11 Board Games Like Clue

Number of players: 2 — 7 | Ages: 10+ | Length of gameplay: 45 minutes

Set in the 1920s, the board game Mysterium centers on an astrologer who feels a supernatural being’s presence in his mansion and calls upon mediums to assist him in helping the ghost find peace. One player takes on the role of ghost while everyone else takes on the role of mediums. The ghost, with the help of the mediums, must remember all of the suspects from the night of their murder — but since the ghost can’t talk, they have to communicate through "visions," aka, illustrated cards.

A number of suspect, location, and murder weapon cards are placed on the table, and the ghost secretly and randomly assigns one of each card to a medium. From there, the mediums work together to try to figure out who the murderer was. This pick focuses more on cooperation than competition, making it ideal for children, but it’s probably too spooky and complex for kids younger than 10.

According to a player: “A+. Best new game I've played in years! Roughly a cross between Clue and Dixit, Mysterium is a fun, unique cooperative board game [...] The theme is dark, but gameplay lighthearted. High replay value. [...] The cards are richly illustrated, odd, and wonderful.”

Number of players: 1 — 6 | Ages: 8+ | Length of gameplay: 5 minutes

This mystery game only takes five minutes to play, so it’s great if you’re looking for fast-paced fun — and you can even play it solo. Players are tasked with helping the curator of The Museum of Everything recover something that’s gone missing, and all you have to do is find symbols and match them with clues to catch the suspect. The case changes every time you play, giving you plenty of mysteries to solve.

According to a player: “Quick, fun, and cooperative! Spot the 5 hidden shapes on each scene card and describe them to the player who controls the codex. Turn the card over to reveal the shapes and check your answer. If all 5 are right, you earn clues to help eliminate suspects, in a manner similar to Guess Who. We played with 6, 5, and 4 players, in ages ranging from 9 to adult, and everyone enjoyed it enough to play a few rounds.”

Number of players: 3 — 10 | Ages: 8+ | Length of gameplay: 10 minutes

One Night Ultimate Werewolf works kind of like the card game Mafia but has an accompanying smartphone app that guides players every step of the game (if needed). Everyone secretly gets assigned a role at the beginning of the game: You may be a werewolf, the tricky Troublemaker, the helpful Seer, or one of a dozen other characters, each with special powers and unique traits.

After a secret “night phase” where players change roles, they only have five minutes to find a werewolf. In the course of one game, your "village" aims to reveal who the werewolf is. This game can also be combined with One Night Ultimate Werewolf Daybreak and One Night Ultimate Alien if you want to switch up your gameplay. Plus, it's been nominated for multiple Golden Geek awards.

According to a player: “Fun game to play if you and your friends and family [are] into mystery or puzzle games. It's like Salem or Clue but with a great twist.”

Number of players: 3 — 6 | Ages: 8+ | Length of gameplay: 30 minutes

This is a great family game like Clue. In Ravensburger's Scotland Yard, one of the players takes on the role of criminal genius Mr. X, who moves from point to point around a map of London by taking taxis, buses, or subways. The rest of the players work collaboratively as detectives to find Mr. X by moving into the same space as that player.

But while the criminal's mode of transportation is nearly always known, his exact location is only known intermittently throughout the game. It's more about collaboration than competition, and it's not too spooky or complex for younger kids but engaging enough for all ages.

According to a player: “Scotland Yard is my family's favorite board game. The kids will even get off computers and Kindles to come play. Everybody wants to be Mr X, the bad guy who has to try evade the detectives of Scotland Yard who are helped by up to 2 Bobbies. [...] We like the game so much , we even took it in hand luggage when we went on a long trip and had a long stopover so that we could play it in the airport.”

Number of players: 3 — 6 | Ages: 12+ | Length of gameplay: 60 minutes

Like Clue, Betrayal at House on the Hill works in rooms, but rather than a preset board game, you build the haunted mansion as you play, tile by tile. Along the way, you’ll come upon terrifying omens and spirits who begin to foreshadow players’ fates; one player is about to betray the rest, and the goal is to stop the traitor in their tracks.

This game is similar in length to Clue at about an hour but is for a slightly older age bracket at ages 12 and up. Full of suspense and strategy, this more mature mystery board game ticks many Clue-like boxes. Plus, it’s super highly rated after over 12,000 reviews.

