Description
Bludgeoned on Broadway is a murder mystery party game for 8 to 13 guests and a host. It is set in a Broadway theater, in the 1940s. Download the free introductory pdf file.
Bludgeoned on Broadway is a thrilling evening of of drama, double takes, and denouements! Your guests will be in the middle of the action, and it will be up to them to wheel and deal to get what they want. Will they achieve their goals, keep their secrets hidden, and survive Bludgeoned on Broadway?
“Bludgeoned on Broadway was a wonderful game, all the guests had loads of fun! “
Amanda McLeod, Canada
| See stories and pictures from Bludgeoned on Broadway |
Read the New York Press |
It’s 1947, and along New York City’s Broadway Avenue, theaters are stuffed to capacity with anxious spectators waiting to be entertained. Inside the Arlington Theater, it’s the first scene of the new Broadway play Olympian Days, and leading actor Jackson Turner has failed to make his grand entrance! Why? He’s been brutally murdered in his dressing room backstage.
In Bludgeoned on Broadway, everyone is acting a part, and it’s up to you to figure out who’s hiding behind the mask of illusion, deception, and even murder! You can form alliances, blackmail each other, steal items and money, and generally usurp and upset others’ attempts to achieve goals!
Along the way, you may solve some of Bludgeoned on Broadway’s mysteries, like who is the Theater Bomber? Who is the Midwest Murderer? Who is a Communist? And of course, who murdered Jackson Turner? Find out in Bludgeoned on Broadway!
Bludgeoned on Broadway lasts for about four hours and is suited to an evening. It is often played over a meal – a finger buffet if possible, to allow guests to circulate and talk in private.
“What a great way to spend a New Year’s Eve! I loved it! Bludgeoned on Broadway was so well written. Everyone seemed to understand and fit into their character role. It is a must play game!”
Jen Laubscher, United States
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 No combat, no poison. |
The free introductory pdf file contains an introduction to the game, a cast list of all the characters, and a copy of the New York Press.
Cast of characters
Actors
- Dorothy Sadler: the ditzy leading actress debuting in the role of Hera, Greek Queen of the Gods.
- Lana Johnson: the glamorous and talented Broadway actress playing the supporting role of Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love.
- Harold Finney: the veteran character actor and mischievous storyteller playing the role of Hades, God of the Underworld.
Theatrical staff
- Olivia Dalton: the Olympian Days producer.
- Pat Waddle: the studious and idealistic Olympian Days playwright.
- Bruno: the stage manager and a tough mafia soldier.
- Hannah Edelstein: the production’s talented choreographer, and a Jewish immigrant from Denmark.
- Jordan Lutrova: the costume/prop coordinator, and an eccentric collector of antiques and other treasures.
- “Scrappy” Barker: the wily owner of the Arlington Theater.
Outsiders
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- Mayor La Garner: the ambitious New York City Mayor.
- Taylor Higgins: a newspaper reporter from the Manhattan Happenings newspaper.
- Logan Randolph: a New York City police detective.
- Franco Torrio: fronts as a waste management consultant, but really a powerful mafia capo.
Bludgeoned on Broadway is for 8 to 13 guests:
- 8 guests (3 male, 2 female, 3 any)
- 9 guests (3 male, 3 female, 3 any)
- 10 guests (4 male, 3 female, 3 any)
- 11 guests (4 male, 3 female, 4 any)
- 12 guests (5 male, 4 female, 3 any)
- 13 guests (5 male, 4 female, 4 any)
You also need a host – someone to organize the party and ensure everything runs smoothly.
How Freeform Games murder mysteries work
Bludgeoned on Broadway is unlike other murder mystery games. Although the game starts with a murder, each character has several goals they must try to accomplish. While they may want to solve the murder, Bludgeoned on Broadway contains plenty of other plots and secrets to keep everyone busy. Bludgeoned on Broadway isn’t scripted, and lets the players decide how to achieve their goals and thwart their enemies.
