The winner of Cluedo is the first player to identify in one accusation: the murderer, the weapon used, and the room in which the crime was committed. However, only three distinct editions of Cluedo were released in the UK – the longest of which lasted 47 years from its introduction in 1949 until its first successor in 1996. This technique can be used for both forcing a player to reveal a different card as well as misleading other players into believing a specific card is suspect.

In modern versions, all players roll the die/dice and the highest total starts the game, with play again proceeding clockwise. Advertising at the time suggested players would take on the guise of "Sherlock Holmes following the path of the criminal", but no depictions of Holmes appear in the advertising or on the box. The player to your left looks at their cards and shows you one card that matches your suggestion, if they have any.At the beginning of play, three cards—one suspect, one room, and one weapon—are chosen at random and put into a special envelope, so that no one can see them.

The early lead pipings (lead pipes) were made out of actual lead and therefore posed a risk of lead poisoning. The pads can keep not only a history of which cards are in a player's hand, but also which cards have been shown by another player. Boddy's mansion changed with each edition, the weapons underwent relatively minor changes, with the only major redesign occurring in the fourth 1972 US edition, which was adopted by the second 1996 UK edition and remains the standard configuration across all Classic Detective Game versions since. Making as many suggestions as possible maximises how much information a player can gain, which is advantageous. This information is given on the cards placed in the Murder envelope and remains a mystery until a player makes a correct accusation.Peacock has a new game opening opportunity as her starting square is one step closer to the billiard room (with 9 steps instead of 10).