According to a player: “LOVE this game! It took awhile to learn how to play it, but it’s definitely worth the wait. There are so many different outcomes and ways to put the floors together that it never really gets old. I would recommend this game for anyone who likes role playing or mystery games as I describe it as a mixture of dungeons and dragons and clue.”

Number of players: 2 — 6 | Ages: 10+ | Length of gameplay: 45 minutes

Rather than murder, this jewel-heist mystery game invites you to attend a masquerade and, for a night, be a world-class jewel thief, along with your fellow players. In Suspicion, “a game of secret identity and deduction,” your goal is to roam the mansion and snatch gems while you try to expose the other burglars before they unmask you.

Included in this game are a board, 28 action cards, 10 guest movers, 10 invitation cards, 12 answer cards, 45 gem tiles, two dice, a deduction pad, and six pencils. With a small learning curve, you can get all of your guests playing in no time.

According to a player: “Took a little time to figure it out, but once we did, we keep wanting to play over and over! A but like clue, but tons more fun. Also a little more challenging than clue which I find helps keep interests up.”

Number of players: 2+ | Ages: 13+ | Length of gameplay: 2 — 6 hours

For a bit of true crime-style flair, Unsolved Case Files allows you to become a detective searching through documents, photos, and evidence — including phone records, fingerprints, and coroners’ reports. The game comes with answer keys that you can access online, but be ready to buckle in because this pick can take anywhere from two to six hours. With the ability to team up, this game is great for dinner parties and other large social gatherings.

According to a player: “This game did not disappoint. It took the two of us about 4 hours to play it. The most time consuming part of the game is just reading through everything. Once we got through everything, we had a blast. We were putting sticky notes on the pics to help us figure things out. We will definitely purchase another of these games, if not all of them. It was perfect for the two of us. I love that there are clues and evidence mixed in to throw you off. This game is awesome.”

Number of players: 2 — 4 | Ages: 5+ | Length of gameplay: 20 — 30 minutes

Rather than solving a murder, the Outfoxed! board game challenges players to figure out who stole Mrs. Plumpert’s pot pie. Players roll the dice to move around the board, revealing suspects and finding clues along the way, and you have to catch up to the guilty fox before they escape. This game is fun for ages 5 and up, and it’s earned a near-perfect 4.8-star overall rating after more than 5,000 Amazon reviews.

According to a player: “My kids love love love this game. I've bought it again for my nieces. My kids beg to play. As a grown up I actually enjoy it too. And it's a quick game unlike monopoly where you need time to invest. It's the game of clue but faster, you work as a team, and you all lose or you all win.”

Number of players: 2 — 6 | Ages: 8+ | Length of gameplay: 30 — 45 minutes

While the rules of the Spy Alley board game are simple, it requires deductive reasoning, logic, and the ability to read body language to win. Each player becomes a spy for a different country, and you have to reveal other players’ identities while keeping your own secret. The award-winning game is fun for kids and adults, and you can complete a round in under an hour.

According to a player: “We all loved it. If you like games like Clue, The Resistance, or Catan, you'll love this one too. Highly recommend! It's simple to learn and involves some strategy and deductive reasoning.”

Number of players: 3 — 8 | Ages: 14+ | Length of gameplay: 15 minutes

Similar to Clue, The Chameleon board game uses deduction and clues to find out which player is the sneaky chameleon. Players take turns giving a clue that relates to the secret word that everyone but the chameleon knows — however, the chameleon tries to conceal their identity by giving clue words based on what other players are saying, remaining anonymous for as long as they can. The game comes with dozens of cards and hundreds of topics so it’s one you can play over and over again.

According to a player: “Honestly this game was everything I needed. So many laugh-until-my-stomach-hurts moments. My partner and I played with my parents and the only thing better than calling each other out for being terrible liars, was when someone would read the wrong clue and throw everyone off. I'm smiling just thinking about playing it.”

Number of players: 3 — 5 | Ages: 8+ | Length of gameplay: 25 — 50 minutes

Based on Betrayal at House on the Hill, this Scooby-Doo mystery board game invites you to solve a mystery at a spooky mansion. You can play as Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, and Fred while collecting clues, and when the haunting begins, one person switches roles to play the monster. The brand promises a different game every time you play, so there are lots of chances to unmask the monster.

According to a player: “This game is great. It is styled just like Betrayal at House on the Hill but is geared for a younger audience, so younger kids can play. It is beautifully designed and a must-have for any scooby doo fan!”