480 colours. Endless possibilities. Can you find the perfect shade?
Think you’re good at describing colours? Think again! Hues and Cues is a colourful party game where players use just one or two words to describe a secret colour while everyone else tries to guess the exact shade.
Sounds easy? With 480 different colours on the board, things can get surprisingly tricky!
🎯 The Aim of the Game
Earn the most points by correctly guessing colours and giving clever clues that help other players find your chosen shade!
Players: 3–10
Playing Time: Approximately 30 minutes
🎨 Getting Started
- Place the colourful game board in the middle of the table.
- Each player chooses a colour and takes 3 matching player pieces.
- Place one piece beside the score track and keep the other two for guessing.
- Shuffle the colour cards and place them face down.
- Keep the scoring frame nearby — you’ll need it to award points!
The player wearing the most colourful outfit goes first!
▶️ How to Play
Each round, one player becomes the Cue Giver, while everyone else tries to guess their secret colour.
1. Pick a Colour
The Cue Giver draws a card and secretly chooses one of the colours shown. Don’t let anyone else see it!
2. Give a One-Word Clue
Describe your chosen colour using just ONE word.
For example:
- 🍓 Strawberry
- 🌊 Ocean
- 🌻 Sunflower
- 🍫 Chocolate
You can’t simply say the name of a basic colour!
3. Make Your First Guess
Going clockwise, each other player places one of their pieces on the colour square they think matches the clue.
Remember, only one piece can occupy each square!
4. Give a Two-Word Clue
The Cue Giver now gets another chance to help everyone by giving a clue using up to TWO words.
For example:
- 🌅 Summer sunset
- 🍦 Mint icecream
- 🌲 Pine forest
- ☁️ Storm cloud
The Cue Giver can also choose to skip their second clue, ending the guessing phase immediately.
5. Make Your Second Guess
If a second clue was given, everyone places their remaining piece on another unoccupied square, this time going counterclockwise.
Try to get even closer to the secret colour!
⚠️ The Clue Rules
When giving clues, you cannot:
- Say common colour names like red, blue, green, yellow or purple.
- Mention the letters, numbers or position of a colour on the board.
- Point to or reference objects in the room.
- Repeat a clue already used during the game.
You can use creative descriptions, objects, foods, places or feelings that remind you of the colour!
For example, “lavender” is allowed, even though it’s also a colour name.
🏆 How to Score
Once everyone has guessed, the Cue Giver reveals the secret colour and places the scoring frame over it.
Players earn points based on how close their guesses are!
- 🎯 Exact Match: 3 points
- 🟩 Inside the Scoring Frame: 2 points for each other guess inside the frame.
- 🟨 Just Outside the Frame: 1 point for a guess directly adjacent to the frame, including diagonally.
- ❌ Further Away: 0 points.
What About the Cue Giver?
The Cue Giver earns 1 point for each guessing piece inside the scoring frame, up to a maximum of 9 points!
So the better your clues, the more points you can earn.
🥇 How to Win
Once everyone has had their turn as the Cue Giver, add up the scores!
- With 4–6 players, everyone gets two turns as Cue Giver.
- With 7–10 players, everyone gets one turn as Cue Giver.
- With 3 players, follow the rulebook’s three-player game instructions.
The player with the most points wins!
Remember: Everyone sees colours differently. That’s what makes Hues and Cues so much fun!
📖 Official Game Rules
Need to settle a colourful disagreement? Check out the full instructions from the game’s publisher, The Op Games!
👉 View the Official Hues and Cues Rules – The Op Games
The official rulebook is available under Media & Downloads.
🔐 Enjoyed the Game? Your Next Adventure Awaits!
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