Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?

Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? is a detective game where the player pursues Carmen Sandiego and her associates across history. The objective is to determine both the location and the time period of the criminal's whereabouts.

Progress is made by visiting different places and gathering information. This involves interrogating witnesses and examining environments to collect clues. A physical encyclopedia is bundled with the game to provide context for these clues, which also functions as a method of copy protection.