 
Carmen Sandiego refers to a media franchise of educational computer and video games, television programs, books and other media featuring a thieving villainess of the same name. The basic premise of the franchise has the user or protagonists being agents of the ACME Detective Agency, which attempts to thwart and capture V.I.L.E. ringleader and former ACME agent Carmen Sandiego. The series initially focused on teaching geography and history, though it later branched out into mathematics, English, and other subjects.
Originally distributed in the United States and Canada, most of the computer games are now available to international audiences. With the exception of Carmen Sandiego: Junior Detective Edition, all the games in the series are aimed at preteens. Many entries in the series contain elements of various genres, including mystery, comedy, science fiction, spy-fi, and fantasy.