RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 25:56
Mr. Boddy’s dinner goes awry when someone decides to kill him; make sure the multi-chromatic murderer doesn’t get away with it!
Escape Tudor Mansion, Solve the Mystery.
The classic Clue story in an escape room board game!
You have received an invitation from the enigmatic billionaire, Mr. Boddy, to attend an exclusive dinner at the fabulous Tudor Mansion. But, as soon as you arrive, something just isn’t right. You begin the evening with introductions over dinner, getting acquainted with the other guests whom Boddy insists are just your kind of people.
As you are finishing the final morsels of a scrumptious dessert, Mr. Boddy stands and, instead of raising a toast, reveals that he has brought you together because he is blackmailing every single one of you. If each of you doesn’t pay up, he will reveal your scandalous secrets to the world.
The table erupts in shouting and accusations, but Boddy remains maddeningly calm. He excuses himself with a smug grin, and says he’ll be back in an hour to collect the funds. After a moment, you all storm off to different parts of the mansion in search of your devious host, convinced that you are best suited to change his mind. The hour passes and then…
A murder most foul has occurred! Someone has taken it upon themselves to turn Mr. Boddy into… well, a body. Clearly, one of the dinner guests at Mr. Boddy’s ill-fated soiree is more than a little disgruntled at the host.
Mr. Boddy’s mansion hides many secrets. One of his rather colorful attendees is determined to add to the mystery. Kitchen, cellar, study… all typical rooms found within the opulent manor. Apparently, mausoleum is a rather recent inclusion to the dwelling, as well.
The six different invitees, whose names read like an excerpt from a crayon box, all have something to hide, or else Mr. Boddy wouldn’t have threatened group blackmail. Which one is desperate enough to commit this heinous atrocity?
Hasbro’s Clue Escape series is a largely card-based home game that also involves building a playing board little by little while progressing through the mystery. It typically includes some additional physical objects.
Traditionally, when discussing an At Home game, the Scenic section will instead focus on graphic design quality, as well as the durability and overall presentation of its printed materials. With the Clue Escape product, cards are a fairly standard size: 3.5″ x 2.5″, printed on a medium weight card stock making them durable, but not quite as thick as a standard playing card. The pieces used to build the board are much thicker and ready to be assembled and disassembled without risk of damage. When constructed, the board is actually quite large, measuring roughly 14″ x 13.5″ in size.
Graphically, the illustration style is similar in tone to a classic Clue board game, making this new spinoff series feel instantly familiar. The board, like Clue itself, is split into several distinct rooms. Further adding to the nostalgia, each set in Hasbro’s At Home escape line also comes with six colored plastic playing pieces matching the style one would expect in a traditional Clue board game.
Clue Escape does not have an accompanying app, and while this alone did not hinder the game’s experience, it does come with a few notable caveats such as a lack of themed background music or a time clock (so it’s recommended to set a phone to a ninety minute countdown.) Hints are delivered through a numbered chart at the back of the instruction manual, and though they do offer progressively increasing information, there are no available printed solutions for those looking to throw in the towel on a given task.
Treachery at Tudor Manor takes the notion of world-building in a very literal manner. Detectives actually assemble the mansion as the mystery unfolds.
The riddles are presented in a linear fashion, so everything is uncovered cohesively and progressively. Investigators get to interrogate the dinner guests, and comb through their colorful alibis to determine who is hued with guilt.
Several of the challenges even incorporate the iconic red decoder spyglass, a staple of Clue since its inception. This callback to the classic board game further immerses private eyes into the storyworld.
Even the estate itself is subject to scrutiny. Each chamber is carefully examined, as they might hide crucial evidence about Mr. Boddy’s untimely passing. From making repairs to damaged household amenities to restoring utility services, clue-seekers will ultimately highlight just how dangerous dinner parties can really be.
Treachery at Tudor Mansion brings the classic story of the beloved board game into a modern format. Luckily, it does so in a way that is understandable and easy to follow, even if sleuths have never played Clue before.
The investigation held within the walls of Tudor Mansion reveals the twisted demeanor that lies beneath the guests’ colorful personas. This madcap romp throughout the manor shows that not even the bold palette of the suspects’ last names can hide the blackness of one’s soul.
*Taron & Mako, Escape Authority’s Co-VPs, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondents endorses the opinions found within this review.
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Venue: Hasbro
Location: At Home Game
Number of Games: 6 (one in this box)
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 1-6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers (but if you are, call 911 immediately to report a home invasion.)
Cost (at Publish Time): $19.88 (Amazon.com)
