Clue (2009 mobile game)

## Source

***Clue*** (full title: ***CLUE: Unravel the Clues and Crack the Case***), known as "'***Cluedo***'" in the UK and Europe, is a logic puzzle game developed by EA Montreal and published by Electronic Arts on the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch on the Apple iTunes Music Store in May 29, 2009. This version is an entirely new game, based on the most recent spin-off game of *Clue: Discover the Secrets*.

As of 2014, EA removed *Clue* from the App Store along with several older titles. Users who have previously bought the game can restore it to their devices via iTunes.

## Description

 — official description, EAMobile.com

What a scoop! Mr. Boddy (or Mr. Black in the UK and European versions) was holding a party at his extravagant mansion last night, and he's woken up dead! Obviously, one of the guests did it - but who? Was it the vixen, Scarlet? The brutish Mustard? The smooth-talking Green? The rich, blue blooded Peacock? ...or someone else? Take up the role of a reporter, and figure out whodunnit before your editor, Braunmann, sends the story to presses in *Clue*.

*Clue* is a game inspired by the board game of the same name. Rather than being identical to the original game, the goal in this version of the game is to work out where the crime took place, who committed the crime, and what was used by interrogating those at the crime scene and examining suspicious places in each room. You'll be given useful information which will reveal the locations of most (if not all) characters and weapons, as well as find out the cause of Black's demise.

You'll be racing against the clock with each case - you've got to make your deadline. Talking to a character knocks 2 minutes from the clock, searching an object takes 4 minutes per object, and traveling to another location takes 1 minute per room you travel through. You've got to be careful not to waste time!

At any time, you can check your Crime Map to move elsewhere in the house, look at your notes (these keep track of important clues that you've discovered for reference), and view your Suspicions to mark off any characters, objects or rooms that have been cleared.

## Plot and gameplay

Rather than being a board game, *Clue* played out more like a simple point-and-click game where the player traveled around the rooms from the mansion to collect clues from the 6 suspects to decipher whodunnit. Each case was time limited, and every action taken used up a set amount of time. Successfully making a correct suggestion within the allotted time gave the player the maximum 4-star score for the level. The player character is a reporter who has to get the top story to solve a case, and get a promotion.

## Development

Game designer Elijah Renard explained:

> When working at EA Mobile, my second project was Clue Mobile. Since Hasbro was also re-branding Clue/Cluedo, we were given lots of freedom regarding gameplay. The core essence of the game obviously had to be Clue/Cluedo, but we could make new rules and new ways to solve the mystery. At this point, we knew we liked the concept and core game mechanic, but how would this paper prototype translate into a mobile game? It was time to prototype with my good old friend Adobe Flash. Within about a week of Movieclips and ActionScript we could navigate in the mansion, talk to suspects, search objects and use the core annotation tools. We were very satisfied and confident this would work so I went back to my desk and started to write the famous Game Design Document. We created a level design tool so I could integrate all the scenarios and puzzles, while supporting our external writer.
>
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## Characters

* Scarlet - I found Scarlet to be the "beautiful vixen"type. She seems drawn to power and wealth, and uses her charm to get closer to what she wants. I think she yearns for the spotlight. She has to be the center of attention 24/7 wherever she is.
* Mustard - Mustard appears to be a real bully. He is, however, capable of being very sociable and charming - especially when he's with women. He seems to be the kind of guy who likes to sit back and watch a situation unfold - learning from the strong and then dealing quickly with the weak.
* White - I spoke to White and, believe me, she's a desperate 'wannabe.' It seems to me that everything she does helps her climb up the celebrity ladder... one way, or the other. She will fight, coddle, and bully her way into any social gathering or event if she thinks being seen there will help her plans.
* Green - Green is a smooth-talking charmer. Men seem to like him because he's a 'man's man' - and women must like him because he's obviously a 'ladies' man.'
* Peacock - I've been told that Peacock originally comes from "old money," but has amassed much more "new money" on her own. She looks down on those who do not possess "the means" to live lavishly... or that could just be me... and, take it from me, she doesn't have any patience for someone who "does not know how to hold a fork properly!"
* Plum - Of all the guests I spoke with, Plum is definitely the smartest. He is a genius by birth and a self-made man by vocation, He has earned every dime in his name. I get this feeling about him, though, that he's not above engineering a circumstance - social or financial - to maintain his reputation as the "smartest guy in the room."

## Weapons

* Candlestick
* Pistol
* Rope
* Razor
* Crowbar
* Trophy
* Gloves
* Poison

## Rooms

* Study
* Dining Room
* Kitchen
* Living Room
* Patio
* Game Room
* Bedroom
* Theatre

## Reception

148apps gave the game 4 out of 5 stars: "Albeit quite different from the traditional Clue board game experience, this app is an excellent mystery solving puzzler. For any fan of murder mysteries, even lovers of the original Clue board game, Clue for the iPhone is a great addition to the app inventory". AppSafari rated the game 2.5 out of 5: "You know the saying "As the official CLUE app", I was expecting a standard board game app in the style of Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly, but this goes a completely different direction, following in the footsteps of a point and click adventure game, only really, really badly", though noted "the art and sound look great, and the interface is smooth and intuitive". AppSpy gave the game the highest rating of 5, praising the "great visual style and artwork", the ease of "controls and screen navigation", and the "challenging puzzle game" elements, while criticising it for being single player only, and that "this reinvention of Clue is a definite change from the original and may take some time to get used to". AppVee described Clue as a "Flash game", and noted it was reminiscent of the old Carmen Sandiego games where characters told the player clues to advance along the level. It noted the game gets quite hard toward the later levels and takes some problem solving skills to complete. It praised the "beautiful" art direction, though criticised its "frustrating" gameplay.

AppAdvice wrote: "Clue for the iPhone is a fun game that is almost infinitely replayable, very pleasing to the eye and ear with stylized graphics and a catchy background soundtrack, and it has redefined how we think of the game of Clue, and, for that matter, how we think of adapted board games to devices like the iPhone". Slidetoplay gave the game its highest score of 4 (Must Have), concluding: "Besides being more difficult than the original, which might turn off a few people, this new version improves on the original in every way. It takes a timeless game concept and makes it fresh without sacrificing any of the fun...Clue fans looking for straight port may be disappointed, but this reinvention is brilliantly clever and provides hours of sleuthing". GatdgetReview gave the game 9/10, writing that Clue "takes a classic board game and seamlessly translates it to a portable medium with virtually no glitches at all". PocketGamer wrote: "Clearly a game that's had some thought put into it, Cluedo's bucketfuls of style only add to an already great game".