I love all things Clue (or Cluedo for you folks across the pond who gave us the original), the classic mystery board game originally published in 1949.
The 1972 edition of Clue is the one I grew up with, which was pretty beat up by the time it was passed down to me, but I love its design that introduced real people posing as Clue suspects. For me, this is the definitive version of clue. But there is one other version of Clue that holds a special place in my heart: Clue the VCR Mystery Game published in 1985.
My grandmother had a copy of this game at her house and I used to watch the accompanying VHS–which is a spectacular crapfest of bad costumes and acting!–that was meant to be viewed while you play the game, paying close attention to on-screen clues in order to correctly match your cards. It’s drastically different from the classic Clue board game.
Unfortunately, a game like this doesn’t have much replay value, as once you’ve watched the video you’ll know all there is to know. However, this edition of Clue was unique in that it introduced four additional characters to the original suspects: M. Brunette, Madam Rose, Sgt. Gray, and Miss Peach.
I have no idea whatever happened to my grandmother’s copy of this game, but it’s something I wish she had held onto. My sister and cousins and I used to keep ourselves entertained at Grandma’s house by staging elaborate Clue-themed scavenger hunts where we’d each take on the role of one of the suspects and act out scenes from this video. Yeah, we were weird kids.
Watch the VHS!
I went hunting for this video online recently and was delighted when I found that someone had uploaded the entire thing to YouTube. The internet is amazing like that for recovering lost relics from your childhood. So thanks Astuo, whoever you are, for doing that!
Here’s the whole thing in 7 parts:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOqJij2y_zQ
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNLPt6W4g6s
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf4GFhhRz3k
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dwYzx2vfv0
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozMGdLJrZLY
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0KefO3LeM
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nAz3Zu3u5Q
Do you like Clue?
Over the decades Clue has spawned dozens of different editions, puzzles, video games, books, a movie, a musical, and countless other spin-offs and tie-ins. If you’re ever interested in knowing just how deep the well of Clue-related collectibles is, look no further than The Art of Mystery, a well-organized website showcasing one man’s personal Clue collection representing over 15 years worth of murder and mystery.
