My Clue (2018) Impressions

Clue is a timeless game with lots of different versions. But what do I think of the 2018 version? Here are my Clue (2018) impressions.

My impressions of Clue 2018 are that it hasn’t changed except for making the characters look and feel more modern. It’s still a replayable game, it’s still about solving a murder, and it’s still about moving your character and making guesses until someone solves that murder. It’s still best for families with teens and pre-teens.

What Does “Impressions” Mean?

So, I don’t feel comfortable calling this article a review because I haven’t played this version of Clue. However, with board games, in particular, you can get a good idea of how a game plays and how good it will be by reading its rules, checking out its component, and looking at the art.

Plus, I used to play Clue all the time when I was a kid/teenager, and the rules haven’t changed that much over the years. So, this article will be about my impressions of the 2018 version of Clue.

Why Clue (2018)?

As far as I know, the 2018 copyright version of regular Clue is the most up-to-date version as of December 2022. There are tons of other versions of Clue, to be sure, but when it comes to regular old Clue, this is the most recent.

So, for those looking for the most recent regular version of Clue, whether they’ve played other versions or not, this article is for you. Let’s start with the back-of-the-box facts.

Back-Of-The-Box Facts About Clue

• Player Count: 2-6
• Time To Play: 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Age Range: 8 and up
• Difficulty: Beginner/Easy
• Price Range: $10-$20
• Release Year: 2018
• Publisher(s): Hasbro
• Designer(s): Unknown
• Artist(s): Unknown

My Clue (2018) Impressions

There are several things to cover when it comes to impressions. Up first is what comes in the box and how I feel about it.

Impressions On What Comes In The Box

The 2018 version of Clue comes with the following:

1. The board for the game
2. The rulebook
3. Six different-colored pawns, one for each character
4. Six weapon pieces
5. A pad of sheets for marking off suspects, weapons, and rooms
6. Two dice
7. The case file envelope
8. 30 cards, including nine room cards, six character cards, and six weapon cards plus nine clue cards

All of this will be true for just about every version of regular Clue. However, there is one addition here, which is the clue cards.

A player will only draw a clue card if they roll a magnifying glass icon on at least one of the dice. If they roll two magnifying glass icons, then they draw two clue cards. The clue cards will tell you what to do, and you’ll use them immediately.

Without having played this version of the game, I think the clue cards are a nice addition. The reason why is that they add some opportunities for players to get more information, and some of the clue cards allow players to make strategic choices. This is nice because so much of Clue is random that any added bit of choice for players goes a long way.

What About The Component Quality?

Component quality is serviceable, meaning that you’ll be able to play the game and understand every component’s purpose. Thankfully, the corners of the cards are rounded, meaning it’s far less likely they get damaged while playing them.

Some standouts in terms of quality are the player pawns and the weapon pieces. I’ve always liked that the weapons were metal (except the rope which is plastic, which is interesting…), and I think that decision has helped keep this game a favorite among families and friends.

You just don’t find a lot of games with metal parts, even more, expensive games. Usually, costs are going toward miniatures, wooden pieces, or extra components. Sometimes games will include metal coins as an accessory you can buy or in a deluxe edition, but even this is still not that common. So, it’s a nice touch that Clue still has these metal components.

Also, I like the player pawns because they’re easy to grab onto and move, and they’re colorful. It surprises me that there are still games to this day that don’t use vivid or varied colors in their products, but Clue’s pawns still do, and it’s another selling point for the game, for me.

Impressions On The Art

The art is not too bad. It has a painterly look, which I’ve always found appealing. That style has always felt tied to history, and makes me feel like what I’m looking at is connected to the past, and I like that.

The best part of the art is the game board, which I found to be true in the older version I used to play too. The layout of the mansion with the distinct rooms is great. Plus, each one has a tremendous amount of detail, which makes it fun to check them out while playing. Of all the art in the game, the art of the game board does the best job of making you feel like you’re doing what the game says you’re doing.

The art on the cards is good, although I’m not a fan of the blue backgrounds behind the weapons and characters. I know it goes along with the night sky of the cover, but it feels flat to me. It would be far more interesting, for the weapons, in particular, to show them in a suspicious location or someone’s hand.

Also, of note, the clue cards don’t have art. They’re just white backgrounds with black borders and black and red text. You’re never confused about what they want you to do, but a little more artistic flair would’ve been nice.

Impressions On The Theme

The board game theme for Clue hasn’t changed at all. It’s still about solving a murder in a mansion or other self-contained area (depending on which version you’re playing), and it’s still about making guesses about who did it, with what, and where.

The main difference between this and older versions of Clue is that the setting and characters have been updated for more modern times. Well, kind of.

The mansion and locations still feel like they come from the 1950s or even earlier, but the characters are updated with more modern looks and professions, such as Mrs. White becoming Dr. Orchid. The weapons haven’t changed at all.

Overall, the theme is still pretty loose as you’re just rolling, moving, and guessing, but if you squint hard enough you kind of feel like you’re solving a murder mystery.

Impressions On The Gameplay

Like the theme, the gameplay remains unchanged except for the clue cards. If you wanted to, you could play without the clue cards too, which aligns the game with how it was played in the past.

If you liked classic Clue or want a simple deduction game with some random elements, then that’s exactly what this version of Clue offers.

Is Clue Still Replayable?

Since the gameplay didn’t change, Clue’s replayability is still high. You still set up the game by shuffling and randomly drawing cards to determine the murderer, the murder weapon, and the room the murder was committed in. Plus, the weapons still start out in random rooms too, and the cards people are given to help eliminate some guesses for the murder are all given out randomly too.

All that to say, yes, Clue is still replayable.

Overall Impressions

Clue isn’t my go-to game. It’s a game I have fond memories of and, with the right group, it’s a game I would play again. Many of its mechanics, such as roll and move, are outdated now, replaced by far better ones, but it’s still a fun game.

You’ll still feel, at least in some way, that you’re gathering with others to figure out who killed someone, and it will still be fun seeing how people get it wrong or right.

Any Ideas On Who Would Most Like This Version Of The Game?

Clue is still best for families, especially families with young teens or even pre-teens. There’s no blood in this version if that’s a concern for some people. There’s no violence of any kind in the game, which is interesting considering it’s about solving a murder. But what I mean is that you won’t see any images of someone hitting or stabbing someone else. There are also no images of bodies.

It’s still a simple game, it’s still replayable, and the game board is still fun to look at. Plus, it’s still very affordable since it comes in between $10 and $20.

Did You Know?

(Each time you refresh the page you will get a new “Did You Know” fact!)

Did you know that Terror Below has nothing to do with Stone Age, but it’s a game inspired by the Tremors franchise? Interested? Well, then take a look at our review of Terror Below here!

Conclusion: My Clue (2018) Impressions

So, there you have it, my impressions of Clue 2018. It’s amazing how this game continues to be so popular after not changing much for all these years. Pretty cool!

So, what do you think about this version of Clue? Are you excited to play it or looking for something else? Let me know your thoughts and why in the comments below!