Game: Clue Jr. - The Case of the Missing Cake

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Kaks — 2008-06-23T18:48:17+00:00

old dutch suspicious objects

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Kaks — 2008-06-23T18:47:10+00:00

old dutch suspects

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Kaks — 2008-06-23T18:45:59+00:00

an old dutch gameboard

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Kaks — 2008-06-23T18:44:16+00:00

an old dutch gamebox back

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Kaks — 2008-06-23T18:42:45+00:00

an old dutch gamebox front

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whoami — 2008-06-14T07:56:34+00:00

Thread: Any note sheet file?

ah3Dog — 2007-12-31T20:55:32+00:00

Would anyone tell me where I can download the note sheet file from the web?

Thanks

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barteus — 2007-12-31T20:47:47+00:00

Game in action. Mrs. Peacock is headed to the desk to look for clues.

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barteus — 2007-12-31T20:45:50+00:00

Game in action. Col. Mustard is checking for clues under the dining table, while Miss Scarlet is on the move, looking for clues.

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barteus — 2007-12-31T20:43:42+00:00

Game is setup and ready to play

Thread: Variant Ideas

virx61 — 2007-12-28T15:00:51+00:00

1: Only allowed to check the base of something/someone in the same room or adjacent to you.

2: Add the "Secret Passages" between opposing corners of the board from the original Clue.

3: Require players to role-play dramatic interview scenes with suspects they are checking and inspections on furniture.

4: Ignore colored rolls on the die in addition to Variant Idea #1.

5: Ditch the die and instead move a certain number of spaces each turn (3) in addition to Variant Idea #1.

Thread: Initial Strategy

virx61 — 2007-12-28T14:54:09+00:00

This game doesn't require much strategy beyond keepig good track of what you've checked. I prefer to act like I'm marking on my sheet no matter what I find under a base. One could be malicious and block other players inside a room while trying to roll whites and yellows but other players will still roll colors and I hear there is a rule for players moving other player's pawns. All in all the game is fun enough without having to think too much on it.

Thread: First Session

virx61 — 2007-12-28T14:49:03+00:00

We each got a game from Santa for Christmas and this was my daughter's (5 years old.)

I was very excited as the rules were read as Clue Jr. - The Case of the Missing Cake seemed to be as much fun if not more than the original Clue I'd played before. My wife helped the little one understand how to peek at the bases and record the clues during the first game but she was on her own for the second.

After trying to hide our detective sheets for some time I got out some candycane boxes to help hide them, but those kept falling over. It may be wiser to simply make sure no one is looking while you mark freely.

After two plays my wife and I each won once, while my daughter still needs to get the hang of checking off all of her information as she plays. This game, however, does not have a bad learning curve for 5-year-olds and I expect her and anyone else her age will get used to the game easily.

Thread: Finally, A "Junior" Version That My Family And I Enjoy

Wyll — 2007-10-17T15:52:30+00:00

I have never been a big fan of the “Junior” games. I think you know the ones I am talking about (Monopoly Junior, Scrabble Junior: The Disney Edition). The main factor that bugs me about these games is that some of the better features gets lost in the “slimming down”, so to speak.

So, when my daughter got Clue Jr. - The Case of the Missing Cake as a birthday gift, I was prepared to dislike it from the start. After all my negative experiences with the other Junior games, I couldn’t see how Clue Jr. - The Case of the Missing Cake could be any different.

Boy, was I wrong.

Initial Thoughts

Clue Jr. - The Case of the Missing Cake is a deduction logic game with a roll and move element. Unlike other Junior game versions, this version has kept all the elements that make Clue great and is playable by younger children (ages 5 to 8).

Object Of The Game

The first player to correctly guess who ate the cake, with what drink and at what time is declared the winner.

Components

Inside a smartly sized box, you get a gameboard, 6 Clue character pawns, 6 Furniture pawns, 7 White bases, 7 Yellow bases, a Detective notepad and a die.

One of the things I think is absolutely clever is the mechanic that is used to determine who ate the cake and where it was eaten. Instead of cards, the clues are on the bottom of the white and yellow bases (with one or two blank bases thrown in to make it slightly harder).

For example, When you set up the “crime”, you take the five yellow base (representing what drink was involved) and place one in the middle. Then you take the two blank yellow bases, mix them all up and place the furniture into the bases. They are then placed in their starting spots and when the chance is given, players look at the bottom of the target yellow base and record what drink they find. You use the same process for the white bases (the time the cake was eaten and 1 base with crumbs to indicate who ate the cake).

Gameplay

We’ve covered a bit of the setup in the components section, so once all the bases are mixed and placed on their starting spots. Play begins with the player last ate a piece of cake (or a random method of determination).

On a player’s turn, they roll the dice and can do any one of the following:

     (a) Yellow Face: Look under any furniture pawn and then end your turn.

     (a) white Face: Look under any character pawn and then end your turn.

     (a) Numbered Face: move ANY character up to that many spaces (you cannot pass or land on other pawns or end your move on the space your started from).

If you land on a yellow space, you may look under the furniture pawn in the current room. If you land on a white space, you may look under the pawn you just moved.

Players are to use their Detective sheet to keep track of their clues and help in their deduction. Every time a drink or time is found, it should be crossed off the list. Also, be sure to cross of what furniture and character you look under to make sure you don’t repeat “peeks”.

If you land on footprints, the current player’s turn is over.

A player may make an accusation at the end of their turn. To do so, they say their guess out loud (“Professor Plum ate the cake at 3:00 with apple juice”). The player then secretly checks the two bases in the middle of the gameboard and the base of the character they accused. If they all match the accusation statement, that player wins and the game ends. If they do not match, that player is out of the game and play continues.

Strategy v.s. Luck Factor

The die is the only really element of luck to the game. A few good rolls can give a player the chance to peak under several bases early and build a good case.

I’m trying to find of any good strategies, but I really can’t think of any good ones. I think the best advice I can give is to keep track of which furniture/characters you check. I’m guilty of not doing it and I’ve wound up checking things two or three times… and it cost me the game.

You could try to bluff when looking at the bottom of a base (i.e. look happy, surprised), but I don’t know how long that will work. My daughters caught on pretty quick.

Closing Thoughts

I really enjoy playing this one, but I don’t know if I would buy it new. I would definitely pick it up second-hand and give it as a gift to any friend who had kids who loved “who done its”.

Even though the game says ages 5 to 8, I found my 5 year old need help to make deductions. I don’t know if she will get better the more we play, but for now, we play in a teams (Me and the youngest, Lady X and Mom, and the ten year old by herself).

In the end, I will recommend parents give this one arty… especially those of us who have been “burned” by other Junior versions.

Recommendation Summary

Wyll's Recommendation:

Fun Factor (5 Point Scale):

One Line Summary: A scaled-down version of Clue that still maintains the fun and feel factor of the bigger version.

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flakybiscuit — 2007-04-11T02:23:59+00:00