Once you have played a card from your hand into your play area is it possible to use the skill icons and commit it to a skill test. Eg. flashlight has used all three resources, the skill icon on the card is investigate, can I commit the card to an investigate skill test, or does it sit uselessly in my play area until I choose to discard it to play another item..

Thanks

My understanding is that once they have been played, they are NOT available for committing to skill tests. The point being that if you commit them to skill tests, you don't get to utilize them as assets/events, etc..

First, the investigator may commit eligible cards from his or her hand to the test. An eligible card bears one or more icons matching the skill type of the test being performed.

A wild icon (?) matches all skill types. Each matching icon commited to a test increases the investigator’s skill value by 1 for that test. The investigator performing the test may commit any number of cards from his or her hand to the test. Each other investigator at the same location as that investigator may commit 1 card from his or her hand to help.

You have to decide if you commit a card from your hand as a skill boost or if you play it as an event or asset. Once it has left your hand, it is either one or the other, never both.

Thanks for the clarification!