Clue/Cluedo: The Classic Mystery Game Review by Grandpa
Score 8/10
Introduction
Clue(do): The Classic Mystery Game is a strategy board game that was published & developed by Marmalade Game Studio Ltd. The game originated from the board game: Clue(do). The original board game was designed by Anthony E. Pratt in 1949 and was manufactured by Waddingtons, which later was purchased by Hasbro. Hasbro extended their relationship with Marmalade by giving them the license to Clue(do), which was released on mobile on December 26th, 2016 and would later be released to Steam on May 17th, 2018.
Gameplay
The gameplay is similar to the original board game; the goal is find “WHO, with WHAT weapons and WHERE” using deduction skills. The game starts off with three random cards that each will be related to the murder: the suspect, weapon, and room. The three cards are then hidden and the cards that were not selected get passed to all the players. A random player will go first and roll the dice which represents how far the player can move. If the player moves to a room, then that room will be part of their accusation and the player must also select a suspect and weapon to include in the accusation. If at least one of the three accused cards are in the possession of the next player, then that player must reveal at least one card to whoever accused the cards. If a player does not have any of the accused cards then everyone will know they do not have any of the cards. Whoever is able to deduce what cards are the murder cards and accuse it in the appropriate room wins the game.
The artwork is visually stunning and does an excellent job at creating characters that have a distinguished look, and Clue(do) includes very realistic visualizations of the rooms. The pegs used by the players are even all unique and represent a specific character, instead of being just a colored peg. Details like this were immersive and created a strong visual atmosphere. The soundtrack creates suspense comparable to a mystery film- as it should. There will even be specific sounds that will differ depending on the room the player is located in. For example, moving into the hall will result in the sound of echoed footsteps, while going into the lounge will lets players hear the fireplace roaring. The sheer amount of detail that went into this game both visually and audibly is awesome and creates an amazing atmosphere for players to play in.
Updates
When I first played this game, there were quite a few issues this game had that made my game experience lacking. First was the ability to buy something known as ‘hints’, which can turn the game into a pay-to-win experience and ruin the fun for other players. However, there is currently work being done to fix this system by being able to choose whether or not a player desires to play with hints enabled or not. The fact that hints can still be bought and used seems to defeat the purpose of the game; which is supposed to be a mystery game. This solution was enacted due to the amount of outrage and negative criticism the game received for the system, which proves the game is willing to change to suit the player’s needs. Second, the game was difficult to play with friends at first (especially those in different countries), but then a fix was made and now it is currently easier to play with friends in a private server.
Concluding Statement
This game can work for players who are casual or competitive and is available for all ages. With the constant work that goes into this game, it is good to see the developers put players over their wallets, but at the same time, themes are a bit pricey. As long as the microtransactions do not ruin the gameplay of other players, they are fine. The progress made be the developers for this game is growing and should continue to grow with hard work and dedication. $11.99 is expensive for a virtual board game, so getting this game during a sale is a wise choice and worth it if one enjoys playing mystery games. 8/10
Pros
-Has nice artwork
-Remains true to the classic while keeping the game modern
-The developers listen to the players
-Notepad was done nicely
Cons
-Game is pricy for base content
-Season Pass is more expensive than the game (which is themes)
-No way to socialize
Written by Grandpa
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