Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is one of the most prolific educational series of the 1980s and 1990s. Way back in 1983, the founders of Broderbund Software planned to make educational entertainment one of their company’s main pillars. On April 23, 1985, The first Carmen Sandiego title was released and was a massive hit. The game sold over 500,000 units and won many awards including Best Learning Product and Outstanding Software Award.
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Premise
In this title, players take the role of a rookie detective tasked with tracking down crooks from the V.I.L.E. organization. Players must use their knowledge of geography to question witnesses and investigate clues to track down the crooks. For each case solved the player’s rank increases giving a nice sense of progression. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? has a lot in common with other text adventure games of the time and played its part in popularizing edutainment titles. By 1995 over four million copies of this game were sold and in 1996 the title was rebooted.
©Screenshot of gameplay – License
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Main Characters
- Carmen Sandiego
- Dazzle Annie
- Fast Eddie B
- Ihor Ihorovich
- Katherine Drib
- Lady Agatha
- Len Bulk
- Merey LaRoc
- Nick Brunch
- Scar Graynolt
©Screenshot of the ACME map – License
Other Titles In The Series
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985) – The original game where players track Carmen Sandiego and her gang of thieves around the world.
- Where in the U.S.A. Is Carmen Sandiego? (1986) – A spin-off focusing on geography within the United States.
- Where in Europe Is Carmen Sandiego? (1988) – Similar to the original game, but with a focus on European geography.
- Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1989) – Instead of geography, this game focuses on history and time-traveling to capture Carmen and her henchmen.
- Where in America’s Past Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991) – Expands on the historical theme, this time focusing on American history.
- Where in Space Is Carmen Sandiego? (1993) – This game takes players on a cosmic adventure to track down Carmen and her gang in outer space.
- Carmen Sandiego’s Great Chase Through Time (1997) – Another time-traveling adventure with Carmen Sandiego.
- Carmen Sandiego Word Detective (1997) – A departure from the usual format, this game focuses on building vocabulary skills.
- Carmen Sandiego Math Detective (1998) – Similar to Word Detective, but with a focus on math skills.
- Carmen Sandiego’s ThinkQuick Challenge (1999) – A trivia game with Carmen Sandiego as the host.
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge (2001) – An updated version of the original game with new features and information.
- Where in the U.S.A. Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge (2001) – Similar to Treasures of Knowledge but focusing on U.S. geography.
- Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge (2001) – A revamped version of the time-traveling adventure with new content.
- Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (2004) – A console game released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, departing from the educational format to focus more on action-adventure gameplay.
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (2011) – A Facebook game adaptation of the original game.
- Carmen Sandiego Returns (2015) – A mobile game released for iOS and Android devices, featuring updated graphics and gameplay mechanics.
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Cheat Codes
Mission Passwords
After entering your details at the front end, type in the following codes to commence on a particular mission. These codes are case-sensitive.
| Effect | Password |
|---|---|
| Mission 01 | bbv |
| Mission 02 | dbt |
| Mission 03 | fbs |
| Mission 04 | gbr |
| Mission 05 | kbB |
| Mission 06 | mbz |
| Mission 07 | nbx |
| Mission 08 | pbw |
| Mission 09 | rbg |
| Mission 10 | sbf |
| Mission 30 (Final Level) | WbL |
Super Nintendo Mission Passwords
| Effect | Password |
|---|---|
| 1 case solved, Rank: Sleuth | dbt |
| 10 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | tbd |
| 11 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | ybb |
| 12 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | wbp |
| 13 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | xbn |
| 14 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | zbm |
| 15 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | Bbk |
| 16 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | DbS |
| 17 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | FbR |
| 18 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | GbP |
| 19 cases solved, Rank: Investigator | HbN |
| 2 cases solved, Rank: Sleuth | fbs |
| 20 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | JbZ |
| 21 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | KbX |
| 22 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | LbW |
| 23 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | MbT |
| 24 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | NbH |
| 25 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | PbG |
| 26 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | RbF |
| 27 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | SbD |
| 28 cases solved, Rank: Ace Detective | TbM |
| 3 cases solved, Rank: Sleuth | gbr |
| 4 cases solved, Rank: Sleuth | kbB |
| 5 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | mbz |
| 6 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | nbx |
| 7 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | pbw |
| 8 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | rbg |
| 9 cases solved, Rank: Private Eye | sbf |
| Final level | WbL |
Game Genie Codes
The following cheat codes require the use of the game genie hardware. Game Genie is not supported by the official developers and using it can have unwanted effects on your game. These codes should work with emulation as well.
- Time Patroller – DBHBKDB
- Time Investigator – XXNBBMM
- Time Inspector – DNDKJGD
- Time Detective – RRXKGND
- Ace Time Dick – LHMNFGF
- Super Time Sleuth – MJDFSGG
- Capture Carmen – MJDFPDG
- Game over – JHBHHXS
Apple II Hidden Window
On Apple II, press CTRL + V during play for access to a secret window.
PC Cheat Mode
When starting a new game, make sure you type “carmen” on the command line. A cheat menu will then appear in the option menu.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot of the title screen.