Why Is Clue Still So Popular?

Clue is still a popular game to this day. It’s one of a few games that have remained popular since their creation in 1949. But why is Clue still so popular?

Clue is still so popular because of its nostalgia factor, ease of play, availability, low cost, the fact that it’s a good gateway game into the larger board gaming hobby, it’s good for a lot of ages, and there are lots and lots of versions to choose from.

Why Is Clue Still So Popular?

There are quite a few reasons Clue is still popular. Let’s start with the nostalgia factor.

Nostalgia Factor

Clue has what I like to call the nostalgia factor. Full disclosure, I didn’t come up with that term, but either way, I like to use it.

Clue has been around as a board game for a long, long time. Did you know Clue was invented in 1943 but wasn’t actually produced until 1949? No matter which date you go with, Clue is over 74 years old as of 2023.

But it’s not just the fact Clue has been around that long. It’s also the fact Clue has been played that long, passed down from one generation to the next. These days, I’m not so sure Clue is played as much due to the rise of video games, streaming, and other technologies, plus the many thousands of board games being released each year, but new versions of Clue are still being produced every year too.

But I would be willing to bet most people know what Clue is whereas many of those same people probably don’t know what Scotland Yard, Kill Doctor Lucky, Mysterium, and Chronicles Of Crime are. For reference, the first two are two games similar to Clue while the last two are mystery games similar to Clue.

Those games haven’t been around as long, and they haven’t been played by as many people over the years. That’s not to mention Clue is a game that can be played by kids while some of the previous games could be, but they may end up being a little more difficult for them.

So, in short, most people have some memory of playing Clue, hearing about Clue, talking about Clue, or in some way having their lives touched by Clue. The more Clue has touched their lives, the more nostalgia they have for the game, which means they’re more likely to talk about it when it comes to board games and more likely to play it too.

Ease Of Play

Not every game needs to be easy to play. In fact, some board games are both difficult to play and take a long time to play. See the 18XX series for some examples. And those games and others like them are popular.

Here are some more examples of popular games that aren’t easy to play:

• Scythe
• Puerto Rico
• Gloomhaven

There are many, many more, and some of you will look at that list and say, “Wait, those games are easy to play too!” Not in the sense that they take an hour or less to play, are easy to set up and pack back up, and a wide audience of people can easily understand and enjoy them.

I definitely think a wide audience can understand and enjoy any game, but the amount of work it takes to get there will vary by game, as with the ones in the list above.

Clue is a game that requires almost no work to understand aside from a quick teaching of the very few rules needed to play it. Everything is intuitive and it does take less than an hour to play in most cases.

Availability

You can get Clue from any store, online or in-person, that sells board games, and often more than one version too. Amazon, Meijer, Target, Miniature Market, Game Nerdz, and so on. Clue is everywhere!

Cost

Depending on the version of Clue you get, it costs anywhere from a little over $10 to a little over $40. The newest version of Clue, which I mention a little more below, costs a little over $20. That’s just a good set of prices no matter how you look at it.

It’s A Good Gateway Game

Gateway games are the kind of board games that make for a fun experience for people who don’t play board games often so they can start to “get it,” so to say. A good gateway game needs to be simple, fun, easy to learn, and easy to teach, and all of that needs to happen so the people newer to the hobby can see the magic of board games, thus potentially giving them a “gateway” to the wider world of board games.

Clue is one such game. I’d argue it’s one of the best mass-market board games to serve as a gateway game. Monopoly and Risk are too long and too frustrating, Chess is too thinky, Checkers is too simple and doesn’t play enough people, and so on.

Clue is it, and it does a great job.

It’s Good for Lots Of Ages

Hasbro recommends Clue for people ages eight and up. Personally, although I’ve never played Clue with someone that age, I have played board games with friends and their kids. I think, given the right kid and teaching, Clue could be played by kids even younger than eight, maybe as far down as six.

There isn’t much to it after all. You roll and move, make guesses, and you do that until someone makes an accusation and is right.

While the theme may not be super appealing to kids, they’d still have fun guessing and trying to figure out who the killer is.

There Are Tons Of Versions To Choose From

There are over 100 versions of Clue. Over 100! And there are still more being released each year.

I mean, Hasbro just released an updated version of the base game of Clue in January of 2023!

There are only a few other games with just as many other versions as Clue does, such as Monopoly (another Hasbro game), Risk (another Hasbro game), Catan, Carcassonne, and a few others. But aside from Monopoly, none even come close to the number of versions Clue has.

Although, now that I think about it, Chess is likely up there too.

Did You Know?

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

Did you know that Terror Below is a game inspired by the movie, Tremors? It’s not a filler game, but it’s a fun game nonetheless. Head over here to check out my review of Terror Below!

Conclusion: Why Is Clue Still So Popular?

So, there are quite a few reasons why Clue is still so popular. I imagine this game will continue to be popular for many more decades to come.

So, what did you think of my list? Was anything missing? Do you think it’s time to move on from Clue? Let me know in the comments below!

And, as always, keep on gaming, fellow board gamers.