h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first is a simple typo: "If the cards do not match, they are placed back in the packet and the accuser is no longer allowed to play except to answer the suggestions of other player." The last word should be "players".

The second, and more significant, is a misunderstanding of the rules of the game:

"The meanest tactics tend to occur at the end, when two or more players know the solution, and are racing towards the room in question. Generally, one gets to a room en route and calls the other player into the room with a suggestion. It then degenerates into one player moving, the other calling him back, until everyone gets thoroughly sick of the game and vows never to play it again."

This is nonsense. One needs to be in the correct room to make a *suggestion*, but not to make an *accusation*. If you know the correct solution, you can make the accusation immediately (provided that it's your turn) and no such race is necessary. This nullifies the entire paragraph.


Finally, a minor nitpick: it should be noted that the article states that Miss Scarlet goes first, whereas later editions of the game have the players roll the die to see who goes first.

- Kef

There is another minor but significant mistake:

"[Making an accusation] involves stating the accusation in a dramatic voice4, and looking at the murder cards, concealing them from the other players."

This is incorrect: the details of an accusation are supposed to be private, with the accusation written down in the player's personal notes (to prove that the player's intended accusation matched the cards, of course). I imagine this rule is frequently ignored since it's more fun to make dramatic accusations, but it is nonetheless what the official rules of the game dictate.

By the way, here are the original rules of the game for reference: http://www.cluedofan.com/origrule.htm