When a player enters a room and asks a Clue question regarding a suspect, weapon, and room, the player to their left must attempt to answer. If that player possesses any of the cards mentioned in the question, they must show one of them to the inquiring player secretly. The rules explicitly state that they should never show more than one card. If the player does not have any of the requested cards, they state 'I cannot answer' and the enquiry passes to the next player until one card has been shown.
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Enter a room and ask a Clue question about one suspect, one weapon, and the room entered.
Step 2: The player to the left attempts to answer the question.
Step 3: If the player has a matching card, they show exactly one card secretly to the asker.
Step 4: If the player has no matching cards, the enquiry passes to the next player in turn.
Step 5: The process continues until one card has been shown or no one can answer.
Example Play Situation
Alice enters the Library and asks, 'Was it Mustard with the Wrench in the Library?'. Bob, sitting to her left, looks at his cards and sees he has the Wrench. Bob shows Alice only the Wrench card secretly, and Alice crosses it off her Clue sheet.
Common Misconceptions
Showing multiple cards to help a player avoid being caught
Thinking you can show a card if you don't have the specific one asked for
Assuming the enquiry stops if the first player cannot answer
Quick Reference
You Can
You Cannot
Show exactly one card to refute a suspicion
Show more than one card to the inquiring player
Cross off the card you have been shown on your Clue sheet
Show your cards to anyone other than the player making the suggestion
Pass the enquiry to the next player if you cannot answer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official rule for showing cards in Clue?
A player must show only one card that refutes the suspicion asked by another player.
Can I show two cards if I have both the suspect and the weapon?
No, you should never show more than one card to the player asking the question.
What happens if the person on my left has no cards to show?
The enquiry passes to the next player in turn until one card is shown.
How many cards should I show when answering a Clue question?
You must show only one card to the player who made the suggestion.
David Noah is a board game rules specialist and content creator who writes clear, dispute‑free guides for modern tabletop games. On this site, he focuses on answering the exact rules questions players argue about at the table, using official rulebooks, expansions, and tournament rulings as his primary sources. His goal is to turn confusing edge cases into simple, step‑by‑step explanations so you can spend less time debating and more time playing.
