Find The Thief! (Hasbro Cluedo DVD Game)

Member Name: keeperofthematri

Product:	Hasbro Cluedo DVD Game
Date:	13/06/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More challenging than your usual Cluedo game

Disadvantages: Red magnifying glass might cause problems for colourblind people or those with poor eyesight

This DVD game is another in the "Cluedo" family of games & was first released in 2005. On opening the box you will find:-

+ 1 DVD
+ 1 Gameboard
+ 42 cards
+ 10 mover tokens
+ 1 red magnifying glass
+ 1 detective notepad
+ 4 plastic padlocks.


~ Introduction ~

Doctor Black is hosting a special event for some of his friends. Unfortunately one of them has, at some point, stolen something from somewhere in the house. Your job, as a detective, is to discover:-

+ WHO stole the item in question?
+ WHAT item was stolen?
+ WHERE was the item stolen from?
+ WHEN was the item stolen?

Inspector Brown & Ashe The Butler are on hand to offer help & assistance as you work your way through Tudor Mansion in order to find out the truth about the theft.

The suspects are:-

+ Colonel Mustard
+ Reverend Green
+ Porfessor Plum
+ Prince Azure
+ Rusty
+ Mrs. White
+ Miss Scarlett
+ Mrs. Peacock
+ Mrs. Meadow-Brook
+ Lady Lavender


The times are:-

+ Dawn
+ Breakfast
+ Late Morning
+ Lunch
+ Early Afternoon
+ Tea Time
+ Dusk
+ Dinner
+ Night
+ Midnight


The items are:-

+ Telescope
+ Revolver
+ Rare Book
+ Wallet
+ Gold Pen
+ Letter Opener
+ Crystal Paperweight
+ Medal
+ Pocket Watch
+ Jade Hairpin
+ Scarab Brooch


~ The Board ~

On opening the board you'll notice that's it's different to other Cluedo boards. The loactions on the board are:-

+ Hall
+ Lounge
+ Dining Room
+ Kitchen
+ Ballroom
+ Conservatory
+ Library
+ Study
+ Rose Garden
+ Fountain

There is also an Evidence Room which is where the players start & where they will return to to make their final accusation. In one corner you'll also see the Butler's Pantry. The item cards are placed here.

You'll also notice that there are no squares on this board. Each location is connected by a "walkway" which means that you can move directly from one location to an adjoining location without being "in limbo" between two locations.


~ Starting The Game ~

Place the DVD in your DVD player. You can select from one of 10 numbered cases or 1 General Case. The 10 numbered cases will have the same solution each time you play them. The solution to the General Case changes each time it is played.

Once, you've selected your case you'll be told which cards to place in the case file envelope. This is done by using the red magnifying glass & looking for the relevant picture on the back of the cards. The item cards are placed in the Butler's Pantry whilst the suspect, location & time cards are dealt out to the players as you would in a standard game of Cluedo.


~ Gameplay ~

The DVD will tell you which movers to use for the case you have selected & which player goes first. Play then continues in a clockwise direction. At the start of a game players will:-

01) Move to an adjacent location then,
02) Make a suggestion.

Usually, at the start of the game, some doors or secret passages will be locked. The DVD will tell you which these are. Players are not able to move through locked doors or enter locked secret passages until they have been unlocked. Inspector Brown will tell you when the locks can be removed.

Once you've reached an new location it's time to make a suggestion. Suggestions can only have THREE elements so, with each suggestion you make you must leave out either a location, a suspect, an item or a time. So, you can, for example, enter the conservatory and suggest a suspect, an item and a time. If you do suggest a location it must be the same location as the room you are in.

Once you've made your suggestion the player on your left must show you one of the relevant cards if (s)he has one. If not, then the other players must do the same in turn as would happen in a standard game of Cluedo. There is however, no need to move the suspect to the location in this game.

As the game progresses the locked doors / secret passages will be unlocked and new options become available on the game menu. These can be used instead of making a suggestion and are:-

+ Summon The Butler
+ Look At An Item Card
+ Read A Note


~ Summon The Butler ~

This option will bring Ashe to your location. He'll give you some gossip about something he's seen or heard & will present you with an item he's found. At this point you take the top card from the pile of cards in the Butler's Pantry & cross off the relevant item on your detective sheet.


~ Look At An Item Card ~

Inspector Brown is also busy searching for items in Tudor Mansion. When he locates an item the DVD will tell you to move a card from the Butler's Pantry to a location on the board. When you reach the location in question the Inspector will allow you to look at the item card as long as you can prove your detective skills. A short clip will play once you've selected the "LOOK AT AN ITEM CARD" option & the Inspector will ask you a question. If you get the question right then you get to look at the card. The card remains where it is so that the other players can also view it.


~ Read A Note ~

Inspector Brown will also write notes in his notebook from time to time. Players can choose to read one of his notes by selecting the "READ AN INSPECTOR'S NOTE" option from the menu & then use the red magnifying glass to read a number on the TV screen. The player then find the relevant number in the Inspector's notes to see what information the inspector has to share.


~ Other Events ~

Warning! Using a secret passage is a gamble. You may find the passage blocked & be sent back to your starting location, or you may overhear a conversation that provides you with further information. Think about using them as you may not necessarily reach the location that you wanted to.

Occasionally Inspector Brown may become frustrated with the lack of progress on the case and will require players to turn a card into the Evidence Room. Players are allowed to check the cards in the Evidence Room at any time. However, if Inspector Brown requires you to turn in more cards to the Evidence Room than you have in your hand then you are out of the game.

The winner is the first person to reach the Evidence Room & enter the suspect, time, items & location correctly.


~ The General Case Game ~

As with the numbered cases, the DVD will tell you how to set up the General Case game. There are however a number of differences:-

+ You do not need to discover what time the event took place in this game. You are only looking for the WHO, WHEN and WHERE.

+ Ashe The Butler is not available to help you out.


~ Opinion ~

As with "Cluedo Mysteries" there's a possible issue with the red magnifying glass. People who are colour blind or who have poor eyesight may find it difficult to read the the information on the back of the cards as well as on the screen.

Due to the fact that you need to identify four separate pieces of information in the numbered games this is perhaps a slightly more difficult game than the usual Cluedo games. So, if you have problems with winning other games of Cluedo this is perhaps not the game for you.

However, if you want a bit more of a challenge then this could well be the game for you. Gameplay can last over an hour but you'll need to pick up a copy from e-bay or a site with a trader's option such as Amazon as it's no longer on general sale.

Summary: Recommended if you think standard Cluedo is too easy