I love to read and write mysteries, and I love to play games, so it only stands to reason that I would love to play Clue. I was nine years old when I had my first encounter with the guests of Boddy Mansion and solved my first murder; an old edition of Clue was the first board game I ever owned. Seventeen years later, and after having been introduced to the more complex world of strategy games by Avalon Hill & others, Clue is still my all-time favorite game (I even have the movie version on video), with Professor Plum being my character of choice.

While the game is intended for 2 to 6 players, I recently played with 11 people. We had five 2-person teams, and the person playing Col. Mustard flew solo. This actually made the game more complex, as each person on each team took turns showing cards, moving, etc., and we sometimes forgot which cards had already been shown, and so forth, making the process of elimination much harder. Team play makes Clue an excellent party game, and I'm glad I discovered this new twist to an old favorite. Try it at your next party. As Mr. Boddy will tell you, it's to die for.

While I await the next English translation of the next German masterpiece, I can't help falling back on an old time game that has given me hours of enjoyment. This game can have incredible depth, the chance for bluffing as well as a mixture of luck thrown in. Played with a group of vetrans, each game becomes a tense contest. I can't believe that some modern gamers have never played it. Dust off your set this weekend and savor this classic again.