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Clue, the murder-mystery board game, has been a staple of game nights and big-box store shelves for as long as we can remember.

In fact, 2024 marks Clue’s 75th anniversary.

First released as Clue in the United States in 1949 by Parker Brothers, the game has sold more than 150 million copies and is listed as the second-most-popular board game in the world behind Monopoly (and not including chess and checkers), according to Hasbro, which bought Parker Brothers in 1991.

But Clue’s story doesn’t actually start in 1949. The game dates back even further, all the way to the second World War.

To learn about its origins and future, we spoke with Hasbro’s resident Clue expert — and senior vice president of board games — Brian Baker.

[Ed.

Original clue board game

note:This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]

Polygon: How did Clue come to be?

Brian Baker: We’re going to have to go all the way back to 1943.

That’s when the story begins, with a musician named Anthony Pratt. He was a piano player

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