Learn how to play Hues and Cues for rulebook haters

Condensed How to Play Hues and Cues rules for those who hate trawling through the rulebook.

The Hues and Cues game overview page introduces you to the game through a summary of the gameplay and videos shared by other gamer.

What is Hues and Cues about?

• Players take turns giving one- and two-word hints to describe a specific color.
• Other players guess the color on the game board.
• Players score points based on the proximity to the correct color.
• The cue giver scores points based on the accuracy of the guesses.

Setup

Place the board in the center of the play area.Give each player three pieces of the same color:

• One piece goes to the left of the score track.
• The player keeps the other two pieces.

Shuffle the color cards to form a face-down draw pile.
Set the scoring frame off to one side.

The player who is wearing the most colorful outfit will be the cue giver for the first round.

Gameplay

Draw a Card:

• Cue giver draws the top card from the deck, ensuring other players cannot see it.
• Cue giver selects one color on the card to describe using cues (coordinates included for scoring).

One-Word Cue:

• Cue giver gives a one-word cue to describe the chosen color.
• Restrictions:
  • Cannot be a common color name (e.g., orange, blue, green, yellow).
  • Can be an abstract color name (e.g., chartreuse, golden, lavender).
  • Cannot refer to the color’s position on the board, letters, numbers, or any object in the room.

First Guess:

• In clockwise order, players guess by placing one of their pieces on the square they think matches the cue.
• Each color can only be guessed once; a color is guessed if the space contains a piece.

Two-Word Cue:

• After all first guesses, the cue giver provides a two-word cue following the same guidelines.
• Cue giver may choose to pass on the second cue or give another one-word cue.

Second Guesses:

• In counterclockwise order, players make a second guess by placing their remaining piece on any unoccupied space on the board.

Scoring

Cue giver reveals the color by placing the scoring frame on the board with the color in the center.Use letter and number coordinates to align the frame properly.Points are awarded as follows:

• Cue giver receives 1 point for each piece within the scoring frame.
• Guessers receive points based on proximity to the correct color:
  • Exact color guess: 3 points.
  • Within the scoring frame, but not exact: 2 points.
  • Adjacent to the outside of the scoring frame (including diagonally): 1 point.

Track points by moving each player’s piece on the scoring track.
Cue giver can earn a maximum of 9 points.

Starting a new round

All guessing pieces are returned to their owners. The next player in clockwise order becomes the cue giver and draws a new card from the deck.

End of Game

• For 4-6 players: Each player is the cue giver twice.
• For 7 or more players: Each player is the cue giver once.
• The player with the highest total score wins.
• In case of a tie, the most recent cue giver wins.

Additional Rules

If a color is on the edge of the board, scoring remains the same with fewer possible scoring areas.After the first round of guesses:

• If the cue giver is satisfied with their score, they may pass on the second cue.
• Passing the second cue prevents other players from placing their second piece.
• Scoring happens immediately if the cue giver passes.

Variant Rules

Playing with Younger Gamers:

• Allow players to select any color from the board for cues.
• Before giving the first cue, the active player writes down the letter and number of their chosen color.
• Keep the chosen color’s coordinates secret from other players.
• This helps players who may struggle to create cues for certain colors.