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#1
May 30th, 2009, 07:45 PM
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Review: Clue Reinvention
Last fall, buzz started leaking about a new version of the boardgame Clue. That's nothing new. There are a ton of Clue versions. I probably own 20-30 of them personally.
 Clue Reinvention What was different, however, was the way that this new version was being pitched. New characters, weapons, setting... and gameplay. For example, Colonel Mustard was renamed Jack Mustard, an ex-jock. This really wasn't a new themed version of Clue along the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror... this was a complete rethinking of the game. Video: Commercial for the "new" Clue Why such the change? Well, you have to remember that the folks who own Clue -- the conglomerate Hasbro -- aren't really out to make new games or creative ideas. They are all about managing "brands". You don't see a whole lot of new, creative games from the likes of Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley anymore... they are all just part of Hasbro. Instead, the company tends to take the leading classic sellers from its portfolio and rebrand them for different themes or promotional ideas. For example, walk the toy aisle and note the lack of anything new. It's really just themed versions of the classics... Monopoly, Risk, Sorry, Life, Stratego, and yes, Clue.  The new gameboard While this lack of innovation may be very profitable as Hasbro just freshens up their brands, it does push game lovers to other sources, such as the trend toward German-style games like The Settlers of Catan. Even though I'm a big fan of Clue, I've not been too happy with the way Hasbro has handled the franchise. During a 3rd Quarter 2008 earnings call, Hasbro's CEO and President Brain Goldner outlined how the economic downturn could hurt them as an company, given that spending may be down considerably on games and toys. Looking at the sales numbers from last Christmas, he was correct. However, during that call, he noted one initiative that Hasbro was undertaking to add new life into their stable of boardgames. He kept mentioning that they needed to "reinvent, reignite, and reimagine" their games. And so they did, using the phrase "Reinvention" to denote the games that had been given this overhaul.  Weapons cards The Reinvention initiative has hit many games already, including Stratego, Risk, Boggle, Battleship, and Clue. The Reinvention titles are designed to replace the classic versions you've grown up with, standing in as the new official version of the game, revised gameplay and all. Such is the case with Clue Reinvention. I should note that these games that are part of the Reinvention initiative don't actually use the phrase in the title, i.e. Clue Reinvention. It's just a suffix you'll often see listed on store shelf signs and online listings, reflecting the SKU designation, which helps the retailers note the difference between the classic offerings and their Reinvention brethren. Technically, this game is just labeled as Clue or Clue: Discover the Secrets on the box. For the sake of this review, I'll be referring to Clue Reinvention to help denote the differences between the new version and the classic version. Are you confused yet?  One of the new rooms is the Patio Looking back at our Clue history, the last revised version of the game arrived in 2002, presenting a very 1920s look, complete with a cubic style to the characters that was very abstract. Some liked the new look, others quite hated it. This design style was used in other versions, including Clue FX (2003), Clue Mysteries (2005), and Clue DVD (2006). Some offbeat special editions came later, such as The Haunted Mansion Clue (2002), 2nd and 3rd editions of The Simpsons Clue (2002, 2007), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Clue (2007), The Collector's Edition Clue (2007), and a nice vintage remake in a wooden bookshelf box (2005). All of these special editions were designed to supplement the original game and were released in limited quantities. The big difference between these special editions and the 2008 release of Clue Reinvention is that this new version IS Clue as far as Hasbro is concerned. The older 2003 edition has been pulled from the shelves. This is all you can get.  Suspects are just known by last names So what's the big difference? Well, as previously mentioned, the backstories of the game and characters have changed dramatically. The setting is now something along the lines of a Hollywood/Entertainment/Gossip genre. This strongly Americanizes the game with a pop culture feel. (Remember that Clue was created in the UK under the original name of Cluedo.) Characters tend to only be referred to by their last names (Scarlet, Mustard, etc.), though they do have a backstory with a first name. For example:
