75 years of fireside murders

???? From the boredom of air raids to a global phenomenon: the story of Cluedo, born 75 years ago in England at war.

Cluedo celebrates its 75th anniversary. Happy birthday Colonel Mustard

In short:

• Cluedo was born in 1944 in the middle of the World War, created by a musician who became a worker who was inspired by the murder parties of the English aristocracy.
• Its original format included 10 suspects and sinister weapons (syringe, bomb), before being simplified by Waddingtons for its 1949 release.
• Despite selling the rights for £5,000, the game became a global phenomenon with 150 million copies sold in 75 years.

When the lights go out in the Tudor mansion, and the suspects slip through the hallways, we all become 12-year-olds again, looking for the killer. But do you really know the history of the game that made us detectives?

Ah, Cluedo! Who has never shuddered upon discovering the corpse of Mr. Lenoir at the foot of the cellar stairs? Who has never suspected Colonel Mustard, armed with the candlestick, of lurking in the library? Today, in 2024, the cacochyme board game is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Whether we love it or hate it, whether we play it again or never again, on the occasion of its birthday, let's go behind the scenes of this legendary game that made detectives of us all budding.

A murder born of boredom

Imagine the scene: we are in the middle of the Second World War, in an England under the bombs. Blackouts are frequent, boredom is omnipresent. It is in this unusual context, to say the least, that a certain Anthony Pratt, a musician converted into a munitions factory worker, will give birth to one of the most popular games of all time.

But wait, the story is even more amazing! Before the war, our man earned his living playing the piano in opulent mansions where the British aristocracy indulged in a particular entertainment: “Murder” evenings, the ancestors of our modern murder parties. These life-size games, where guests simulated murders in the cozy corridors of English homes, would germinate in Pratt's creative mind during the long curfew evenings.

The prototype that sends shivers down your spine

The original Cluedo was even more macabre than the one we know! The patent filed by Pratt in 1944 (under the evocative name “Murder!”) reveals surprising differences with the commercialized version.

Hold on tight: no less than ten potential suspects! Alongside the famous Professor Violet and Miss Rose, we found characters who have now disappeared such as Mr. Gold or Doctor Black. As for the murder weapons… a hypodermic syringe and an unexploded bomb were among the possible choices! Enough to make our good old candlestick look like a child's toy.

From Murder! in Cluedo: the art of compromise

How do we go from such a dark game to the more “family” version we know? This is where Waddingtons, the British publisher, comes in. With a certain commercial flair, they will purify the concept while retaining its essence: six suspects instead of ten, less controversial weapons, and a game board redesigned by Elva, Pratt's wife.

The name itself is a little nugget of marketing ingenuity: “Cluedo” is the contraction of “clue” and “ludo” (I play in Latin). A play on words that will not cross the Atlantic, the Americans opting for the simpler “Clue”.

The lost rights affair

Here is perhaps the greatest mystery of Cluedo: how did its creator let the goose that laid the golden eggs escape? In 1953, Pratt sold the international rights for £5,000 – a substantial sum at the time, certainly, but a pittance compared to the millions the game would later gross.

Contrary to legend, Pratt did not die bitter and ruined. He declared in 1990: “It was one of the bonuses of life. We had a lot of fun creating it. So why complain? » A philosophy that commands respect.

Cluedo: A success that does not weaken

Today in 2024, 75 years later, Cluedo continues to fascinate. With more than 150 million copies sold, dozens of thematic versions (Star Wars, The Simpsons, Alfred Hitchcock, etc.), a cult film in 1985 (we are still waiting for a more modern version), a musical, comics and even TV series, the game has been able to reinvent itself without losing its soul.

The rules have evolved, the characters have modernized (goodbye Madame Leblanc, hello Doctor Orchid!), but the essence remains the same: that delicious tension that builds when you think you have unraveled the mystery, that thrill when you accuse a suspect, that frustration when your theory collapses…

A pioneer's legacy in the modern era

Let's be honest: today, Cluedo can seem a little outdated compared to the new generation of investigation games. When titles like “Chronicles of Crime” make you scan QR codes with your smartphone to question suspects in augmented reality, “Detective” immerses you in databases worthy of the FBI, or “Micro Macro” makes you explore a city teeming with clues, our good old Colonel Mustard and his candlestick may seem from another time.

Modern deduction mechanics have become more sophisticated, more immersive. “Unlock!” », “Exit” or even (RIP) “Time Stories” revolutionized the genre with complex puzzles, elaborate narrative twists and innovative mechanics. Not to mention “Among Us”, which transported the concept of the traitor to be uncovered into space… and into the smartphones of millions of players.

But let's not forget one essential thing: all these games, as brilliant as they are, are the spiritual heirs of Cluedo. It was he who first laid the foundations of the modern investigative game: the collection of clues, the gradual elimination of suspects, the dramatic tension of a final accusation. As Newton would say, if these new games see further, it is because they “stand on the shoulders of giants”.

Cluedo remains that benevolent teacher who introduced us all to the art of deduction. And if its mechanics may seem simple today, that is perhaps precisely their genius: having made the thrill of the investigation accessible to everyone, from children to grandparents.

The legacy of a modest genius

Anthony Pratt passed away in 1994, at the age of 90. His creation continues to enchant the evenings of millions of players around the world. In a playful universe dominated by screens and digital technology, Cluedo remains what it has always been: an invitation to exercise our gray matter, to immerse ourselves in a deliciously retro atmosphere, and to share a moment of suspense with our loved ones. .

The next time you discover the body of Mr. Lenoir (or Mr. Boddy for our American friends), spare a thought for this British musician who, in the darkness of the air raids, gave birth to one of the most beautiful jewels board game. Because after all, as Hercule Poirot said: “The little gray cells, that’s what counts!” » And Cluedo makes more than one person work.

Ultimately, Cluedo's greatest stroke of genius is perhaps not in inventing the perfect murder, but in making us all the perfect suspects.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I saw Professor Violet heading towards the library with a suspicious look on her face…

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