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The creation of the board game Cluedo traces back to an inventive project during the wartime blackouts of World War II, as recounted by the inventor’s daughter. Anthony Pratt, a professional musician based in Birmingham, devised the game to overcome the boredom that the blackout period brought. His wife, Elva, contributed by designing the original Cluedo board layout, which initially featured eleven rooms before some were removed. This family effort marks the humble beginnings of what would become a globally cherished game. Their daughter, Marcia Lewis, recently returned to Birmingham to donate one of the earliest versions of Cluedo along with letters and related items to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, emphasizing that the game deserved to “come home.” She remarked, “Without Birmingham, Cluedo would never have been invented.”
Anthony Pratt’s journey to becoming a game inventor was shaped by the war and his previous life as a touring musician. Although Pratt had performed piano recitals around the world, the onset of World War II led him to change careers and work in an engineering factory producing tank parts, due to his poor eyesight preventing frontline service. This shift provided him with free time to think creatively, which eventually resulted in his breakthrough game. The game itself reflected Pratt’s experiences playing piano at grand country hotels, where murder mystery games were a popular form of amusement. Additionally, both he and his wife were fans of mystery fiction, drawing inspiration from authors like Agatha Christie. Marcia also mentioned a neighboring game inventor, Geoffrey Bull from Kings Heath, whose game Buccaneer partly inspired her father’s venture into board games. Bull further helped by connecting Anthony Pratt to Waddingtons, the manufacturer that would later produce Cluedo.
Initially titled Murder!, the game featured ten characters and nine weapons—including unusual items such as a bomb and a poison-filled syringe—when it was patented in 1944. However, due to wartime restrictions and material shortages, it did not launch until 1949. Marcia Lewis recalled the relief felt by her parents when the game finally appeared in shops after such a long wait. Over the decades, Cluedo has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, according to Hasbro, which acquired Waddingtons some 30 years ago. The game’s enduring appeal is demonstrated by its continued popularity today, as highlighted by Kit Carnell, owner of a Birmingham board game café. Despite having hundreds of games available, Cluedo remains frequently played, evoking nostalgic feelings similar to listening to an old record.
The game has since evolved to include themed versions inspired by franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Office, and Game of Thrones. It also expanded into digital forms and even once appeared as editions on VHS and Betamax. Despite the success, Anthony Pratt received only a portion of the royalties after selling international rights in 1953 for £5,000, a sum considered substantial at the time. Nonetheless, Pratt continued receiving UK royalties until 1967, missing out on the massive popularity Clue—the American version of the game—would enjoy. Marcia reflected on her father’s perspective, saying, “At the end of the day, what do you get remembered for? Making a shed load of money or creating something that brings genuine pleasure, happiness and escapism to people.” Anthony Pratt passed away at age 90 and is buried alongside his wife in Worcestershire, with the inscription “Inventor of Cluedo” on his gravestone.
Marcia Lewis expressed mixed emotions about donating family memorabilia while feeling confident they would be well cared for. She hopes the items will help celebrate her parents’ legacy, which includes witnessing the success of the original Clue film and a stage play adaptation. Jo-Ann Curtis, a senior curator at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, described Lewis’s offer to donate as a “dream call,” noting the city’s tendency to understate its historical achievements. Some of the letters and documents, now accessible to the public through the Library of Birmingham, reveal fascinating details about the game’s development. Peter Dore, Head of Archives and Collections, commented on the value of tracing Cluedo’s journey from concept to market, emphasizing the drawn-out and challenging process behind the creation of this enduring classic
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