Clue - Game of Thrones

Really, you just can't have enough Clue games. This is the Game of Thrones edition which offers a couple of variations to the standard themes we have been seeing lately. The first difference is the board. This is a two sided board allowing you to play in the Red Keep or a second location called Meereen. I'm not a Game of Thrones fan so I don't know the significance of these two locations. I don't watch the HBO show and I don't read the books. But now there is a Clue game so I had to add it to the collection.

The Meereen side is closer to a standard clue game with 9 rooms, 6 characters and 6 weapons. The Red Keep side is a little different, it has 11 rooms, 6 characters and 6 weapons. This is a similar to the old Master Detective Clue variation from the 80's. In addition to having the two board sides the characters are different for each location so there are 12 characters in the game, six for each local. Like many of the current variants each of the characters has a "power" that they can use once per game. This is almost becoming a standard in games published by USAopoly. The only thing that remains the same between the two sides are the murder weapons. You end up with two decks of cards, with each card having a symbol on it so you know which side of the board it belongs to with a common set of weapon cards.

On top of that it includes the other more or less standard variation; the intrigue cards. Like the other variants (except Star Wars, which requires you draw whenever you end your movement in a corridor) if you end up on the marked spaces on the board you draw an intrigue card. Typically they are good, but you need to watch out for the White Walkers (at least in this game). If you are the unlucky player to draw the 8th White Walker then your character is killed!

Apparently an alternative set of weapons were released as a Comic Con exclusive. Although I would like to have them, just to be complete, I'll probably skip them for now. I don't know if they are selling but the few that I have seen come up on eBay have started bids of $75 plus. That's just a bit much for me. Someone asked about how many Clue games I actually have in the collection and it lies somewhere between 36 and 40. They are scattered in a couple of different places in the house which is not the best way to maintain an inventory.

A try full of the basic pieces and materials,

Unlike some of the other editions, these are printed on a thick cardboard and are inserted into slots on the columns (see below). Most of the current variants print these on thin cardstock and you slide them into the movement markers

The movement markers, pretty slick

I seem to be missing the picture from the other set of rooms. Hopefully I'll remember to update this when I run across the picture again.

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Clue - The Penny Dreadful Edition

And yet another Clue game for the collection.This is another one from USAopoly follows inline with features from the Dr Who, Big Bang Theory and Star Wars editions. It features a board based around Victorian London. Like many of the new editions this one has an additional set of cards to go along with the standard room/weapon/character set. These cards allow some different actions to be taken by the characters as the players try to solve the crime.

This one is based on a American/British TV show that I didn't even know about that apparently appears on Showtime (Three seasons have been produced not sure if there will be a fourth or not). It features fictional public domain characters that more or less would have existed about the same time. 

Much like the characters in the Big Bang Theory edition, each character has a power that can be used once per game. Without pulling out the BBT edition I'm almost certain they are the same powers. I'm sure USAopoly has created a pretty standard template at this time and are just dropping in the images they want to use.

I really like the graphics on this one, it really gives quite a nice feel for the period its set in. Oh and apparently Penny Dreadfuls were cheap, popular serial literature produced in the UK in the 19th Century. These were known as dime novels or pulp novels in the US.

The Locations

The "suspects"; Dorian Grey, Brona Croft, Ethan Chandler, Vanessa Ives, Victor Frankenstein and Sir Malcolm Murray

The weapons

I'm really not sure what these cards are, I'll have to actually read the rules I guess.

Syringe, Tarot Cards, Pistol, Handkerchief, sword cane and everyone's favorite Arsenic

Clue - Dr Who Edition

It was a big year for Clue games and I have rounded up another one to add to the collection. This is a USAopoly edition and is a step up from the regular Clue game. It features a board based around the adventures of our favorite Doctor. Like many of the new editions this one has an additional set of cards to go along with the standard room/weapon/character set. These cards allow some different actions to be taken by the characters as the players try to determine just Who did what.

The character selection is rather interesting, and includes some that rather confused me as to why they would be included instead of others. It then occurred to me that they probably were unable to obtain the rights to the images for all the various actors and had to work with what they could get. 

Much like the characters in the Big Bang Theory edition, each character has a power that can be used once per game. Without pulling out the BBT edition I'm almost certain they are the same powers. I'm sure they have created a pretty standard template at this time and are just dropping in the images they want to use.

While nicely thematic this one leaves me a bit unexcited. I felt they really missed an opportunity to do something different based on the Doctor's and the TARDIS' own abilities.

The "Rooms"

The "Weapons"

The "Suspects"

The clue cards. I'm not sure I like the function of the pocket watch card. Will have to play it and see.

Character Powers

The Moment, The Halluninogenic Lipstick, The Vortex Manipulator, Strax's Gun, Clara Cyberman Gun, The Sonic Screwdriver