Clue Standee

The folks at Shindigz are now featuring officially-licensed Clue props that you can use at your next event. I'm sure Hasbro's VPs are just salivating at the profits now!

Clue Board Standee

These designs are based on the latest version of the boardgame, which is replacing the much-hated Discover the Secrets model. The biggest difference is in the board layout, featuring all the rooms connected with a large open space in the middle, almost like a donut. This should cut down on useless travel requirements through hallways and instead prompt more deduction.

Clue Banner

Clue Chocolate Bars

Clue Keychain

Clue Chocolate Bars (Alternate)

Clue Lollypop

Clue Photo Frame

Clue Movie Soundtrack on CD

One of the unique elements of the film is the instrumental soundtrack composted by John Morris. It's performed in a style that completely fits the mystery theme. Unfortunately this music has never been released for purchase…

… until now.

Back in September 2010, a small music label by the name of La-La Records announced that they had secured the rights to release the Clue soundtrack on CD. In February 2011 it finally became available with a limited run of 3000 units. I let it be known to my family members that this would be a great birthday gift for me, hint hint! My mother-in-law and step-father-in-law were kind enough to order the CD and I've been listening to it ever since.

It's good.

You can finally replay such iconic cues such as the "Step by Step" theme that's used when Wadsworth attempts to explain each of the murders. For example…

For a movie over 25 years old, this is a nice tribute to Clue. Not only do you get detailed titles and themes from the film, but there are also quite a few bonus cues that were never used. In addition, the liner notes go into some great detail about the origins of the music, why some things worked and others didn't, and fills in some gaps for Clue fans.

Here's the track listing:

1. Main Title / Trees to Dogs (3:11)
2. Mrs. White (0:46)
3. Miss Scarlet* / Car in Progress (1:49)
4. May I Present Mr. Boddy (1:46)
5. I Suggest We All Leave / Fight, You Bastard / Hallway Screaming Next Door (1:16)
6. Bag in Hall (2:45)
7. The Cook Chase / Boddy's Fall / We'll Throw It Away (0:52)
8. Stranger at Front Door / Match Cutting* / People in Hall (2:37)
9. Mrs. Peacock and Plum / Death Bridge / Bridge, White & Wadsworth / Billiard Cue Grab / Go Together (1:53)
10. I'll Search the Kitchen / Desk, Fire, Weapons / Let's Try the Conservatory / I've Had a Good Life (2:04)
11. Door Pounding to Chandelier Fall (1:32)
12. Gun, Cupboard, Doorbell / Cop Panics (1:14)
13. Yvette Upstairs to Bell (1:32)
14. Step by Step – Intro / Step by Step (2:08)
15. Remember What Happened Next – Part I, II, III / Don't You See? Look! – Part I, II, III (1:59)
16. I'll Get to That / Beatnik (1:14)
17. Ending A: Your Fatal Mistake / I Shot Her / Cavalry (2:32)
18. Ending B: Yvette to We All Ran to Her / To Check That Mr. Boddy Was Dead / Who, Who, Who / Cavalry (1:36)
19. Ending C: Top to You Were / Peacock at Door (1:07)
20. End Title* (3:01)
21. Main Title* (Alternate 1) (1:30)
22. Miss Scarlet / Car in Progress (Alternate)* (1:47)
23. Main Title (Alternate 2)* (1:32)
24. Peacock at Door (Alternate)* (0:32)
25. Main Title (Alternate 3)* (1:40)
26. End Title (Shorter Version)* (1:40)
27. Main Title (Alternate 4)* (1:50)

TOTAL ALBUM TIME: 50:55
TOTAL BONUS TIME: 13:52
* –  not used in film

We're definitely going to be playing this during our next Clue Night, as well as any time we pull out the classic game. I'm very excited to have this in my collection. If you are a fan, you should definitely pick it up!

Anyone for a game of Clue?

This fall tradition is something we started shortly after getting married, hosting a "beta test" followed by events in 2006, 2007, and 2009.  It was a way to tie into the "mystery" element of the Halloween season in a unique way.  And even though our boardgame affections have strayed heavily towards Ticket to Ride, we still have a warm place in our hearts for Clue.

Mr. Green & Mrs. Peacock up to foul play!

Amy & I own 40+ derivatives of Clue/Cluedo (the latter being the original UK name), including themed versions, puzzles, spinoffs, associated products, and media adaptations.  It was even the theme of the Tanner Christmas Tree Village in 2009.

