Cover to Bludgeoned on Broadway, a theatrical murder mystery game.

Bludgeoned on Broadway

$39.99

Bludgeoned on Broadway is a downloadable 1940s Broadway murder mystery game for 8 to 13 guests and a host. It’s curtains for Broadway star Jackson Turner, but the drama’s just beginning! Written by Jennifer Vals. Recommended for ages 15+.

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Bludgeoned on Broadway is a murder mystery 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

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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.
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

    • 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 mystery games 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, contact us with the name of the game and the email address you used to purchase it, and we'll resend it.

10 reviews for Bludgeoned on Broadway

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    Dan Grant –

    This was my first attempt at a Murder Mystery game, and I came across Freeform Games from the good reviews. We chose Bludgeoned on Broadway. And everyone (all new players) loved it. Once everyone got comfortable with their characters it was an all-out blast to observe as the Director. Such a fun experience setting up props, and reading plot and characters. And easy to run even as a first-time host. I can’t wait until we plan another!!!

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    Drew Johnson –

    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.

    Image #1 from Drew Johnson
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    Betsy Abernathy –

    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.

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    Lily Coulstock-Cockeram –

    Just held Bludgeoned on Broadway for my 17th birthday, and it was fantastic! I was a bit concerned early on because two of my friends had dropped out; one due to illness and the other due to travel difficulties in the evening as snow was forecast (and it really did snow; a lot) There was some panicked phonecalls asking friends to swap roles but luckily people were happy enough to change. My two brothers stepped in as characters as well, and my sister was my ‘assistant director.

    At the beginning I did an exercise where each character had to describe themselves to the rest of the group, which worked well as people figured out who they were supposed to like and who they didn’t. We then got on with the game, with people picking it up a lot more quickly than I expected. As the game progressed there was a lot of running around rooms as the Director and Host to try and pickpocket, deliver the goods, listen in on conversations and speak to a growing line of people! So don’t feel the Host role won’t be as fun as being a character; it’s also hilarious to hear the conversations your friends are having.

    The most memorable parts of the evening were probably when there was a literal fight on the stairs between three people to destroy a piece of evidence, the detective being accused of being ‘corrupt’ and tied up after he arrested an innocent person for one of the crimes, and a literal witch hunt (loads of people cornering one person) of one of the characters accusing them of a crime!

    It was also fairly amusing to watch how wrong everyone was at the dénouement at the end, and their shock at the correct answers being revealed. ‘If I had ten more minutes I could have accused them and I would have been right!’ was a common cry (as I sped the night up a bit as some parents were worried about the snow and came early; I wouldn’t advise this. I did the game in around two and a quarter hours rather than three, and it would have given them more time to finish their goals had it been three hours).

    The general consensus was that the game was awesome and there was a lot of questions about who would host the next one! Thanks Freeform Games for an awesome 17th! Pictures to be sent soon.

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    Paul Nichols –

    A very enjoyable evening [Bludgeoned on Broadway].

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    Frances Jackson –

    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!

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    Amanda McLeod –

    Bludgeoned on Broadway was a wonderful game, all the guests had loads of fun!

    I liked that the host had a more involved role – I usually end up hosting instead of playing, so that is something that I appreciate. I love Freeform Games, I definitely recommend them to others!

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    Marc Damen –

    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!

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    Nicole Merkel –

    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!!

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    Marjorie Hafer –

    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.

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