Without a Clue: What does this extraordinary letter to Cluedo’s inventor tell us about the early days of the game?

2024 was a huge year for Cluedo. Known as Clue in the US, the iconic murder game reached the ripe old age of 75. To celebrate, Deej Johnson spoke with Marcia Lewis – daughter of the game’s inventor, Anthony Pratt. Deej also did a deep dive into how the game itself changed in development! You can read those pieces here and here.

Don’t go anywhere yet, though! Because while chatting, Marcia shared various pieces of correspondence relating to her father’s journey. Without Deej applying any undue pressure with a spanner, Marcia has now given us permission to share one of these letters. This is typed up in full at the bottom of the page…

But why are we so interested in this? A few reasons… First, it’s a formal letter from Waddingtons Games, tentatively turning down Anthony’s latest idea: Treasure Hunt. It’s a stark reminder that creating a bona fide classic like Clue doesn’t make you immune to the wave of rejections that come with being an inventor.

Next, it also serves as a lovely snapshot of Inventor Relations in 1953. There’s something beautifully, painfully polite about the line: “Naturally, it is not necessary for me to tell you the game is similar in almost every respect to Cluedo.” But there’s some genuinely useful feedback too…

Evidently, the good people at Waddingtons Games were concerned about cannibalising Cluedo’s sales. If they were, as they put it, “able to interest ourselves in this”, it wouldn’t be for a few years. So: it’s a definite maybe-not, accompanied by some useful insights and wider words of encouragement… An approach that isn’t uncommon today.

One final thing jumps out here: Waddingtons Games launched Cluedo in 1949. So, with the game being out for just four years, Anthony received this rejection letter which “incidentally” mentioned that: “…we are somewhat disappointed with the Cluedo sales.”

This evinces a shrewd insight that Adam Hocherman of Wayfarer Games shares… Describing a key challenge for today’s industry, he told us: “A propensity for ‘newness’ has encroached on what used to be a more patient – read, ‘evergreen’ – toy industry. This has made the life of the inventor much more difficult.”

While today’s industry and retail landscape differ radically from the toy world of 1954, it’s interesting to look at that timescale. After four years on the market, Waddingtons Games expressed disappointment in the sales of Cluedo – and yet it didn’t disappear… On the contrary: it went on to become one of the most iconic boardgame IPs in the world!

In the wake of this letter, the patience Adam Hocherman mentions seemingly bought the game enough time to find its feet as an all-time classic. One wonders if there’re any games wobbling a little today that could follow a similar path…

—

Waddingtons Printing Works
LEEDS 10.

6th March, 1953.

Anthony E. Pratt Esq.,
“Avon lodge”
28 Upland Road,
Selby Park,
Birmingham 29.

Dear Mr. Pratt,

We have further considered your “Treasure Hunt“ game, and opinions are varied. Naturally it is not necessary for me to tell you that the game is similar in almost every respect to Cluedo.

Now my opinion is this, that in the future we may be able to interest ourselves in this game, but not at the present time. I think that it would conflict with the sales of Cluedo, and incidentally we are somewhat disappointed with the Cluedo sales.

I have not investigated the matter as to whether you would be permitted to put this game to other people in view of its similarity to Cluedo, but from our point of view, I do not feel that we can put this game on the market at least for another 2 years, and then it would be necessary to consider the position very carefully.

Now that is what I feel about your game at the present moment, and I would be very grateful for any further comments you would like to make.

I’m returning the whole game to you by registered post together with your explanation of play. We have kept no records here so that everything is in your safekeeping.

Your sincerely,

Victor Watson

–

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