Jason with "Flames, On The Side of My Face"

I setup 3 tables with different versions of the Clue game and we all broke up into groups to play a few games.  I also wired various televisions together like I often do for our annual Festive Film Friday open house events to show the Clue film in multiple locations at the same time. Always a good seat!

Playing Restoration Hardware Collector's Edition Clue

Some Disney Clue action!

We pulled together a collection of desserts and snacks… and a guest even brought some Italian beef!  We had a few friends dress up with Clue-themed outfits, which was pretty awesome, with the best dressed outfit winning the Clue movie on DVD.

Anyone hungry?

We also had a couple contests, including a Clue Trivia Quiz.  We gave the folks with the most correct answers Clue books.  How many of these questions can you answer correctly without using Google?

• What year was the boardgame Clue invented?
• What was the original name of the boardgame Clue?
• Upon being created in the United Kingdom, Clue was eventually imported to the United States, however two suspect characters were renamed.  Which ones?  (BONUS: The victim was also renamed.  What was the original name?)
• What is the minimum number of spaces that a player needs to enter a room from their starting spot on the board?
• In the Clue movie, what year does the film take place?
• How many murders take place in the Clue movie?
• Which actor(s) who portrayed the main suspects in the Clue movie are dead in real life?
• How much money did the Clue movie make at the box office?
• There was a 4th ending that was scripted and filmed for the Clue movie, but was not released.  Who was the murderer in this ending?
• A new Clue film has been announced by Universal Studios, slated for a 2011 release.  Who has been attached to direct this movie?

We had some diversity in which games we played during the evening, but they included Clue: Discover the Secrets (also known as Clue Reinvention, or in other words, Hasbro's current "official version" of the game), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Clue, Restoration Hardware Collector's Edition Clue, Clue FX, and Dungeons & Dragons Clue.

The winner of each game had their photo taken with the solution cards, as well as winning a coveted "Tanner Clue Night" trophy… made of out 4×6 index cards and a plastic magnifying glass.  Yes, we keep things classy!

Jen won "Tower of Terror Clue" Game #1: Mickey Mouse as the Leading Man with the Film Reel on the Terrace

Megan won "Collector's Edition Clue": Mrs. White with the Candlestick in the Library

Fred won "Dungeons & Dragons Clue": Lidda the Halfling Rogue with the Staff of Power in the Magical Armory

Sarah won "Tower of Terror Clue" Game #2: Mickey Mouse as the Leading Man with the Script in the Billiard Room

Nick won "Clue: Discover the Secrets": Mustard with the Ax in the Theater

Catherine won "Clue FX": Rusty with the Tennis Racquet in Tudor Mansion

Ironically, the evening ended up with two simultaneous games of Ticket to Ride being played.  Hey, I thought this was Clue Night!

Ticket to Ride? Wait a minute!

Thanks to everyone who came out and shared in the fun of playing one of our favorite boardgames. We hope you all had a great time!

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Eerie evening sky over "Clue"

We were joined by our friend Nick Rosario — as well as his sister Heather and her two daughters. We made some food and brought it with us to have a little picnic ahead of time, "poor man's Ravinia" style!

Amy & Steve

They brought out the oversized inflatable screen for this showing, which was great. We've been to a couple of Movies in the Park where they literally seemed to project on a small screen attached to the side of a building… with poor results.

Amy & Nick

Actually, this technically was our 2nd park movie of the season. Earlier in the summer, we saw part of Planet 51 at Sauganash Park. I say part because that animated trainwreck was so bad, we left early. I think the Park District must have gotten a great deal on their license for it, however, because it's been showing a lot this summer all over the city.

Heather and her girls

The online description of this showing of Clue noted the following: "Ever wonder if you'd be a good detective? Show your skills before the movie as we play a life-sized version of Clue." Having helped run a couple live versions of Clue in the past, I was curious how this would play out. Unfortunately, they didn't really do anything like this.

"Sorry kids, you are stuck with this version!"

Instead they broke out a brand new boardgame of Clue and invited kids to play on a nearby table. It wasn't even a good version of Clue. Sadly, it was the Clue: Discover the Secrets remake (a.k.a. Clue Reinvention) that Hasbro is shoving down the throats of retailers these days. I feel sorry for the mental abuse those kids must have suffered playing the game!

Really nice turnout

Fortunately, it was a beautiful evening, the movie started up, and we were enjoying an old favorite. There was quite a large crowd that turned out for the film. What's fun about watching Clue with an audience is the laughs and reactions to the comedy. From what we could hear, there must have been quite a few folks who had never seen the film. Good stuff!

"OK, who killed Mr. Boddy?"

