CLUE Live! – An Outdoor Walking Experience

Clue is one of the most famous and most popular board games in North America (and overseas, where it’s known as Cluedo). It’s also got a wonderful movie adaptation and an evergreen “whodunnit” storyline. So Clue is a natural fit to expand into immersive/interactive entertainment, with an officially-licensed live experience.

WHO did it, with WHAT, and WHERE?

CLUE Live! is presented by Right Angle Entertainment, which specializes in bringing famous brands to life, in association with Hasbro, the game’s manufacturer and rights holder. The event is a walking tour mashed up with the game of Clue. Guests will roam Mr. Boddy’s Tudor Mansion, guided by the Butler, interviewing all six of the famous suspects in various “rooms” of the mansion, in order to reach a final conclusion of the murderous culprit. All of this takes place outdoors in a public setting. The experience is currently running at Los Angeles’s Westfield Century City through August 8th, at which time it will begin at the Westfield Topanga (also the greater LA area). Later this year, it will start at currently-undisclosed locations in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington DC.

HOW fun is it?

CLUE Live! will largely hinge on your expectations. It’s certainly family-friendly (inasmuch as a murder mystery can be). If the subject isn’t a problem, kids could certainly attend, but I suspect they wouldn’t want to. Walking around an outdoor mall and listening to each of the suspects give their alibis would likely wear thin on younger guests’ patience. The actors are all quite fun, imbuing the characters with distinct and diverse personalities. The Butler, acting as a guide, is also in character the entire time and excels at juggling multiple tasks. She has to guide the group from place to place, entertain them along the way, and stay within the story of “walking through a mansion” while dodging a constant stream of distractions stemming from the surrounding mall. One highlight in particular (best left as a surprise) involves a creative mashup between the real environment and the secret passages of Tudor Mansion. This moment elicited something akin to glee and I hope it’s always part of the show.

If the audience is game (pun intended) for a little roleplay, the cast appreciates those who come in costume or interact with them in character. In other words, you’ll get more out of it if you put more in. It would be a fun date night or family outing…with some caveats. The weekday price is $39 and the weekend price is $49. That gets steep quickly for a family, especially if they can’t get out on a weeknight. Casual gamers and newcomers to immersive experiences will enjoy this. Hardcore puzzlers or those who like intimate one-on-one immersion may be disappointed. The group can be as many as 30 (although mine was closer to 15) and each group is limited to three questions per suspect. People are welcome to blurt out questions, and if 3 questions are asked that aren’t helpful…well, too bad! Speak up sooner at the next suspect!

WHEN do you solve the mystery?

In my group, the random questions didn’t turn out too badly. People generally asked decent questions, but there were some duds. If you’re in a group with eager children, you may get a higher percentage of unhelpful questions. You could try to coordinate questions with the whole group but that might take too much effort to be feasible. Nevertheless, we gleaned enough information to formulate a couple of viable theories by the end. Included with the ticket is a score sheet and game board, showing the familiar Clue layout, with space for notes on each character, weapon, and room. It’s a fun concept but not utilized as well as it could have been. There could have been clues regarding the distance from each suspect to Mr. Boddy, or what order people went to their rooms. We were even given a very specific time of death, which I thought sure would be important. But either we didn’t ask the right questions, or it was a red herring.

After interrogations are complete, the Butler gathers everyone around to hear the ideas. Contrary to my expectations, there was no formal accusation or big reveal. Instead, the Butler gently guides the group to the answer by leading the conversation in the right directions. “What about this person?” “Hmm, remember they said they were not in the area.” “Ok, so what about this other clue?” “Yes, that is suspicious! Let’s think about that again.” You get the idea. One positive about this method is that there are 3 possible endings. They switch the killer every Tuesday. So if you’ve been once, you can go during a different week and have a new culprit to find! Not to mention the chance of a different Butler with their own take on the role.

IS Tim Curry involved?

Alas, no.

WHY am I reading this review?

So you can decide if this is something you’d enjoy! I had fun doing it, but I could see the potential for MORE. More and better clues and puzzles, especially. A better finale/reveal too. But I’m speaking as a seasoned puzzler and immersive theater-goer. If you are newer or more casual about these experiences, this will have greater appeal. So add or subtract a star from my review depending on your level of past experience. If you go, I would certainly recommend the weekday or Early Bird tickets. Not only will you save $10 per person, but smaller crowds mean you’ll get a smaller group AND have fewer pedestrians in your way as you roam the mall…I mean, Mansion. Remember this takes place in a location with paid parking, so it’s best to carpool or rideshare. You can also buy something at Gelson’s (near the starting location) for parking validation. CLUE Live! is running every day of the week except Monday. Lots of information is available on their website, including FAQs. Tickets are available here.