Clueless

My son got a Cluedo game for Christmas. I suppose I was looking forward to cosy evenings in our nostalgic cellar bar, lost in an Agatha Christie-esque world.

So I was quite surprised when I found that the game seems to have mutated into something from the pages of Hello! Not only is it called "Discover the Secrets" - even worse in German - which sounds like the latest steamy teen vampire saga, but it's set in a Hollywood mansion, complete with indoor pool and Spa/Wellnessbereich. The English country house set have been chucked out in favour of a blingy posse including a video game designer and an ex football star.

It's just a game, said my husband, and he's right. And I don't suppose my son really cares whether he's in the billiard room of Tudor Mansion or on the patio on Hollywood Hills. There are a couple of extra weapons, which I grudgingly admit could make the game more exciting.

But I can't help thinking: why? Part of Cluedo's charm is the 1940s world into which the game was born. Look at another well-known - and ancient in comparison - cult brand: Marmite. Yes, there are 'contemporary' line extensions. Yes, there are all manner of funky communication ideas. But they haven't taken the salt out of the product to be 'more in line with today's world.'