 Each character now has a one-time power In addition to the changed character storylines, the gameboard takes on a slightly revised configuration, with some rooms changing and even an outdoor location added. Say hello to the Spa, Theater, Living Room, Observatory, Patio, and Guest House. Kiss goodbye your old friends the Conservatory, Billiard Room, Library, Study, Lounge, and Ballroom. Only the Kitchen, Dining Room, and Hall are carried over. There's also an indoor pool that's been added, but we'll get to that later. You will recall that when you start a game of Clue, your character is placed on their color-coded Start location. Some of these locations have been moved around, creating slight advantages depending on which player you select. For example, it takes Scarlet 10 spaces from Start to get into a room, while Mustard only requires 9.  There are 9 weapons now With everything else changing, the weapons also got rebooted. Taking a page from one of my favorite versions of the game, Clue Master Detective (1988), their are now more weapons (9 vs. 6). You still have the Candlestick, Knife, and Rope, joined by new additions with the Pistol (an upgrade from the old Revolver), Bat, Axe, Dumbbell, Poison, and Trophy. Aside from the gun change, you also lose the Lead Pipe and the Wrench.  Some of the new rooms The general gist of the game remains the same... figure out the SUSPECT, with what WEAPON, in which ROOM. However, there are some added gameplay elements that really differentiate Clue Reinvention. The first of which is the change to the way cards are issued to each player. Classic Clue rules have always stated that at the beginning of the game, all cards are dealt to each player until there are no cards remaining. This has long meant that depending on how many are playing the game (3-6 players), some players may get more cards in their hand than others. The seeming advantage tends to balance out, however, given that players with more cards were forced to show them to other players more often upon Suggestions.  At the center of the board is the Pool In Clue Reinvention, this rule is changed. This time, each player is given the same number of cards. If there are any extras, then they are placed facedown in a pile at the center of the board. Unlike classic Clue -- where the center of the board was not in play and simply a place to stick the game logo and the Confidential solution envelope, Reinvention makes this space a special room -- the Pool. While murders cannot take place in this area, it has two uses. First, you can enter the Pool area and privately look at all the cards that are in the facedown pile. This adds a nice gameplay element that in effect operates like a virtual player (a mechanic introduced in Clue FX). Thus, even if you've deducted what the other players are holding in their hands and have visited all the locations on the board, you still need to visit the Pool location to get the full evidence. I like this change quite a bit. The other purpose for the Pool area is to make a final Accusation at the end of the game. In classic Clue rules, a final Accusation can be made from any room location on the board. With the Reinvention rules, you have to make an Accusation from the Pool room. What that does is add a bit of tension as players who may all have the solution in mind race to the middle of the gameboard, using other rules to inhibit players from beating them. This is also a nice improvement to gameplay.  Land on a Question Mark and draw an Intrigue Card The other drastic change to the rules in Clue Reinvention is the introduction of an extra set of cards known as Intrigue Cards. This mechanic implements some attributes lifted from previous special editions -- Clue Master Detective's "Snoop" spaces and Clue Dungeon & Dragon's optional rules for "Monster" Cards come to mind. Basically, there are spaces on the gameboard marked with question marks. You may choose on your turn to land on one of these spaces.  Intrigue Cards can be helpful, such as these Keeper Cards... If you do, you draw a card from the Intrigue deck. This could result in you selecting what is called a "Keeper Card" that gives you extra help if played at some point during the game. You can collect as many of these as you'd like. These good cards could, for example, "Add 6 to your dice roll" or "Move anyone back to their Start space". Very helpful features that add a new level of strategy to the game.  ... or they can be bad, such as this Clock Card On the flipside, the Intrigue deck might instead provide you with a "Clock Card". These are bad. If you draw a Clock Card, it is placed on the side of the gameboard and your turn ends. Not a bad thing. However, as other Clock Cards are drawn during the game, they join yours and start adding up. Whoever draws the 8th Clock Card has their time run out, and is in effect, killed by the murderer. They are out of the game! Thus, this good/bad potential adds a nice element of risk in the strategy to draw Intrigue Cards or not. I should also mention that if your player is mentioned in a Suggestion by another player, just like classic Clue rules you are moved to the room mentioned in the Suggestion (Note, in Clue Reinvention, "Suggestions" are renamed "Rumors" to tie into the gossipy theme). However, you have the option, if you so choose, to select an Intrigue Card for your troubles. This could either help you or kill you. The final way to get an Intrigue Card is by rolling a question mark on one of the supplied dice as part of your movement roll -- you must take a card in this case; you don't have the option to decline. In general, I like the addition of the Intrigue Cards to the game. Adds a completely different element beyond the simple guessing/deduction that is typical of Clue. The rest of the game plays the same as classic Clue.  