Clue Master - Board game ThinkFun - Free user manual and instructions

Type	Board game
Brand	ThinkFun
Model	Clue Master
Category	Logic puzzle game
Recommended Age	8+ years
Number of Players	1 player
Game Type	Deductive reasoning
Dimensions (Box)	Approximately 10.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches
Weight	Approximately 1.2 lbs
Power Source	None required (manual game)
Batteries Required	No
Included Components	Game board, challenge cards, tokens, instructions
Difficulty Level	Multiple levels (40 challenges)
Game Duration	15-30 minutes per challenge
Language	English (instructions)
Safety Warnings	Choking hazard - small parts, not for children under 3
Cleaning Instructions	Wipe with dry cloth; avoid moisture
Repairability	Not user-serviceable; contact manufacturer for replacement parts
Warranty	Limited warranty against manufacturing defects
Country of Origin	China

Frequently Asked Questions - Clue Master ThinkFun

What is the objective of Clue Master?

The objective is to deduce the correct combination of suspects, locations, and weapons based on given clues. Players use logical reasoning to eliminate possibilities and solve each puzzle.

How many challenges are included in the game?

Clue Master includes 40 challenges of varying difficulty, from beginner to expert.

What age is Clue Master suitable for?

The game is recommended for ages 8 and up. Younger children may need assistance.

Can Clue Master be played by multiple players?

The game is designed for single-player, but others can watch and help reason through the clues.

What components come in the box?

The box contains a game board, challenge cards, colored tokens, and an instruction booklet.

Is there a time limit for each challenge?

No time limit is enforced; players can take as long as they need to solve each puzzle. Typical completion time is 15-30 minutes.

How do I clean the game components?

Wipe the board and cards with a soft dry cloth. Avoid using water or cleaning agents to prevent damage.

Are there replacement parts available?

If any component is lost or damaged, contact ThinkFun customer support for replacement options.

What is the difficulty progression?

Challenges are numbered and increase in complexity. Early levels teach basic logic, while later levels require advanced deduction.

Does the game require batteries or electricity?

No, Clue Master is a fully manual board game and does not require any power source.

USER MANUAL Clue Master ThinkFun

LOGICAL DEDUCTION GAME

Ignite Your Mind! AGES 8 to adult

AGES

8 to adult

single player

Welcome, Clue Masters!

Tippy the dog needs your help to unlock a secret door and return to his dog house!

Tippy has uncovered all of his lost chew bones, tennis balls, and food bowls, but finding his lost treasures was only half the adventure. To unlock the secret door, you'll have to place all his treasures in the correct arrangement.

The 40 Sudoku-like challenges use symbols instead of numbers, and provide clues about the correct arrangement. You will use the clues and your deductive reasoning skills to unlock the secret door and help Tippy return home with his treasures.

Pixel art scene with a brown dog standing on green grass, a white house, and scattered colorful blocks (no text or symbols)

To Start:

Select a challenge. Each challenge starts with a hidden arrangement of nine tokens on a 3 x 3 grid.

Your Goal:

Use the visual clues given to place Tippy's treasures on the grid in the correct arrangement and unlock the secret door.

When your arrangement has all the clue patterns – YOU WIN!

You'll know you have the right solution when you can find all the clue patterns on your completed grid. You can also look on page 27 to verify your solution.

Clue Symbology:

The Clue Master pieces come in three shapes and three colors. The combination produces nine unique pieces that form a complete mathematical set.

Grid of pixelated icons representing sports and fitness concepts (no text or symbols)

Token Symbols:

These symbols indicate a specific token shape and color.

Shape Symbols:

These symbols indicate a specific token shape, but not a specific color.

Color Symbols:

These symbols indicate a specific token color, but not a specific shape.

How to Solve a Clue Master Challenge:

Each of the first 20 challenges present a series of clues about how to arrange the tokens on the grid. Each clue shows a pattern that must appear on the game grid at least once. Only one solution fits all the clues.

Sample Challenge:

graph LR
    A["Clue 1 Grid"] --> B["Clue 2"]
    B --> C["Clue 3"]
    C --> D["Final Grid"]

In the sample challenge above, the three Clues are three patterns that must appear on the grid at least once.

Each clue is a partial snapshot that gives you accurate but incomplete information about where the pieces belong on the grid. You'll need to use careful reasoning and logical deduction to find the arrangement of pieces that satisfies all the clues.

Here's how we use deduction to discover the solution:

First, we see that Clue 1 shows us the whole grid, but with some pieces missing. However, we are still able to determine the exact location of these three pieces.

Next, we see that Clue 2 shows us just a part of the grid. At first it looks like the clue can fit in several locations, but based on the information given in Clue 1, we can determine that Clue 2 must go in the upper left corner of the grid.

Lastly, we see that Clue 3 shows us just the shape of one piece, and just the color of another piece. This clue may not seem to provide much information on its own, but now that we've already placed 6 pieces on the grid, we can use Clue 3 to correctly place the 3 remaining pieces on the grid.

graph LR
    A["Clue 2"] --> B["Grid"]
    B --> C["Pixelated Game Icon 1"]
    B --> D["Pixelated Game Icon 2"]
    B --> E["Pixelated Game Icon 3"]
    B --> F["Pixelated Game Icon 4"]
    B --> G["Pixelated Game Icon 5"]
    B --> H["Pixelated Game Icon 6"]
    B --> I["Pixelated Game Icon 7"]
    B --> J["Pixelated Game Icon 8"]

Placing Clue 2 in any other location would put two different pieces in the same spot. For example, if we put Clue 2 in the upper right corner, the blue bones would land in the middle of the grid, but Clue 1 already told us there is a green ball in the middle of the grid.

Clue 3 Grid

graph TD
    A["Task"] --> B{Result}
    B --> C["Match"]
    B --> D["Pass"]
    B --> E["Bad"]

Clue 3 tells us that there have to be bones in the center of one row with a blue piece to the right of the bones. Clues 1 and 2 told us to put balls in the center of the top 2 rows, so we know Clue 3 is referring to the bottom row. Clue 3 tells us where to place 2 of the 3 remaining pieces, therefore we know to put the last piece in the only remaining spot.

Now that we've completely filled the Grid, we will confirm we have the correct solution by checking to make sure our arrangement contains all three clue patterns.

Solution

Grid of nine pixelated icons including a helmet, baseball, and crossed-out Xs (no text or symbols)

graph TD
    A["Clue 1"] --> B["Clue 2"]
    B --> C["Clue 3"]
    C --> D["Solution"]
    E["Clue 1"] --> F["Clue 2"]
    F --> G["Clue 3"]
    G --> H["Solution"]
    I["Clue 1"] --> J["Clue 2"]
    J --> K["Clue 3"]
    K --> L["Solution"]
    M["Clue 1"] --> N["Clue 2"]
    N --> O["Clue 3"]
    O --> P["Solution"]

Our solution is correct! All three clue patterns appear in our completed grid! When you understand how logical deduction was used to solve the sample challenge above, you're ready to start playing! As you play, remember the following tips:

1. Clues do not have to be used in the order given.
2. Shape information from one clue might combine with color information from another clue.
3. Sometimes clues fit together like a jigsaw. You can rule out placements where the information from one clue would conflict with another clue.
4. If you see the same piece on more than one clue, "lock" the clues together and reason about them as a single clue.

Proceed to Challenge 1, and stay tuned for an introduction to Negative Clues after you've solved Challenge 20. You'll soon be well on your way to becoming a Clue Master!

Clue Master was invented by Mark Engelberg.

Challenges by Serhiy Grabarchuk Jr.

ThinkFun's Mission is to Ignite Your Mind!®

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