Frequently Asked Questions

[Starkaddr]

Is this a port?

This is an enhanced adaptation of the iOS/Android game, featuring higher resolution graphics and an all-new user experience focused on landscape mode and mouse controls. Menus and in-game UI have been reimagined from the ground up to take advantage of the strengths of the PC. This is the definitive version of Clue/Cluedo.

I’ve already bought the game and theme content on mobile. Do I have to buy it again on Steam?

You will have to buy the core game again, but if you have bought the Season Pass or any theme content on the mobile version, you can transfer it across to the Steam version. Send an email to [e-mail] with proof of purchase and the user name that appears in the top left of the main menu on your Steam version of the game, and we will process the transfer.

What is the Season Pass?

The Season Pass is paid DLC that unlocks all current and future themes.

What is a theme?

Themes reimagine the board and characters. For example, the Vampire theme reimagines the classic mansion as a gothic Transylvanian castle, Miss Scarlett as a vampire, Colonel Mustard as a werewolf, and so on. Each theme contains:

• New board visuals and rooms
  
• 6 new characters (Murder Express contains 9)
  
• New weapons (except Classic)
  
• New in-game music

There are currently 7 themes, and 1 character pack featuring old favourites like Mrs White and Miss Peach.

How many more themes will be released?

We will be releasing at least 3 more new themes.

Why does the Season Pass say 50% off? That doesn’t add up.

This discount value is based on the cost of purchasing 10 themes individually. There are currently 6 premium themes, and we are committed to adding at least 4 more.

Does board selection affect multiplayer matchmaking?

No, board selection has no bearing on matchmaking. It is purely an aesthetic choice. The corridor grid is exactly the same in each themed board, so they are all compatible. A player using (for example) the Hollywood Studio board can play against someone using the Murder Express board. They will see different rooms on their respective devices.

I don’t like the Season Pass.

That’s not a question. But point taken. We understand that some players do not like the Season Pass model, but we also know that many players love the themes we have released that add atmospheric new board and character visuals. The Season Pass is for those players. If you don’t care for cosmetic changes, then you get everything you need with the core game :)

How many players are supported?

In single-player you can add 1-5 AI opponents, and the difficulty of each AI can be specified.

Online multiplayer games against random opponents are either 3 player or 6 player games. These games are fairer, because all players have the same number of hidden cards. We recommend 3 players for quick games, and 6 players for longer but more satisfying games (there is more potential for cunning deduction in 6 player games).

Private games against friends can be 2-6 players. You can add AI to private games if you don’t have enough players for the type of game you want.

Does the AI cheat?

No, the AI only uses the information available to it, it does not cheat. But on the Hard setting it will use all the logic and deduction tricks that an adept human player will use (see our strategy guide), so it can often reach the solution pretty quickly! The AI will also sometimes bluff, making suggestions involving cards in their own hand...

Will you add a hotseat mode?

It’s unlikely. We don’t think that Clue/Cluedo is a good fit for this type of play mode, because to play well you need to be taking notes and making inferences on every single turn, not just your own (see our strategy guide). Supporting a game of Clue/Cluedo in this kind of mode would mean that for each single turn, every player needs a chance to see the suggestion/response and make their own notes. In a 6 player game, that means 36 seat-swaps per round, and hundreds of seat-swaps per game! There are also issues caused by the necessity for private information - players would have to look away from the shared screen when it is not their turn, so as not to see the Clue Sheets of other players. For these reasons, we think hotseat mode would be a drawn out and unsatisfying experience.

Will you add an option to turn off auto-notation on the Clue Sheet?

We believe that auto-notation improves the experience by removing “admin” from the Clue Sheet, and leaving the player to focus on advanced note-taking and deduction (see our strategy guide). It also speeds up multiplayer games. However, we understand that some players find it satisfying to fill in the Clue Sheet themselves, so we are considering adding an option for manual entry.

Why do I see dollar prices for the in-app purchases?

Dollar prices are shown on the buy buttons, but if you click those then a pop-up will show you the local price before purchase. We are currently working on a fix for a future update that will show the local price on the button itself.

Does the game support achievements?

Yes.

Does the game support trading cards?

Yes, Clue/Cluedo supports Steam trading cards, badges, profile backgrounds and emoticons.

Is this game compatible with Steam Family Sharing?

Unfortunately, Family Sharing is incompatible with multiplayer. To quote from the Steam Family Sharing FAQ:

Can all Steam games be shared with friends and family?
No, due to technical limitations, some Steam games may be unavailable for sharing. For example, titles that require an additional third-party key, account, or subscription in order to play cannot be shared between accounts.

https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing

The problem is that to enable multiplayer, we have to create a multiplayer account that is tied to a Steam ID. So two PCs using the same Steam account will not be able to play multiplayer at the same time.

Single-player works with Family Sharing, however.

Will there be a Mac/Switch/PS4/Xbox version?

Clue/Cluedo is out now on Nintendo Switch in Europe and Australia. the Americas version will be out on December 17th 2018.

We are not currently developing any other versions of the game, but that is not to rule out the potential for other versions in the future.

Can I turn off hints?

Yes, you can choose whether or not you want to play with hints.

In single-player mode, you simply choose whether you want hints enabled or not. If you enable them, you get 1 (free) use of each hint per game. Single-player games played with hints enabled are unranked, and scores do not contribute towards the Solo leaderboards.

In multiplayer, Online games against strangers are always ranked - you can never use hints in these games. If you set up a Private game against friends, however, the host has the option of enabling hints. In this case, all players have 1 (free) use of each hint per game. Private games are unranked, and scores do not contribute towards the Online leaderboards.

Are hints pay-to-win?

No. You can no longer purchase hint cards with real money. If you choose to play in a mode with hints, the hints are free, but limited.

What are the hints?

There are different hints for single-player and multiplayer.

All hints can be used ONCE per game only.

Single-Player
In SP, there are 3 consumable hints and 1 permanent hint.

• Move - move to any room.
  
• Peek - look at an unrevealed card from a specified AI player.
  
• Block - block the AI players from making a suggestion. This lasts until your next turn.
  
• Warning (permanent) - shows a yellow warning triangle next to an AI's profile when they're close to figuring out the murder, and a red warning triangle when they've solved it.

Multiplayer
In MP, there are 3 consumable hints.

• Move - move to any room. This is the same as the equivalent SP hint.
  
• Reveal - reveals the last card that was secretly shown. This is similar to the Peek hint in SP, but less powerful, because it is context sensitive.
  
• Super Suggest - use this when making a suggestion, and after you are shown one secret card, the suggestion will continue around the circle, so you may be shown a second card. This is not guaranteed - for example, if one player has all 3 of the cards you suggest, you won't get to see a second card. All players benefit when someone uses Super Suggest, as you get information from every secret suggestion (see our strategy guide).

Is there controller support?

No, the game does not currently support controllers at all. However, it is possible that we will add controller support in a future update.