How to play Clue Sabotage on the High Seas if you hate rulebooks

I hate rulebooks! This condensed How to Play Clue Sabotage on the High Seas rules help players get the essential instructions without having to trawl rulebooks.

Objective

• Explore the yacht to solve puzzles, gather clues, and uncover what happened to Captain Melville.
• Determine who pushed the captain overboard, where it happened, and why.

Gameplay

• The youngest player goes first, then turns rotate to the left.

On Your Turn:

• Move your pawn to an unexplored number on the gameboard and take the matching card.
• Read the card aloud and follow its instructions.
• Solve any available puzzles with the help of other players. Collaboration is encouraged.
• Pass your turn if there’s nothing left to do.

Note:

• Keep track of who performed the last action, especially when turns are fluid. Remember who last moved their pawn to an unexplored node.

Cards

• The game features several types of cards: Narrative, Puzzle, Item, Clue, and Overlay.

Narrative Cards

• Provide story elements and guide player actions.
• Read them aloud and follow the instructions.
• If the card has a discard icon (circle with a line through it), place it in the lid of the box when done.

Puzzle Cards

• Consist of multiple cards that involve wordplay or visual riddles.
• Each card has a puzzle piece graphic with a letter indicating the puzzle and the number of pieces needed to solve it.
• If a card has a blank puzzle piece icon, it is a tool and may be used in multiple puzzles.

Instructions:

• Solved puzzles unlock new items, locations, and clues.
• Keep puzzle cards face up until instructed otherwise.
• Puzzle solutions are always numbers. Match the number with the corresponding card in the deck.
• If incorrect, retry. If correct, the card will say “SOLVED.”

Hints:

• If stuck, use hints from the back of the booklet, matching the puzzle piece letter/number to the hint provided. Solutions are available if needed.

Item Cards

• Shared among players and used to solve puzzles.
• To use, align the Roman numeral cipher with the numbers on the bottom of puzzle cards.
• Draw the card matching the cipher number. If the number isn’t found, the cipher is incorrect, and you must retry.

Clue Cards

• Kept for the entire game and not used to solve puzzles but essential for solving the final mystery.
• Keep them face up on the table for everyone to see.

Overlay Cards

• Change the game board by adding new numbered locations to explore.
• When instructed, place overlay cards on the board, aligning the art with existing sections.
• Players at a location under the card are placed on top and lose access to unexplored areas beneath the card. The new red location is now available for exploration.

Building the Yacht

• The gameboard expands as you play and unlock new rooms on the yacht.
• When instructed, find the corresponding board from the box and place it beside the existing rooms.
• Add new decks of cards when directed by unwrapping them and placing them under your current deck.
• Do not look through or shuffle the cards.

How to Solve the Mystery

• As a team, decide who pushed Captain Melville overboard, where it happened on the yacht, and what the motive was.
• Use all clues and evidence gathered during the game to make a final decision.
• Review any rooms or nodes you may have missed.
• Lay out the clues in the order found to trace the murderer’s path through the yacht.
• Once ready, make an accusation and open the solve packet to see if you were correct.