Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Brereton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Absorbing mystery game reveals clues and yields prizes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say this is a fun and educational website that encourages problem-solving and historical learning through interactive missions related to a book series. However, it’s best suited for those familiar with the books, as some missions can be difficult and may require additional software to complete.
- fun website
- educational content
- problem-solving skills
- suitable for readers
- difficulty levels
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
As the online companion to The 39 Clues mystery book series, THE39CLUES.COM provides missions for kids to discover clues to the secret of the fictitious Cahill family's power. Each book in the series comes with six cards and adds another clue to the mystery. The cards give you leads, which you can use on the Web site to track down information and reveal more clues. The site also features several contests, including $500, $250 and $1,000 giveaways for players who participate.
Is It Any Good?
The book-card-game combination is an interesting idea and should get kids excited about reading. And there's no shortage of information to read on the site: Kids can check out everything from secret documents to historical recaps. The inclusion of real characters and events along with the Cahill mythology is another nice touch. The more kids get involved in the mystery, the more history they'll learn.
But hunting for clues is no small task -- and kids have to be willing to invest some serious time (and parents, money) to crack the case. In addition, not only do some of the online tasks take awhile to complete, the books are being released through 2010, which means the mystery won't be solved quickly. However, if your junior detective has the patience, the investigation should be a blast.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about games that use a variety of media types to play. Is the mystery (and the prize) compelling enough to sustain your interest? Do the different play modes (books, online, cards) add to the game and increase interest -- or are you just in it for the money?
Website Details
- Genre : Gaming
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate