Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time

Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time, also known as *Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?* and sometimes subtitled *v3.0*, is a 1997 point-and-click adventure game from Broderbund. It was created for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh computers. The game is a reimagining of the 1989 time-travel game *Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?*, which makes it the second time-travel entry in the Carmen Sandiego series. Its design was heavily shaped by the short-lived PBS game show of the same name. A preview of the game was shown at the 1997 Toy Fair in New York City. A demo version came on the CD for *Carmen Sandiego Word Detective* and was also posted on the Carmen Sandiego website. After Broderbund was bought by The Learning Company, the game was released again under the new title *Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time*, though the changes were mostly cosmetic.

In the story, master thief Carmen Sandiego uses a time machine called the Chronoskimmer to send her associates to key historical events, with the goal of stopping those events from happening. Players must track down Carmen and her henchmen by moving through time tunnels that connect different historical periods. The player must retrieve a stolen item and fix history. Over the course of each case, the player visits famous historical moments—like the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the Lewis and Clark expedition—and meets figures such as Queen Hatshepsut, William the Conqueror, and Yuri Gagarin. After completing case 18, the player finds the Chronoskimmer, which gives them the tools needed to chase and capture Carmen in the final case.

The game was well received by critics, who praised its story, music, puzzles, and historical content. It won "Computer Edutainment Game of the Year" at the 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

On the opening screen, players can sign into the ACME roster to start a new game, load a saved one, or create a custom game by picking one or more cases—a feature designed for teachers. The game uses a point-and-click interface with a cursor that changes shape, drop-down menus, and on-screen icons. Players must find "hot spots" on the screen to locate items that help them move forward. In each case, the player investigates clues to help a historical figure solve a problem, recover a stolen treasure, and catch a thief. ACME agents called "Good Guides" are availab