What Whodunnit is
Three cards are sealed in the case file. Name a theory each turn and the table shows you a card that clears it. Cross off enough, then accuse — right and you have solved it, wrong and you are out of the running.
Whodunnit is our take on Clue (Cluedo outside North America), and it keeps the deduction: three cards sealed in a case file, a theory each turn, evidence shown only to you. What it leaves out is the board. There are no dice and no pawns to walk from room to room, so every turn is a theory.
Your own cards cannot be in the case file, so the investigation begins with what you hold. If you name three cards and a player shows you one, you can rule that card out. Everyone else sees that somebody answered, but not which card you saw, and a public pass is evidence too.
Two of you, or against the computer
Whodunnit seats two to six, and a computer detective can take any empty chair. It reads the same public record you do, every pass and every answer, and it accuses only when the case is proved, so it is a quiet, fair opponent rather than a lucky one.
With two of you, each theory goes to the one other player, so a pass says that none of the three cards is in their hand. Add a computer detective or two and the case takes longer to crack, because the cards are spread across more hands.
How to play Whodunnit
- Three cards are sealed in the case file: a suspect, a weapon and a room. Every other card is dealt out — so your own hand is the first thing you know is not in the file.
- On your turn, name a theory: who, with what, where. You may name cards in your own hand. Nobody can tell.
- The table answers in turn from your left. Anyone holding none of the three passes; the first player holding one shows you ONE card, privately — their choice which.
- Every card you are shown is a card that is not in the file. The board crosses it out for you, with who holds it; when one card is left in a row it turns gold. Notes opens the classic grid, where you add your own crosses for hunches.
- Passes are public. Everybody sees who could not answer and who did — only the card itself stays between the two of you.
- When you are sure, accuse. The file opens for the whole table: right, and you have solved it.
- Wrong, and you are out of the running — you keep your cards and still answer theories. If everyone else falls, the last detective standing wins.
- A turn clock runs by default. Go quiet and your turn passes; the host can lengthen it or switch it off.
How to win at Whodunnit
Use your own cards
Include a card you hold when you want to learn about the other parts of a theory.
Separate fact from hunch
Use the notebook’s confirmed information and keep uncertain deductions distinct.
Watch the passes
A player who passes holds none of the three cards you named, and every passing player is evidence the whole table can read.
Accuse only on proof
A wrong accusation takes you out of the running, so wait until your notebook leaves one suspect, one weapon and one room.
Questions about Whodunnit
How is it different from the box game?
There is no board and no dice, so nobody walks to a room: on your turn you name any suspect, weapon and room. The sealed case file, the privately shown card and the single accusation work as they do in Clue (Cluedo). It also plays with two.
Does everyone see the card that disproves a theory?
No. The showing player and the player who asked see it; the rest of the table sees who passed or answered.
What happens after a wrong accusation?
You stop competing to solve the case but retain your cards and still answer other players’ theories.
Can we play Whodunnit with just two?
Yes. It seats two to six, and computer detectives can fill the empty chairs, so two people, or one person on their own, can play a whole case.
Is Whodunnit free?
Yes. It is free to play, with no adverts. An optional Plus membership opens bigger tables and extra packs.
How many people do you need for Whodunnit?
Between 2 and 6. Below 2 there are not enough of you for the game to work.
What do we need to play?
A phone or laptop each, with a web browser. One person opens a room and everybody else joins by typing the room code on their own phone. There’s also an iPhone app if you’d rather.
Can we play Whodunnit over a video call?
Yes. Share the room code in the chat and play with the call running — everything private stays on each player’s own phone.
