Become a master of Cluedo, Twister and Monopoly while in coronavirus lockdown with our top tips

THIS weekend is the ideal time to dust off those board games and gain the repect of your household with your winning skills.

And we can help you get ahead of the game thanks to toy expert Peter Jenkinson. Here he reveals tips and tactics on ten family favourites that can boost your chances of success – whether that’s as a master of Monopoly, the king of Cluedo or to triumph at Trivial Pursuit.

Here, we reveals tips and tactics on ten family favourites that can boost your chances of success at becoming a master in board gamesCredit: Alamy

MONOPOLY

OBJECTIVE: Be the last in-play with cash or assets

Your best bet is to go for the stations from the start as they pay wellCredit: Alamy

Go for the stations, they pay well from the start. Fenchurch Street is the most-landed-on square after Free Parking and Go.
Aim for the orange spaces early on, these are the most landed-on group.
Park Lane is the least landed-on square so avoid it – and Mayfair too.
Once you have a monopoly of colours, mortgage up to buy houses.
Only buy houses. If you buy hotels your houses go back in the box and other players could own them. If you can’t put the same number of houses on each of a set put your spare on a road featured on a “Go To” card – Trafalgar Sq, Mayfair, Pall Mall, Old Kent Rd.
Stay in jail towards the end to save paying others rent but at the beginning, pay to get out so you can build your empire.

CLUEDO

OBJECTIVE: Be the first to figure out whodunnit.

Spend as much time as you can in rooms to make the most deductions possibleCredit: Alamy

Spend time in rooms as you can only make deductions in those, so travelling around is a last resort.
If you know which cards you have shown each player, show them the same ones repeatedly to avoid giving away extra information.
If an opponent repeatedly uses the same item in their suggestion – a location, weapon, or character – it probably means they have it or it is in the trio of secret cards.
Use the secret passages to get from one room to another, thus getting to make two suggestions in a row without having to worry about a bad roll of the die.

RUBIK’S CUBE

OBJECTIVE: Get all nine of the small cubes on each side the same colour.

THERE are 43quintillion ways to solve yours and a myriad of resources online to help. Patience is key. Try completing the white side unaided then learn the letters and layers many people use to solve the algorithms involved.

TWISTER

OBJECTIVE: Be the last one balanced on a limb.

WHEN a colour and body part is called spread your limbs as wide as possible for stability. As you make your move do ensure you give at least one other player a nudge to unsettle their balance.

OPERATION

Rest your wrist on the operating table and practise on keeping your hands steadyCredit: Alamy

OBJECTIVE: Earn the most money by removing Cavity Sam’s internal organs.

REST your wrist on the operating table, as operating with your hands mid-air means zero stability. Practise a little on keeping your hands steady, adding time-limits to each operation.

JENGA

Don't pull the blocks out, push them to distribute the move evenly — Don’t pull the blocks out, push them to distribute the move evenlyCredit: Moment Open – Getty

OBJECTIVE: Keep those 54 blocks from a fall.

PUSH the blocks out, don’t pull them. This distributes the move evenly whereas pulling them disturbs the tower. Get rid of centre blocks first. Later, put blocks you remove from left-hand side onto right at the top and vice-versa.

SCRABBLE

Focus on getting as many two and three-letter words as you canCredit: Alamy

OBJECTIVE: Earn most points – fancy words will help win it.

THINK of as many two and three-letter words as you can and know prefixes and suffixes – eg adding un to happy (unhappy) or an er to jump (jumper). Use bonus score squares whenever you can, or block them.

CONNECT 4

Dominate the middle space from the get-go while watching out for your opponentCredit: Alamy

OBJECTIVE: Be first to form a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line of four.

STAY in the middle, not just on the first go but dominate these spaces. Watch what your opponent is up to. It is easy to focus on your plan and let them grab a lucky win so if they have two together anticipate and block.

LUDO

Your best chance at winning is to get your opponents' pieces back to the beginning any time you can — Your best chance at winning is to get your opponents’ pieces back to the beginning any time you canCredit: Alamy

OBJECTIVE: Bring those pieces home.

GET all your play pieces out and in the running as soon as you can. Send your opponents’ pieces back to the beginning at every chance. Take care of your play pieces that are closer to the end.