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GAMES
 n
the section on "Unusual Media Subjects," we would like to highlight some
somewhat neglected examples ofEllery Queen content, particularly in the realm of games: board games, puzzles, and even video games. Examples from each category can be found on this page. However, it seems that Ellery Queen has been largely forgotten in PC-based and console games. Board games existed long before Ellery's first game appearance in 1956, which came just before the publication of what was intended to be Ellery Queen's last appearance in print, The Finishing Stroke (1958). As we know, Ellery made a comeback in the 1960s with a final series of novels, but his first game appearance was still late in the Queen canon. One Ellery Queen board game eventually inspired Cluedo, one of the most popular board games ever! However, in our opinion, the best crossover came in puzzle form in 1973, which even included a Challenge to the Reader! ... |
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 llery
Queen's Great Mystery Trapped! US (1956)
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 he Case
of the Elusive Assassin US (1967)
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In 1971 3M had an immensely popular card game called Sleuth (later reissued by Avalon Hill) designed by Sid Sackson. A jewel is missing, and you have to determine which one it is. You go about this pretty much in the same way Cluedo is played by asking about the hand your opponent is dealt and using deductive methods of such as Mastermind. It's not widely known that this great card game originally started out as a board game issued four years earlier by Ideal, called The Case of the Elusive Assassin: An Ellery Queen Mystery Game. Sackson made use of a board
which players maneuver around in order to get to specific squares that
allow them to make specific inquiries. The map
on the game board represents an area of a country divided into thirty six
sectors. In one sector there is an assassin waiting to commit a terrible
crime. Players move around the board only to adjacent sectors or they may
remain in the sector they are in, collecting information, checking out
sectors - and finally, by shrewd deduction, determining the position of
the elusive assassin. It was certainly quite interesting,
but not as elegant as Sleuth was.
Ellery Queen Mystery Games
including Case of the Elusive
Assassin (1967) was part of Ideal's
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he Case
of His Headless Highness (Janus Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle) US (1973)
Company:
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 ystery
Match: A Card Game for Crime
ConnoisseursUS (1975) Company: Littleton, Colorado Type: Card Game   Created by Nancy Blue
Wynne this card game for crime connoisseurs came in a box and featured
forty-eight cards, individually illustrated by Margaret J. Hook,
representing twelve classic detective story writers, including
Ellery Queen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rex Stout. (It included 4 stories
of each author)
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Company: Mayfair Games Inc. Ellery Queen's
Mystery Magazine offered it's own board game which came with a playing board and 5
mysteries and could be played by up to 6 players. Regular supplemental casebooks would only
add to the fun. One could even write a mystery to be used in the game. In the
basic version of the game, detectives maneuver around the city discovering clues. All clues are read aloud, and the winner is the first player to correctly solve the crime. In the
advanced version, there's much more strategy, and clues are kept secret, and can even
be hidden
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Company: Spinnaker Software Director: Vale Marc Screenplay: Jack
Kitteredge, Peter Olotka
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Company: Scholastic
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Introduction |
Floor Plan | Q.B.I. |
List of Suspects | Whodunit?
| Q.E.D. | Kill as
directed | New |
Copyright Copyright © MCMXCIX-MMXXIV Ellery Queen, a website on deduction. All rights reserved. |
In 1973 a
Janus Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle appeared. It featured an Ellery Queen
story on the back of the box "The Case of His Headless Highness"
Cast Includes:
omeone's
about to get away with the murder of Abby Doorn, unless you can catch them.
Abby Doorn, the wealthy benefactor of Doorn Hospital, is being wheeled into
emergency surgery. The gallery is filled with spectators, all hushed as the
brilliant Dr. Janney prepares to operate. Suddenly a cry goes up from the
scrub nurse, "She's being murdered!" Clearly, this is a case for Ellery
Queen. Who would want to harm Abby Doorn? Her loving daughter? The crazed
housekeeper? Perhaps the brilliant but cranky Dr.Janney? Everyone had an
alibi - or so it seems. Ellery Queen is faced with the most difficult case
in his career. And he is turning to you for help. This YOU-SOLVE-IT video
mystery lets you solve the murder. After watching the 30 minutes of videotape,
you'll have to make deductions from all of the evidence and determine who
killed Abby Doorn. The game has 256 different endings so you'll never play
the same game twice. It's easy to play and best of all, it's fun! You'll
never have to hassle with fast forwarding or rewinding of the tape. Instead
you'll use the unique detective cards which uncover the hidden evidence that
Ellery finds throughout the case. Operation MURDER is fun for the whole
family. Play it alone, or with up to ten, or more players. Someone's
murdered Abby Doorn. Isn't it time for you to go solve the case.
(VHS cover)
This
soft cover book
was titled: Mystery Plays: 8 Plays for the Classroom Based on Stories by Famous