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About Hues and Cues
Hues and Cues, designed by Scott Brady and published by The Op, is a guessing game played on a big board of 480 colour squares. The cue giver secretly picks a colour and gives a one-word clue, everyone places a cone, and then a two-word clue lets them place a second. A scoring frame around the target rewards anyone who landed close. It is a gentle, accessible game that sparks surprisingly heated debates about what colour 'banana' really is.
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Is Hues and Cues Right for You?
Best for
Hues and Cues is for relaxed groups and families who want a gentle guessing game with a striking board. It plays best with five or six, where the scoring frame tends to catch a few cones but not all of them. It also works for mixed ages, since anyone can point at a colour.
Maybe skip it if…
Groups looking for big laughs may find it calm. Colour-blind players can struggle, so check before choosing it. With nine or ten players the board gets crowded with cones.
How to Play Hues and Cues
Setup
Unfold the board, give each player cones in their colour, and shuffle the colour cards.
On Your Turn
- The cue giver draws a card, secretly picks one of its colours, and gives a one-word clue that is not a colour name.
- Each other player places one cone on the square they think matches.
- The cue giver may then give a two-word clue, and everyone places a second cone.
- Lay the scoring frame on the target: 3 points on the target, 2 inside the frame, 1 touching its edge. The cue giver scores for cones inside the frame.
How to Win
Once everyone has been cue giver the number of times the rules set for your player count, the highest score wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Choose clues from things everyone has seen, like fruit, sports kits or famous brands. Personal references only help the person who made them.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Giving clues only you understand. Your favourite jumper is not a clue anyone else can use.
- Forgetting the colour-name ban. You cannot just say 'red' or 'blue'.
- Placing your first cone safe in the middle of a colour band. The target is a single square, so commit.
- Ignoring other people's cones when placing your second. They show where the table thinks the clue points.
Advanced Strategy
- As cue giver, pick the colour on your card that is easiest to clue, not the most interesting one.
- Use the two-word clue to correct the table. If cones are too dark, add a word that lightens them.
- Remember the cue giver scores for cones inside the frame, so a clear clue helps you as well as everyone else.
- Think about shade as well as hue. 'Lime' and 'mint' point to quite different greens.
Variants & House Rules
House rule: one clue only
Skip the second, two-word clue and score after the first cone. It makes the game faster and harder.
House rule: theme rounds
Agree a theme for all clues in a round, such as food or films. It adds variety once the group knows the board.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Hues and Cues is a pleasant, good-looking game that gets surprisingly passionate arguments about colour. It is lighter and quieter than Wavelength or Codenames, and its BGG rating is middling, but it is easy to teach and works for almost any age. We recommend it for family evenings with five or six players.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is Hues and Cues best with?
Five or six. It supports three to ten, but with a full table the board gets crowded and each player gives fewer clues.
Can colour-blind players play?
It is difficult, as the whole game relies on telling shades apart. Some players manage with help, but check with your group first.
Who makes Hues and Cues?
It was designed by Scott Brady and is published by The Op, also known as USAopoly.