The daughter of the man who created Cluedo has revealed how her father forfeited a fortune despite devising one of the world's most iconic games as a "lockdown project" during the Second World War. Marcia Lewis, 72, from Wales, disclosed how the game almost looked entirely different, with early versions including Colonel Yellow murdering Mr Gold using a bomb or a syringe of poison.
Her father Anthony Pratt, a professional musician, conceived the game in the kitchen of his Birmingham residence to combat the tedium of blackouts during the war. He had hoped to earn some income after employment became scarce but had no idea he was about to create the world's second-biggest-selling board game after Monopoly.
Mr Pratt ought to have become a multi-millionaire but missed out on a fortune after selling the international rights for £5,000 before Cluedo achieved worldwide acclaim. However, Marcia said her father was not particularly bothered and was satisfied with producing a game that delivered "happiness and joy" to millions.
Marcia explained the game, initially titled Murder, was influenced by her dad's profession performing at luxurious country hotels while her mother Elva designed the legendary board. The pair were also fans of detective literature. Early versions featured additional characters and weapons, but Waddingtons, which secured the patent in 1949, altered Colonel Yellow to Mustard because yellow was "not fit for a man of military standing."
The game has sold over 150 million copies worldwide, spawning numerous editions, books, computer games, a film, and influencing television programmes such as The Traitors. Marcia said: "I'm obviously very proud of what my mum and dad helped to create... I don't think my parents would have ever imagined how big it would become."
