they can still be found on Amazon and online auction sites, as well as thrift stores and second-hand toy stores. Pricing will vary depending on rarity and condition of the version, but can range from around $10 to $50. Game versions 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 traditional Clue Jr., the board includes seven trap doors and two spaces specific to this version: Check Clue Here and Check Clue Anywhere. The 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. The game includes spaces on the board with arrows next to a Neighborhood Place. Players landing here can look and see which pet is there. Also, if a player lands in the same space as another player, they can look at their opponent's token and see what toy is named on the bottom. This game has a special die with numbers and images. If a player rolls a number, they advances that many spaces. For images, players do the following:
  • Move anywhere on the board if they get a skateboard.
  • Do not move if you get a magnifying glass, but instead pick up any other player's piece and read the clue on the bottom.
• Case of the Missing Cake: Players must uncover who ate the cake, when the cake was eaten, and what drink was consumed with the cake, according to the game rules. Game pieces include white and yellow bases and a special die. The white bases represent when the cake was eaten and the yellow bases what drink was consumed. When a player rolls a number they move any character pawn that many spaces. Landing on yellow allows a player to look at the clue associated with that room. Landing on white, they will find the clue under the character pawn they advanced.

  

• 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 Case of the Missing Cake instructions.
• 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. Game includes a historical map of found real pirates' treasure.

Enjoying the Clue Junior Board Game

Clue Jr. is a great game for young kids to play with their peers or family members during game night. Clue Junior is not only fun, but helps young children develop deductive reasoning skills.