Crime Junkies and gameplayers unite a massive global event in a first-of-its-kind experience for long-time fans and players of the most iconic whodunnit of all time: Clue. Now, you might be asking yourself a critical question: how is a game of Clue going global, and what do you need to do to get involved? Let’s dig in.
During a live event in New York on Tuesday evening celebrating the rebranding of the iconic game, the online event was teased and spearheaded by someone famous in the crime-solving community. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Crime Junkie Queen herself, Ashley Flowers, said that the launch party for the online experience brought her so much excitement.
“As someone who’s been captivated by intricate plots, unexpected twists and thrilling investigations, I’m thrilled to bring that same excitement to this launch party. My goal was to create an immersive experience that leaves attendees feeling like they’ve just solved a real-life crime.”
It makes sense that someone so iconic and well-known in the true crime community would have a hand in a global event for a game about solving a mystery murder. Ashley Flowers narrates true crime cases with her bestie, Brit, each week, and her adoring fans follow everything she does closely. This kind of pop culture experience and how she managed to keep it a surprise? That’s the next level.
Flowers continued by saying that the event is notable not just because of its classic story and the community it built for game players and crime fans everywhere. Everyone knows the names Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, Chef White, Solicitor Peacock, and Professor Plum; we all know it was done in the library or the study with a candlestick or a rope, and we all recognize the importance of being suspicious of those around us.
“This launch event brings Clue to life in a way that not only honors its classic roots but also demonstrates the game’s ability to evolve and adapt to the modern age. It’s a testament to the enduring popularity of Clue and its ability to capture the imaginations of players of all ages.”
Boddy Black’s dinner party took part tonight, Feb. 28, and it was the official kickoff and event to garner interest about the global event set to kick off on March 2. Watch the video below to learn more about how to join the Clue experience, what to look for, and what an exciting twist on the board game there will soon be. While you’ll notice some differences, like the fact that we’ll be playing against people worldwide vs. around a table, many things remain the same.
The Hollywood Reporter also spoke to Julien McCluney, Hasbro’s VP of global brands, about the rebranding for Clue, including the exciting new look for some of the most iconic characters in board game history. In a society full of true-crime fanatics, Clue is the original and most fantastic game for those interested in solving the whodunnit.
“For years, Clue has excited fans across the globe, from all walks of life, through countless game night interrogations, cult classic entertainment and fandom moments. With the recent, accelerated rise in mystery and true crime content in media and in general pop culture, we felt that now is the perfect time to reintroduce this classic board game that has inspired so many modern retellings of the classic whodunit. A big inspiration for the Clue refresh is to more accurately reflect the diversity of its players. We saw the importance of reimagining these iconic characters and hope that with this next chapter of Clue, players can see themselves in the characters better and be engulfed deeper in the sophisticated fictional murder mystery and crime-solving experience.”
Continuing to expand upon the exciting new avenue with Clue, McCluney spoke about why now was the time to rebrand and what sort of inspirations had an impact on the new roads that the characters have been taken down, the new direction we’ll see them going. From their looks to personality traits, each Clue character brings something new to the table.
“A lot of thought went into each character design to reflect more meaningful backstories and motives. A character like Colonel Mustard stays very close to his original counterpart, but other new characters like Solicitor Peacock takes an evolved inspiration from her “socialite” status in the original iterations. Slight nods like these in the new characters keep fans grounded in nostalgia while still being able to see new characters that are better reflective of the present day.”
Following the same manner of gameplay, the idea remains that while only one person committed the crime, none of them have clean hands. They’re not all getting off scot-free, nor do they deserve to. Innocence isn’t something that runs plentiful through these characters, it’s not something they should see in one another, and they’ll have to fight to see within themselves.
“Just as our tagline says, ‘One is guilty, none are innocent.’ We made sure to balance their motives so that not one of them could be perceived as a hero and that all of them had equally valid reasons to commit the crime. We wanted the characters to be fleshed out and as realistic as possible while maintaining the general rule that all of them are privileged in some way — through wealth, status, position or influence.”
If you’ve got a question on your mind right now, you’re not the only one: how does this experience work? It sounds thrilling, exciting, and like a dream come true for true crime fans, but how do we get involved? What is the experience for those following along on social media? He’s not giving away all of his cards just yet, but he promises one exciting ending to the game, and we can’t wait to solve it.
“The biggest challenge is that this game of Clue on Instagram is open to everyone at the same time. It’s quite literally the largest game of Clue, with the world trying to solve one murder mystery. The board game allows for gameplay variation, with each game played offering a new outcome. This socially powered game is going to culminate in one, exciting solve.”
The game officially starts on March 2, and we’re sending you luck; you’ll need it.