The ClueFinders

''ClueFinders'' is an educational software series aimed at children aged between 8 and 12, that features a group of mystery-solving teenagers. The series was created by The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) as a counterpart to their ''Reader Rabbit'' series for older, elementary-aged students. The series has received praise for its balance of education and entertainment, resulting in numerous awards.

History

The Learning Company (1997–2001)

ClueFinders was conceived as a spiritual successor to the ''Reader Rabbit'' series. The first ''ClueFinders'' title, ''The ClueFinders 3rd Grade Adventures: The Mystery of Mathra'', was released in 1998, with subsequent games being released within the next two years. ''The ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures'' was released in 2000. The Learning Company used their new game as the prototype for Internet Applet technology, which allowed users to download supplementary activities from the ClueFinders website. ''The ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures'' was also the first game to include the A.D.A.P.T technology, which allowed teachers and parents to monitor the player's progress, and included auto-adjustable levels based on the player's ability.

In 1998, "The Learning Company" was acquired by Mattel for $3.7 billion. The following year, Mattel sold off their "The Learning Company" assets to Gores Technology Group. In 2000, Mattel Interactive hired professional writers Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon to design a concept for a TV series, but the franchise never made its way to television. ''The ClueFinders Reading Adventures'' was discontinued in 2000. ''ClueFinders'' held a writing competition in 2001. Sponsored by The Learning Company, the competition was open to 3rd-6th grade classrooms in the United States. The winning essay, a new adventure for the ClueFinders crew, won its writer an iMac.

Riverdeep/HMH (2001–present)

In 2001, Riverdeep acquired many of The Learning Company's properties from Gores Technology Group by selling $40 million in stock. ''Carmen Sandiego'', ''ClueFinders'', and ''Reader Rabbit'' were then licensed to the KidsEdge Website in 2002, where they were available to play among 170 games and activities. In 2003, ''The ClueFinders' Reading Adventures'' was reconfigured to run on Windows XP. The 2004 RCN InterACTION service allowed parents to stream over 35 games in series such as ''Carmen Sandiego'', ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' and ''ClueFinders'' over a broadband connection. Compilations including multiple previously released titles, such as ''ClueFinders Adventure Pack and ''ClueFinders Triple Pack' have since been created as well as bundled. The bundle includes a single ClueFinders title (often "The ClueFinders Reading Adventures") among other games (mostly other The Learning Company games) in series' such as "Adventure Workshop" and "After School Clubhouse". In addition, the 3rd–6th grade titles were re-released on the iOS platform on December 19, 2010. As of 2017, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (the successor of Riverdeep) is offering the ClueFinders brand as a licensing opportunity on its website.

Design

Plot

Development of the games' backstory took 16 months. The ''ClueFinders'' adventures take place in the real contemporary world, incorporating some elements of fantasy and science fiction, with merely the continued presence of LapTrap pushing the series into the realm of science fiction. Nevertheless, the opening titles from ''The ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures'' place the series in the present day.

The main cast of characters include:
* Joni Savage (Josie Savage in UK version): ClueFinders founder
* Santiago Rivera (Sebastian Robertson in UK version): The Spanish-American mechanically-minded member
* Owen Lam: The Asian-American skater dude member
* Leslie Clark (Lucy Clark in UK version): The African-American literary-minded member
* LapTrap - The Turbo T.U.R.T.L.E.: The floating artificially intelligent laptop
* Socrates: The intelligent dog and mascot
They were chosen to be around the same age as the playerbase after the art director ran various character designs by a group of kids; with unsuccessful designs including animals, rock stars, and FBI agents, which came across to the kids as babysitters instead of teammates. They were each designed with distinct personalities and with identifiable faults to increase their relatability. The developers used a character grid to aid their writing; and it contained information such as: "their flaws, their fears, how they met, where they grew up, and their likely reactions to certain situations".

In ''The ClueFinders 3rd Grade Adventures: The Mystery of Mathra'', a great city was built 1000 years ago in the Numerian rainforest until a monster named Mathra invaded. After Mathra was captured, the Numerians abandoned their city, sealed the entrance, and hid the two halves of the key in the far corners of the rainforest. One part was hidden in the Monkey Kingdom and the latter in the Goo Lagoon. Animals had started to disappear in the rainforest once again, and Joni's uncle, Dr. Pythagoras, also disappeared. Mr. Limburger (Lindman in the UK version) flies the ClueFinders in his airplane and briefs them on the events going on. The ClueFinders set off to find the lost doctor, animals, and the keys to the Lost Numerian City. Evidence that they find however, suggests that there is more to those disappearances than the 1000-year-old monster, as well as a sinister plot behind it.

In ''The ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures: Puzzle of the Pyramid'', the ClueFinders are on an adventure in Egypt with Professor Botch, Alistair Loveless, and their dog, Socrates. There, at a dig site, they uncover the tomb of Peribsen, a king from the second dynasty. Joni finds a mysterious ring and tries it on her finger, but it magically latches onto her finger. Later that night, Alistair Loveless and his goons kidnap Professor Botch and steal several valuable relics. Loveless intends to unleash Set, the Egyptian God of Evil and Chaos. The ClueFinders are left to recover the relics, rescue Professor Botch and prevent Loveless and Set from wreaking havoc.

In ''The ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures: Secret of the Living Volcano'', the ClueFinders are on a mission with Captain Clark, Leslie's sailor grandfather, to find out why so many ships have been disappearing in a certain area of the Pacific Ocean. In one of the wrecked ships, Joni and Santiago discover a pair of metal plaques with strange symbols written on them called CrypTiles. However, when their ship comes into view of a tiny uncharted island, a tsunami promptly forms and hits their ship. Joni, Santiago and LapTrap are stranded on the island and set off to rescue their remaining team members, locate Captain Clark and his crew, and find out what sort of activities are happening on the island.

In ''The ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures: The Empire of the Plant People'', while playing a game of frisbee, Joni accidentally tosses the disc over the fence into the overgrown yard of their friendly neighbor Miss Rose. When Joni and Santiago enter Miss Rose's yard to find the frisbee, the ground opens up and swallows them. Owen, Leslie and LapTrap investigate to look for their lost team members and find a labyrinth under the yard inhabited by self-aware, anthropomorphic talking plants. They learn from a friendly plant named Ficus that the plants have captured Joni and Santiago and are concocting a plan to attack the town above.

In ''The ClueFinders Math Adventures Ages 9–12: Mystery in the Himalayas'', in a village high in the Himalayas, twenty-four priceless treasures have been stolen. An elder of the village calls the ClueFinders to help uncover the treasures and the thief's identity. Many, including the elder's pessimistic apprentice, believe the Yeti

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