March 20 – April 6, 2025
By Isabella Fernandez de Cueto, Nova Southeastern University
Clue: A Walking Mystery, a real-life, immersive version of the classic Hasbro board game, is coming to Fort Lauderdale from March 20 through April 6, 2025. The experience, which travels across the United States, has been in Boston, Chicago, and Concord, New Hampshire.
The mystery kicks off at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, where participants visit eight local businesses to gather clues through interactive puzzles that help solve the mystery—the murder of Mr. Boddy. Before the game begins, the Butler greets everyone, and participants take on the roles of classic Clue characters like Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlett, and Professor Plum. They’re even encouraged to dress as the infamous characters.
“It’s as if you’re playing the board game. The murder was never solved, the mansion was sold, and furniture from each of the nine rooms has been auctioned off and scattered conveniently throughout the downtown Fort Lauderdale area,” said Kevin Hammonds, immersive creator and escape room designer for Clue: A Walking Mystery.
Players and groups should arrive at the time selected during ticket purchase. Games run every 20 minutes from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The experience includes about 1.5 miles of walking, which is an essential part of the game and solving the mystery.
“The time walking from business to business, that’s actually the time the players really use to talk about the mystery and solve the murder,” Hammonds said.
However, the Fort Lauderdale experience adds a unique twist they haven’t done in other cities that will give participants a break from walking. The designers of the game were hoping to connect the area surrounding the Broward Center with the Las Olas area, so players will have to use river taxis on their hunt.
The experience is self-timed, allowing participants to leisurely explore the local businesses they visit as part of the game.
“We inform the businesses that we can give them a special discount code, so if people come in while they’re on the hunt and they want to stop and have lunch, they can say the word ‘peacock’ and get 15% off their lunch. So, it allows businesses to not only get a lot of foot traffic, but also to have players sit down and have a drink or buy a cupcake in a bakery,” Hammonds said.
The game ends with the players reuniting with the Butler and going over all of their gathered clues to figure out who did it, where and with what.
The idea for Clue: A Walking Mystery initially came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When COVID happened, everyone was locked down, and when the world started to open up, Right Angle Productions was trying to put their employees back to work and coming up with something that could bring people together while also being outdoors and playing the game on their own,” Hammonds said.
Fort Lauderdale is the experience’s fourth location, with hopes of a rapid expansion this year. Their next location is Tampa, taking place in April and May.
“We’re working on, I think, nine different versions that are going out in the next six months, all in nine different cities,” Hammonds said.
Hammonds has experience in both musical theater and escape room designing, dating back to his high school and college days when he would design treasure hunts and murder mysteries for his friends.
“I’ve always lived in this world of theatrics and storytelling, as well as mystery and puzzle hunts. It’s something I’ve always been drawn to and fortunate enough to now be able to do it for a living,” Hammonds said.
Hammonds also enjoys seeing people engaging with his experiences.
“I love watching people solve puzzles and get the reveal. I think the exciting thing about escape rooms and the thing I try to remember when I’m designing them is the thrill of discovery. I love watching people solve a puzzle and be so satisfied with themselves,” Hammonds said.
The ideal audience for Clue: A Walking Experience covers a wide range of people and dynamics.
“Children love it, and parents love to introduce their children to this game they have such nostalgic feelings for. It’s also great for a date night and friend groups of all ages and experiences. We even had someone in Chicago celebrating her 80th birthday because she loved Clue,” Hammonds said.
Isabella Fernandez de Cueto is a student reporter in NSU’s feature writing course in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts.
