Cluedo Refresh? What’s that? Cluedo has got to be one of the essential tabletop games that revolutionised luck and replaced it with smartness. The classic story has brought a fresh overhaul to match it with the current standards of tabletop games in the brand-new Cluedo Refresh. Even if you’re new to the game and are wondering if it’s the right pick for you, We have you covered.
Let’s dive right into our Cluedo Refresh Review!
THE LORE oF CLUEDO
Cluedo Refreshed is based on the story of a wealthy man Mr Boden Black. Mr Black had many secrets to his success and empire. But something changed, and a big event he could never force was about to unfold. Boden invited six carefully chosen guests for Dinner. The Dinner was set to take place in a highly luxurious hotel carefully built on top of a public park.
Mr Black required a favour from all of these guests; when they objected, Mr Black assured them that we had secretes enough to blackmail them into doing anything for him. The guests were shocked and thrown into confusion. However, a deafening scream was heard by all the guests. Upon rushing to the spot, they discover Mr Black murdered. This is where you come in to investigate and find out the real culprit.
THE SETUP
There are six characters in total. Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, Solicitor Peacock, Professor Plum and Chef White. These are the six guests, and among them is the real culprit who had committed the crime.
Along with the characters, you must figure out the murder weapon and the location. There are six murder weapons – Candlestick, Wrench, Rope, Lead Pipe, Revolver, and Dagger. As for the sites, there are nine rooms: Lounge, Kitchen, Billboard Room, Conservatory, Dining Room, Library, Study, Hall, and Ballroom.
The clue cards are separated and kept face down. The weapon, location and player cards are separated and shuffled. One card from the three decks is picked and placed in the evidence envelope. The remaining decks are now shuffled together and dealt to the participating players.
And now, the real competition begins. Each player is provided with a sheet from the detective notebook. The goal is to find Where, Who and with which weapon Black was killed?
AND THE MYSTERY UNFOLDS
We were thrilled with what the game had for us. As veteran players of Cluedo, we were excited to see what twists Hasbro had planned for us. One significant difference is the Clue Cards. On rolling one on the die, it became a disaster as you had to wait for the rest five players to complete their turns and assessments. But this time, if you roll one on either of the dice, you get to play a Clue Card that everyone in the game has to follow. Cluedo Refreshed became the first game to reward you for being unlucky.
With sheer luck, I can easily roll 1s nine times out of ten for a player like me. There are 29 clue cards, which can benefit everyone in the game or just you. For example, the ‘What do we have here?’ card will allow you to name one weapon you want revealed.
Any player holding that weapon will have to admit it. And if no one accepts it, you either have fooled yourself since you already own it or made a master guess. Some player-specific cards like ‘A colonel in crisis’ will force only Col Mustard to be revealed, and ‘An accusatory lawyer’ will force anyone to reveal Sol. Peacock.
But one of the most interesting ones is the ‘Scarlett Said What?’, in which all the players will have to reveal one card secretly to you. Gaining intel from 5 sources exclusively is no less than a dream for any Cluedo player.
This refresh has been a fantastic treat for all of us. My play already felt like home: the characters, the board, the dice, and the miniature weapons. We straight up went in and picked our characters. But like all the time, I feared the game would stretch on, especially since my turn would come after ages.
But rolling 1 was always the best part allowing clue cards to be placed in, which gave a huge boost, even more than entering a room. The secret passage returned, allowing me to switch rooms and put in my suggestion statement. In Cluedo, often your suggestions benefit the other players, so you need to be smart about asking the right questions that only allow you to get information.
But make sure you don’t trust your gut. The game is about collective evidence and information. You might be fortunate and guess the correct answer, but if your answer is wrong, you will be removed from the game.
THE VERDICT
Cluedo is one of the most classic and well-known tabletop games that almost every household needs to own. Being one of the only games allowing six players to play at a time makes it unique and more fun as each player is added.
The addition of the clue cards also makes a significant difference and allows it to claim the well-deserved title of Cluedo Refreshed. Overall, in the age of remakes and remasters, Hasbro has done justice and gone in the right direction for Cluedo.
We at Gameffine are very positive that you’ll not regret your decision to get the game for yourself!
fINAL RATING – RECOMMENDED
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