Welcome to Scene of the Crime
Welcome to the Freeform Games murder mystery newsletter.
We have a packed issue this time, with our newest game, a competition, and another call for playtesters. Plus we visit a larp festival in Leeds, appear on a podcast and more.
And we have a discount code!
Enjoy!
Mo and Steve
A Haunting in Hartwick
Set in Hartwick Manor in 1928, Quinn Hartwick is selling the ancestral home to entrepreneur Blake Crowley. Crowley plans to transform Hartwick Manor into the Crowley Spirit Sanctuary, dedicated to capturing, housing, and displaying spirits.
To demonstrate his proposal, Crowley has installed a device that will reveal any ghosts. Hartwick’s quiet legacy is about to be overshadowed by its new role as a sanctuary for the supernatural!
A Haunting in Hartwick is a ghostly murder mystery for 11–13 players and a host. All but one of the characters are ungendered, and it is for ages 15+ due to adult themes and references to the supernatural.
Looking for playtesters for A Fatal Theory
Our next game is A Fatal Theory, and we are looking for playtesters.
Here’s what you need to know:
Amidst a bitter, snow-laden night, the QuantumTech Winter Celebration unfolds. The relentless storm has deterred most of the lab’s employees from attending, leaving only a select few determined to brave the elements for the celebration. A significant announcement will be made that will fuel competition among the researchers.
A world of corporate espionage, secret romances, and hidden agendas engulfs the guests, compelling them to unravel the truth behind QuantumTech. Dr. Cox, a researcher on a groundbreaking project, is found dead in a cold lab.
Welcome to A Fatal Theory. Innovation comes at a cost… but what is the price?
A Fatal Theory is a tech-industry murder mystery for 8–12 players and a host. All of the characters are ungendered, and it is for ages 15+ due to a plotline around an extra-marital affair.
If you’re interested in playtesting, we need feedback by the end of May 2026.
The game isn’t quite ready for playtesting, and we are aiming to get the files to you by the start of April (if not before).
We need ten groups to playtest A Fatal Theory and give us feedback – and we’re looking for photos that we can use to promote the game. (Don’t forget to check your friends are happy for you to share with us!)
Please complete this form if you would like to playtest A Fatal Theory.
We’ll keep the form open until Tuesday, 31st March, and then we’ll choose ten people from those who have signed up.
It’s competition time
Ready for your moment in the spotlight?
We’re giving you the chance to win a FREE murder mystery game of your choice from our shop – and all you have to do is bring the drama!
Here’s the challenge…
In A Speakeasy Murder, a thrilling horse race takes place “offstage”, with characters listening to the race commentary. We provide the commentary, and usually one player reads it aloud.
But now we want to offer hosts the option to use pre-recorded race commentary – perfect for groups who don’t want to read it aloud.
And that’s where you come in.
Record your own version of the race commentary – dramatic, fast-paced, vintage radio vibes encouraged!
If yours is our favourite, you’ll win a free murder mystery game of your choice.
To enter, simply fill out this form. We’ll send you the script and full details once you’re signed up. Closing date is 31st March 2026.
Important: The commentary contains a spoiler for one of the plotlines in A Speakeasy Murder, so only enter if you’re happy to hear it!
Good luck – and may the best commentator win!
Freeform Games on tour?
Well, not really on tour, but we were both at the Box Northern Larp Festival in Leeds in February.
We played in Arsenic & Lies (A Downton Abbey-inspired murder mystery larp written by our own Karolina Soltys, author of A Purrfect Murder) and Mo ran one of his larps while Steve playtested A Haunting in Hartwick.
And then we wrote up our experiences on our blogs. Mo’s post is here, Steve’s is here.
Appearing on a podcast near you
Steve appeared on episode 583 of the On Board Games podcast, talking about Freeform Games and other game-related topics.
Our review of 2025
And how was 2025 for Freeform Games? A little mixed – we published three games but our sales were flat.
Using online voting during your murder mystery party awards
In this post, we share a tip from one of our experienced customers about using online voting forms to make tallying the votes quick and painless.
Help spread the word!
If you’ve enjoyed our games, you can help us by telling other people about Freeform Games! You might:
- Write a review – either on our game pages or on Trustpilot. (If you have a lot of photos you’d like to share, get in touch with us here.)
- Link to us on your blog or website or social feed.
- Mention us on your socials: Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Pinterest – tell everyone you’ve played our games!
And remember, we’re also on Facebook and Instagram (although we’re better at Facebook than Instagram). Like our pages to hear the latest news.
Thank you for reading!
As a thank you for reading our newsletter, here’s a 20% coupon for your next purchase: MAR26
(This coupon is valid until March 31st, 2026, and applies to a single purchase, covering all games in your basket. Please note that it excludes our commercial license.)
And that’s it from us this time!
Mo and Steve
Freeform Games
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