About halfway through, however, the DVD they were using to project the movie kept freezing up. Eventually, the movie had to be stopped so the Park District crew could clean the disc. There were quite few cheers and then a big shouting match to help the operators select the right chapter to return to. It was pretty funny!

Get in line for free popcorn

You know, it's sad that a film like 1985's Clue has yet to receive a DVD Special Edition or even a soundtrack release. It's grown to be a cult classic and deserves so much more. Unfortunately, that means that Hollywood instead will be making a new version that probably has nothing to do with the boardgame.

Overall, it was a fun Chicago summertime evening with friends and a favorite film. Great times!

2009 Tanner Christmas Tree

For many years I used LEGO to create such villages as 'Pirates of the Christmas-be-an', 'A Tour of Jackhannesburg', and 'Christmas on Hoth'.

All aboard "Clue: Murder on the Boddy Express"

I then shifted to a couple other building systems including old-school Hot Wheels track for 'A "Cars" Christmas' and last year's Lincoln Log-inspired 'Frontier M&M's Christmas'.

Video: Take a tour of the Clue village

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This year I went a bit more abstract and built a village using elements from my vast Clue boardgame collection. Given that Clue is a rather two-dimensional game, there weren't a lot of props like buildings and people to use in this setting.

Yes, we even have Boddy Mansion

However, I was able to lift the mansion backdrop from Clue FX to be the anchor, followed by various flat houses from Clue Mysteries. A couple of editions of Clue also came with pawns that were miniature sculpts of the characters, so they were the "people" in the village.

Look, a tunnel!

Finally, I pulled out cards from various editions showcasing the traditional suspects as well as some "extras" and mocked them up around the village to literally give the setting some character! At one point, I did a tribute to Miss Scarlett showcasing all the different visual interpretations that character has received over the years. And of course no Clue-inspired village would be complete without murder weapons spread all over!

Tribute to Miss Scarlett

As always, I had my LEGO train set running on a loop through the village, complete with a tunnel. The train is an anchor of the village every year… and we just somehow rewrite the storyline as to why it exists in a Clue-inspired world. This year, the obvious "Murder on the Orient Express" overtones made it pretty easy.

Travel Clue and notepads on side of tunnel

It was a quick-and-fun theme to do this year… but I don't think it sets a trend. I'm not doing "A Connect Four Christmas" next year!

Yes, we have many versions of "Clue"!

We first held a "beta test" of this idea shortly after we got married, and continued it in 2006 and 2007, taking a break last year — why, we're not really sure. I think we sort of forgot, to be honest!

I built a "Tower of Clue" for this event

Amy & I own 40+ derivatives of Clue/Cluedo (the latter being the original UK name), including themed versions, puzzles, spinoffs, associated products, and media adaptations.

Amy, Jason, & Steve gear up for Harry Potter Clue

The challenge for us, however, is that Clue requires 3 or more players… which we often don't have (it's one reason we play Ticket to Ride quite a bit these days). Yes, we've modified some rules to enable 2-person play, but it's just not the same as going head-to-head with friends. Thus why we look forward to "Clue Night"!

Of course we watched the 1985 cult film!

We setup our condo to feature 4 complete tables for playing Clue, with some game versions using the basic rule, while others showcased more advanced play. I also wired various televisions together like I often do for our annual Festive Film Friday open house events to show the Clue film in multiple locations at the same time. Always a good seat!

Amy made spice cake from scratch (Photo by Sarah Horvath)

Given how the weather was chilly, Amy cooked up 3 homemade soups to share with our guests… and wow, was the eating good! Combined with various desserts and beverage options (yes, of course we had beverage options), it was a hearty feast.

Catherine really dressed the part!

Guests were also able to take home some "detective" party favors… because everyone loves cheap plastic stuff from China, right? One of the attendees, our friend Catherine, actually dressed the part of Mrs. Peacock and really fit the role. Nice job!

Collector's Edition played by Branden, Megan, Scott, Nick, & Amy

Sarah is confused, while Brad just takes notes

The versions of choice during this "Clue Night" included the Restoration Hardware-exclusive "Collector's Edition", which comes with a high-end gameboard recessed in wood, with a glass top covering a three-dimensional playing surface. It was a gift a few years ago from my boss and it's probably the prize of my collection. Very cool!

Getting a game at the bottom of the pile was very Jenga-like (Photo by Sarah Horvath)

Alex & Adriana enjoy Scooby Doo Clue

I also pulled out the Disney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror version, which has a unique theme and quality components. However, an old favorite was preferred by many players… Scooby Doo Clue.