“Bludgeoned on Broadway all went well overall and everyone had fun! Thank you so much for your quick response and a great time!”
Dawn Ringer, United States
On the evening of the game the guests are met by the organizer, the Director, and welcomed to the Arlington Theatre.
They then receive their detailed backgrounds – including dark secrets, objectives, and money. The fun then begins as they form alliances, blackmail each other, steal items and maybe even try to murder one another!
Finally, the game concludes and everyone finds out how they did, and what secrets everyone else was concealing.
Recommended for ages 15+
We recommend Bludgeoned on Broadway for those aged 15+, as it includes references to infidelity, plotlines around burlesque theatre, and some political issues.
Extra characters
Sometimes you have too many guests and need more characters. So most games have free extra characters (written by us or previous hosts) included in the download when you purchase the game.
- ‘Ginger’ Roberts – freelance reporter in search of the Big Story. (Any)
(by Freeform Games)
Please note that we haven’t always tested these – and they may not tie in exactly with our games.
“Thank you for a great site, fantastic games, good service and very quick reply. Keep up the good work.” Ole Martin Brodwall, Norway
Cast Iron Guarantee
We offer a Cast Iron Guarantee on all our murder mystery games. If you’re not completely satisfied with Bludgeoned on Broadway then please let us know within 30 days and we will refund you. See our full terms and conditions, and our refund policy.
Trouble downloading? If you have trouble downloading the game files, please first check your spam folder. If you still can’t find the download email, drop us a line at info@freeformgames.com with the name of the game and the email address you used to purchase it, and we’ll resend it.
Drew Johnson (store manager) –
We had a great time with Bludgeoned on Broadway this past weekend. This is the third game my friends attempted from your site. Keep up the good work.
Betsy Abernathy (store manager) –
One thing that some of the kids said (they were 16-year-olds) is how much they enjoyed having a party [Bludgeoned on Broadway] where there was something fun to do, as opposed to standing around not knowing what to do! It really is a perfect activity for teens who want to have fun and be together but have something planned so they don’t feel awkward.
Paul Nichols (store manager) –
A very enjoyable evening [Bludgeoned on Broadway].
Frances Jackson (store manager) –
I had a fantastic time playing Bludgeoned on Broadway.
As the host, I had spent a lot of time reading and preparing for the night, I am glad I did! There is a lot of story lines running at the same time and at points I had to give people tips about who to talk to and questions to asked when they got a little stuck. It was good being able to do this easily and from memory.
It ran extremely smoothly though and everyone absolutely loved it!
Marc Damen (store manager) –
Just to let you know we had our murder mystery evening last week, Bludgeoned on Broadway, and we had a great time. It was our first freeform game, and we enjoyed it very much. Although everybody also was exhausted at the end of the evening, because of all the confusing information they got: suddenly there was a fake bomb, dressing-rooms were exchanged…
But still, everybody had a great time. The play was so well written and the characters very colourful. Some of us had some problems last week saying goodbye to their alter ego.
We sure want to try another game in the future. Being a host required a lot more than I expected. Instead of getting closer to resolving the murder, people got more confused and I should have taken more care that information was circulating better. The players as well said they would play it very differently a next time. It’s definitely a game you must learn to play, but it brings a lot of fun. So thank you very much and best wishes from Nijmegen, the Netherlands!
Nicole Merkel (store manager) –
Bludgeoned on Broadway was the first murder-mystery we’d ever attended, and my husband and I weren’t quite sure what we were getting ourselves into. When the curtain went up we were surrounded by secret alliances, hidden agendas and of course, MURDER! A fun time was had by all trying to discover the who’s, what’s and why’s. What a great way to spend an evening!!
Marjorie Hafer (store manager) –
What better way to celebrate being alive and kicking in a new year than an old-fashioned-death-and-deception whodunit?
As a New Year’s Eve party with the villain nabbed at midnight, Bludgeoned on Broadway gets an Oscar. With plenty of twists and turns and intriguing characters for all ages, this game’s a winner. Highly recommended.