Have you visited the Living Room? Overall, I have to say that I really love the rule changes and different mechanics added into Clue Reinvention. Having played it a few times, it really does change up how you typically would go about winning the game, and for that, I appreciate it bringing new strategic life to the franchise. What I'm not so much a fan of is the style of the game itself. The new storyline, character backgrounds, etc. That I could do without, but I can see why Hasbro went that way to attract a new audience. The increase in the number of weapons makes the game a little harder, but at the same time, the built-in "timer" mechanic with the Clock Cards also can speed up gameplay.  These are some of the worst Clue pawns I've seen The character pawns are rather crappy, being flat, textured question marks on clear plastic with colored bases. Compared to the full color figurines of each character found in the 2002 version, this was a huge step back on design. Not to mention, they have nothing to do with the theme and are just ugly.  The Detective Notebook looks like a napkin The former Detective Notebook pads -- now known as Clue Sheets, are designed to look like a dinner napkin, with your notes doodled on them. Great idea in concept, but really hard to work with given their small size and reduced writing area.  Instruction Manual looks like a tabloid magazine The design changes pretty much throw out the classic charm of Clue, creating an experience that probably will date itself quicker than the versions set in specific time periods. Even the instructions were dumbed down to resemble a printed tabloid magazine, which not only are poorly organized, but actually leave out quite a bit of explanation and rules that may leave newer players confused.  Clue logos over the years: 1997, 2002, and 2008 One final note regarding the design changes. The Clue logo has been changed for the second time in just a few years. The image above denotes the Clue logo typeface from the 1997, 2002, and 2008 editions. You probably grew up with the 1997 version, which was a classic upper/lowercase look with distinctive edges on the "C" and "E". This logo was pretty much used on all Clue versions since 1972, including the feature film. In 2002, that logo was thrown out in favor of a rather dull and soulless all-uppercase version. This same logo was used on Clue DVD and Clue Mysteries. With the rollout of Clue Reinvention, the logo has been changed again, again all uppercase, but with a little extension on the "U", which incidentally touches the "L"'s lower portion. A small line also runs through the top of the "L". It's still not as distinctive as the 1972 classic Clue logo, but it's far better than the 2002 one. Clue Reinvention gets a thumbs up from me for changes to game mechanics that really do improve the play of a boardgame that's been around since 1949. However, I really have be critical of the questionable design choices that long-time players probably will frown upon. If you are on the fence, I'd consider picking it up, but don't get rid of your old version! Previous Clue-related posts:
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#2
July 13th, 2009, 11:41 AM
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I was thrift store shopping this weekend and saw copies of a VHS based Clue game, I think called Clue Video (I don't remember exactly) at TWO different stores. Is this a common game? I saw it and thought of this site.
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#3
July 13th, 2009, 11:44 AM
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Quote:
 There were actually two VCR-based Clue games that came out in the 1980s: Clue VCR Mystery Game (1985) and Clue II Murder in Disguise VCR Game (1987). I own the first and will try to write up something about it one of these days. They had an interesting spin on things. Some clips have ended up on YouTube. Here's how the first game begins:
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#4
July 13th, 2009, 08:08 PM
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The video isn't working for me.
But yes the first game is the game I saw. I was just amazed that I saw the same game in two different stores. My girlfriend took me along looking for puzzles. They need a bookmooch.com type site for puzzles. I did find a UIF Rock River Raptors t-shirt for 80 cents though.
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