The five options at a glance
| Option | Cost | Install | Rules enforced | Bots | Phones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official digital edition | Paid | App or game download | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physical box over a video call | The box | Video-call app | No | No | Partly |
| Virtual tabletop | Usually paid software | Download | No | No | Mostly desktop |
| Free browser games | Usually free | None | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| NoHonor | Free (with an account) | None | Yes | Yes | Phone, tablet, laptop |
1. The official digital edition
Best for: players who want the original characters, board and art.
The licensed digital version of Clue/Cluedo is made by Marmalade Game Studio. It was released on Steam in 2018 and is also available on iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch. It supports online games for up to six players, private games with friends, single-player games against computer opponents, and cross-platform play between devices.
It costs money: $16.99 on Steam when we checked, with bundles available.
2. The physical box over a video call
Best for: families who already own the box and want the real thing.
It can work, but it is clumsy. The cards have to stay private, so someone has to deal them out by message or play as a game master who holds every hand. Movement is easy to manage on a shared camera, but answers to suggestions are hard to keep secret.
It costs nothing extra if you have the box and patience.
3. Virtual tabletops
Best for: groups who already use a virtual tabletop for other games.
Virtual tabletop programs simulate a table: you move pieces and cards by hand, and nothing enforces the rules. Community-made Cluedo-style boards exist for some of them. You get flexibility, but everyone needs the software, and a careless click can reveal a card.
4. Free browser games
Best for: a quick game with no installs.
There are browser games built on the same deduction formula. Quality varies a lot. Before you send a link to friends, check three things: whether the rules are enforced (does the game stop someone from hiding a card?), whether you can play on a phone, and what the site asks for in return, such as ads, an email or personal data.
5. NoHonor
Best for: a free game with friends or bots, on any phone or laptop, with nothing to install.
NoHonor is our game, so we are biased. It is Cluedo-inspired, not Cluedo: the same deduction with a new crime. Six crew members, six methods and nine locations; one of the crew stashed the loot, and you work out who, how and where.
- Free. You need a free account; there is no download.
- Rules enforced. You cannot skip showing a card you hold, and nobody can peek at the stash.
- Friends or strangers. Open a private room and share a code, or join a public table, where bots fill empty seats after a minute.
- Bots on three levels, for full games alone or to fill a table.
- Plays on your phone too, with a notes assistant and a case log so nothing gets lost.
If you want the original characters and board, the official edition is the one to buy. If you want a free game everyone can join from a link, try ours.
Sources
- Clue/Cluedo: The Classic Mystery Game on Steam, for platforms, multiplayer features and price