Steve explains the complexities of Clue Reinvention (Photo by Sarah Horvath)

Steve, Becky, & Catherine try to figure out the game

Two advanced versions of Clue were also played, including the new flagship from Hasbro, Clue: Discover the Secrets (also known as Clue Reinvention). In May, I wrote an extensive review about this version, which has its pros and cons. It's currently sold as "the" version of Clue at mainstream stores, even though much of the gameplay has changed dramatically from the classic Clue we all grew up with.

The very-monochromatic Harry Potter Clue board

Steve won "Clue Reinvention" Game #1: Plum with the Trophy in the Kitchen

Taking things a step crazier, we also had Harry Potter Clue, which is based on the new Reinvention system and has quite a bit of rule changes itself, including secret passages that are always changing, the ability to be killed by the "Black Mark", and casting spells. It's an odd version that takes a while to play.

Branden won "Collector's Edition Clue": Mr. Green with the Wrench in the Dining Room

Steve won "Harry Potter Clue": Peter Pettigrew with Impedimenta in the Potions Classroom

Unfortunately, it seems Hasbro is taking the Monopoly route with Clue these days, using the new Reinvention system to pimp out the game to a bunch of licensees, such as The Office, 24, Seinfeld, and a crazy Secrets & Spies edition.

Amy won "Clue Reinvention" Game #2: Plum with the Dumbbell in the Living Room

Scott won "Scooby Doo Clue": Velma as Mrs. Peacock with Redbeard's Sword in the Library

Feedback from our guests seem to favor the old reliable rules of playing the game, though Amy & I played with some big Harry Potter fans who really enjoyed that theme which used different structure. Your mileage may vary, however.

Thanks to everyone who came out and shared in the fun of playing one of our favorite boardgames. We hope you all had a great time!

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A few weeks ago I was reading some discussions on a Clue fan website when someone posted a video from ABC's Good Morning America. It was a short feature on how in today's economy, boardgames seem to be making a comeback.

Clue: Secrets & Spies (Source: BusinessWire.com)

During the piece, a rep from Hasbro was featured, showcasing some newer takes on games they would be offering. One of those was a new version of Clue called Clue: Secrets & Spies.

Can you see the new gameboard in the lower-left corner? (Source: ABC & TheArtOfMurder.com)

Per a press release, this is the first boardgame to include live text messaging. An excerpt:

In Clue: Secrets & Spies Edition, each player takes on the role of a top international spy tasked with infiltrating the Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage to stop its evil scheme for world domination by intercepting the nefarious Agent Black. True identities of Agent Mustard, Agent Scarlet and crew are kept secret as players work independently to complete missions by using clues from the game and real-time tips sent via optional cell phone text messages. The agent who completes the most missions before being discovered by Agent Black will be known as the world’s number one spy and will win the game.

Per the video, blacklight-powered clues are involved (Source: ABC & TheArtOfMurder.com)

I'm not sure what to say here. More than anything, this would seem to be an extension of the Clue brand that probably has the least to do with the original game. Hasbro seems to just be using the familiar characters as their default "mystery/dectective" brand in the hopes of selling something "new". Those who played 1991's Clue: The Great Museum Caper can relate, as this was originally a game called The Great Museum Caper, but rebranded with the Clue cast when Parker Brothers got their hands on it.

From the video clip, you can see just a little bit of the gameboard, which looks nothing like a standard Clue setup. International travel has entered into the mix… which is something the Clue Card Game experimented with.

Also, the mobile phone thing… interesting idea to bring in something "modern", but what happens when Hasbro pulls the plug on support for this. It would appear that the phone is an option, which is good. I just remember years ago playing the Clue E-mail Game that Hasbro Interactive released. It was quite fun, but relied on a central server to make it all work. When they pulled the plug on the server, the game was useless. Per an Associated Press article, "Hasbro said it is committed to maintaining text messaging support through December 31, 2011."

I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach on this game. It's due to hit in Fall 2009.

Previous Clue-related posts:

• Coming Soon: 24 Clue
• Clue Candy
• Clue at the Music Box Theatre
• Coming Soon: Clue – Harry Potter Edition
• Hasbro updates Clue with new characters, weapons
• Alfred Hitchcock Clue
• Coming Soon: Tower of Terror Clue
• Get a Clue at the Tanners 2007
• Clue DVD Game
• Clue for One
• Get a Clue at the Tanners 2006
• Miss Scarlet gets respectable (just for the kiddies)
• Game Night with Nicko & Colleen
• Two Shaggys. No Fred.
• Clue Puzzle: The Color of Murder