Gamehelpthirteenclues

Objective

To be the first player to solve your own Mystery, correctly identifying the Person, Location, and Weapon.

Setup

Each player will received one Person, one Location, and one Weapon card in addition of two random cards. You must choose exactly one Person, one Location, and one Weapon card, and place them face down in front of you. The two remaining cards are kept secret in front of you.

Playing Hint: You can choose any combination, but try to avoid three of the same suit

Player's Turn

At the beginning of your turn, if you have no Magnifying Glasses, take one from the general supply. If the supply is empty, take one from the player of your choice instead.

Next, “spend” all your Magnifying Glasses. Each Magnifying Glass spent lets you choose one of the following actions. You can take these actions in any order you choose, and you may repeat the same action more than once (exception: Make an Accusation, see below). Once you’ve spent all your Magnifying Glasses your turn is over and it’s the next player’s turn.

The Actions

Question a Witness

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player of your choice, then ask that player how many cards they see that are of one suit or one category.

The player you ask must answer truthfully (no bluffing is allowed!), based on everything they can see: all the cards on the screens in front of the other players and the two cards behind their screen

Consult the Secret Informant

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player who has no Magnifying Glasses (if more than one, the tied player closest to you, counting clockwise; if all players have at least one Magnifying Glass, discard it to the general supply instead), then choose one of the face down Secret Informant cards, look at it secretly, then put it back where it was, face down.

Note: This option is not available in a six-player game.

Make an Accusation

Give your Magnifying Glass to the player who has no Magnifying Glasses (if more than one, the tied player closest to you, counting clockwise; if all players have at least one Magnifying Glass, discard it to the general supply instead), then try to solve your mystery! Name one Person, one Location, and one Weapon (for example: “It was the Butcher in the Park with the Sword!”). You cannot make an accusation that includes cards you can see (either behind your screen or on other players’ screens).

• If your accusation is correct, you have solved your mystery and you win the game!
• If you're wrong, they just tell you! Your turn is over: discard any Magnifying Glasses you have left to the general supply.

Additional rules for 2 player games

• Ignore the Magnifying Glasses and their rules. Each player always takes only one action each turn.
• When you ask how many cards your opponent sees, you must also specify "including the card on your left" or "including the card on your right". Your opponent only takes into account the card behind their screen on that side

Hints for your first games

• If you rule out all of the cards removed during Setup and all the cards you can see, you will be left with 13 spaces. The solution to your mystery is among those 13 Clues.
• If a player’s answer to a question is "Zero!", you can rule out all of the cards that were asked about—no matter who asked the question—since you now know that those cards can’t be on your screen
• A player receiving additional Magnifying Glasses usually gains no information, but he will have more actions when it is his turn: Think twice before giving a player too many Magnifying Glasses!
• Be careful when making an accusation: each wrong accusation can give away clues to the other players!