The latest version of the Cluedo board game from Hasbro has a new interactive DVD and new characters but it has changed its essential charm of being a murder mystery game to a solve-the-theft game.
Given the numerous Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo fighting and racing games on the market, it seems strange that Hasbro would decide that an old fashioned whodunit is a bit too scary and grown up for the kids. If you remember back to the old Cluedo – the murder was not particularly unsavoury anyway – no violent graphics, no reality at all, in fact it was a bit corny and kitschy. Which is exactly what made it so charming, right?
However, the new Cluedo does offer kids some new excitement in the form of the interactive DVD, which allows you to explore inside Tudor Mansion (the home where the murder, I mean theft, occurs) and listen to clues from the Inspector and the Butler. Another fun element for the kids would be the special magnifying glass which allows you to see hidden clues on notes displayed on the TV from the Inspector.
Another change is the addition of the “when” element that you need to solve in addition to the “who”, “what” and “where” – this can be good as it makes the case a bit harder (and takes a bit longer) to solve. There are 10 set mysteries to solve which the DVD guides you through – these always have the same solution. There is also a general case, which changes each time you play.
The game is definitely more complex and kids will like the addition of graphics and talking characters via the DVD, however, it is hard to get over the change from being an old fashioned whodunit murder mystery to simply working out who stole a ‘rare book’ or a ‘gold medal.’
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Cluedo Boardgame | $60 | 
|1300 138 697
For: Interactive DVD with talking characters; magnifying glass decoder will be fun for kids
Against It’s not a murder mystery anymore!
Verdict: The new tech will make this fun for kids, but it’s hard to get away from the fact that the whole point of the game has changed
