This article was originally published on 8/9/22.

I want to preface this board game review with the fact that I absolutely love playing Clue. It never matters what edition it is; if it’s Clue, I will play it, and chances are I will love it. Mix that with one of my favorite Dungeons and Dragons live-play groups of all time, and you have the key to my heart. So, of course, I had to get my hands on it when I heard that Clue: Critical Role was coming out. USAopoly was kind enough to send us a copy of the game. And while Matt Mercer and the crew won’t be guiding this adventure personally, it feels like you have been thrown into the middle of a Mighty Nein adventure.

Box art for Clue: Critical Role featuring the members of the Mighty Nien.

So, let me set the stage for you. The members of the Mighty Nein are enjoying their time at the Harvest Close Festival when they become aware of a plot against one of them. But who, what and where? Now it’s a race against time (and everyone else) to uncover the truth and save the day. Clue: Critical Role plays very similar to the original game with a few additional things that make it feel a bit more like a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Each player takes on the role of one of the Mighty Nein and has a unique ability and stats.

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These come into play when a scenario card is played. This can happen in a few different ways, including rolling a “?” or landing on a “?” square. The scenarios require you to try to reach a certain number by rolling and adding your stat bonus, much like Dungeons and Dragons. If you beat the roll, you get the card and its bonus, but you are sent running if you lose. The prizes are a mix of additional turns, messing with other players, being a secret spy, and catching glimpses of other players’ cards. They add an additional mechanic to focus on and worry about.

Back of the box art for Clue: Critical Role

 

The new mechanics in Clue: Critical Role were a bit difficult to keep up with at first. The directions were a bit lacking in explanation, so we played the best we could, remembering rules from the original game and trying out best to figure out the new rules. Once we had them down, or at least what we decided would work, gameplay went smoothly. We also realized that if you play with young children who might struggle with new rules, you can ignore them and play the normal way.

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Clue: Critical Role gives us precisely what we are looking for; a fun, nostalgic, Dungeons and Dragons style version of Clue. It may take a bit to understand. And those who aren’t familiar with the show might struggle a bit with the names. But in the end, it’s a great family/friend game to enjoy during a game night or while on vacation.

This article was originally published on 8/9/22.

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