'In the U.K., we have a character called 'Reverend Green,'' Donovan says. Parker Brothers thought, 'There's no way we could have a member of the clergy as a murderer. They could not fathom the idea of marketing a game about murder.Īccording to Donovan, it took six months to convince the company that the game could be a success in the U.S.Įven then, there were compromises to be made.Īll references to murder were removed from the rules and replaced with the more elusive phrase 'the act.' Certain characters were also considerably altered. The Parker Brothers were appalled by the game's premise. The classic Parker Brothers board game 'Clue.' (Parker Brothers / Hasbro Inc.)īut while the game was well-received in the U.K., its British publisher hit a snag when it approached Parker Brothers about selling Clue in the U.S. Getting rid of Reverend Green: the story of ClueĪs board games moved away from religion in the 20th century, one British game-maker found inspiration in the golden age of detective fiction.Īnthony Pratt, a factory worker in Birmingham, developed the game we know today as Clue during the Second World War, building on the popularity of crime novelists like Agatha Christie and Edgar Wallace. 'And the rules would then say, 'Right, you must go back to the whipping post and be whipped.' So, you know, don't even think of happiness while playing this game.'īut over time, board game manufacturers like George Parker of Parker Brothers started to push back against that puritanical streak with games that focused less on religion and more on entertainment. 'You'd go round the board and you would land on squares like, you know, you're the Sabbath breaker,' Donovan explains.

One of the first board games published in North America was a puritanical game called Mansion of Happiness - a somewhat misleading title. (Hasbro Canada) Early board games were very religious in tone, Donovan says. But earlier versions pre-dated the game as we know it today.

More than 275 million Monopoly boards have been sold since the game officially arrived on the scene some 80 years ago.

Monopoly board game and 3 live hens