Download Clue!, The

Have you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a master criminal without having to actually get your hands dirty? Now you can find out by playing The Clue!, a deliciously deviant throwback to the 1950s English mafia. Released by Neo Software in 1994 as Der Clou! in Germany, this uniquely complex adventure/strategy game allows plenty of opportunities to plan the perfect crime.

As Matt Stuvysant, a Polish-descent would-be criminal mastermind hitting the streets of London for the first time, you must begin to make your contacts and ply your skills as a thief and planner. This game is full of interesting and colorful characters, many of which can aid you in your quest to become a master thief - for a cut of the profits. Even more interesting is the game's list of locations, some obvious larks, while many are actual historical buildings in London. Each location that can be burgled has a surveillance option that allows you to observe and collect all the necessary information you need as long as you want - but don't stand around too long, as that can be extremely conspicuous to the locals.

The gameplay can be tedious and frustrating at times, as it requires scrolling through a multitude of menus for everything from simple conversation to moving from location to location. Everything you see and hear that is relevant to plotting a crime is stored in your Thinking menu, along with the object, person, or place's statistics. It can be difficult to get your bearings in the beginning, but if you have a little patience, it's rewarding. Also, the game switches from first person to third person view when you're planning a job. Not only is this somewhat confusing at first, but the controls change from point 'n click to arrow key manipulation, so don't let it get you down during your first planning session.

Don't forget to find the right tool for the heist - The Clue! has many to choose from, each of which has different statistics, such as level of noise generated, objects used upon, and skill required to use. For that matter, some of the required skills are very hard to come by, so make sure you pick the right men for the job, as well. Choosing the right tools and accomplices can very well make or break your attempted theft. There is also a decent range of getaway cars to choose from, each of which can be given some customizations useful to the budding burgler.

After you've successfully accomplished a heist, remember to pawn off your goods to an appropriate dealer. Be careful, though... just like in real life, some dealers don't like it when you've got your fingers in more than one pot... and they definitely don't like it when you tell 'em where to shove it, and come back later with your tail between your legs to reopen negotiation. After you've pawned off the goods, you can then turn around and reinvest your hard-earned dough into more tools of the trade.

And, for all you game geeks out there who are interested in taking a peek at source code, don't forget to check out the open source project for The Clue! at http://sourceforge.net/projects/cosp/ .

Have fun being bad, and don't forget to tell the bacon that Abandonia sent ya! ;)