The Clue!

The Clue! (also known as Der Clou!) is a strategy and adventure game developed by Neo Software. It was published by Kompart UK in 1994 for MS-DOS, Amiga, and CD32.

For the ones that don't know it, neo Software (authors of Whale's Voyage II) would later become Rockstar Vienna, and they also created Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto III, among other things.

The Clue! is actually a remake of another title, They $tole a Million, a Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum game released in 1986.

The game is set in 1953 in the streets of London and its countryside. The game uses actual historic locations and buildings, such as Victoria Station and Karl Marx's Tomb at Highgate Cemetery, along with some fictional ones.

In the game, you assume the role of Matt Stuvysant, a young criminal who wants to get involved in the world of the London underworld. The game's story begins with Matt arriving at the London Victoria Station, and soon after, he settles in the Ugly Dog Hotel on Holland Street. Here he meets Herbert Briggs, his father's old friend, who is a renowned burglar.

The Clue! has two different gameplay modes: adventure and strategy. The adventure mode is where you control Matt's actions by clicking on the screen to move him around and interact with other characters. The strategy mode is where you plan the heists by choosing the escape car, the accomplices, and the driver. In this mode, you control the movement of the thieves by using the keyboard and working out the plan's details in real-time simulation.

The game features static graphics (with small animations) and a menu interface that you use to control Matt's actions. You will buy and sell cars, tools, and other equipment needed for thievery, recruit accomplices, and scout potential target buildings. Every important information, like the amount of money, description of tools, cars, loot, etc., can be accessed anytime through the Think menu.

One of the critical aspects of the game is skills such as driving, lockpicking, or electronics, which affect the time needed to complete specific tasks. Some actions and tools depend on the particular skill level of the person doing it. The participants of a successful burglary also improve their skills. In addition to skills, each character has various personal traits such as dexterity, loyalty, greed, or nerves, which affect the proportion of the share from the loot, how many trails the person leaves on the crime scene, or if he/she betrays his/her associates when captured by the police.

One of the things that makes The Clue! stand out is its well-designed story. It is full of twists and turns that keep you engaged throughout the game. The characters are well-developed, and the dialogues are top-notch. The VGA (and AGA) graphics could have been better; we are not at the levels of the LucasArts adventures. Anyway, the images are polished, and the style aligns with the story.

The Clue! is an excellent strategy and adventure game that is worth playing; it's kind of unique in its genre.

In 2000, the game source code was released to the public, and you can find versions for Windows or playable on the Web. Here you can download the DOS and Amiga versions.