FOUL PLAY is a new kind of interactive murder mystery series

I love a good yellow. TBD Theatricals is looking to shake up the world of whodunit goodness with a new interactive series called Unfairplay. This new series comes from Andrew Barth Feldmann (Dear Evan Hansen), Tony winner Alessio Boniello (Dear Evan Hansen), AND Matthew Barth Tinkelmann and will be an anthology series in 5 parts. You will be able to watch such beloved actors as Gaten Matrazzo (Stranger things) AND Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) among others freely improvising comic moments.

Thanks to the new first-of-its-kind digital interactive platform created in collaboration with Sigma Software, you will be able to follow different characters in the story to get unique looks and useful clues. You will be able to move between the various rooms and each room will have three cameras to capture different angles and maybe find that key clue. I am very intrigued by this premise.

When the case begins, all the suspects will be together in one room minutes before a murder is about to occur. Once they disperse, Foul Play becomes an interactive game, giving the viewer full access to surveillance cameras in four rooms, each with three different camera views, allowing them to click, follow different suspects, overhear conversations, and gather clues. Foul Play is loosely improvised and every sneaky conversation happens in real time, so the viewer is encouraged to stay eagle-eyed and follow the story threads that are the most suspicious. Or they can just click and follow their favorite character – it’s totally up to them!

Another thing that got me excited is that some of the writers for Unfairplay to include Brennan Lee Mulligan (Size 20), B.Dave Walters (Dungeons & Dragons: A Dark Desire), AND Gollapudi arts (Upright Citizens Brigade). This gives me high hopes for the stories that are being told. Another fun aspect of the interactive series is that you can join the official Discord and chat with others about who you think is the killer, and the top 20 fortune tellers will get access to a live chat with Feldman and Boniello, as well as prizes in Discord. Speaking about the experience, Feldman said:

There is one really special thing that happens when people play our game; we can see a slight flicker behind their eyes and this huge smile appearing on their faces as they realize what we have accomplished and how truly unique and ambitious it is. This is dream stuff, and the fact that I got to make it happen with some of the most amazing and skilled artists and creatives… I mean, the whole thing looks just like my fucking birthday party.

Hunter Arnold by TBD Theatricals added:

We have created a unique virtual platform just for this series. Through this digital platform, viewers can watch and enjoy each case on their own terms as it unfolds. With the ability to follow the characters and scenarios of their choice, they will get a different visual experience every time they watch it.

As mentioned above, Matarazzo and Urie will be the protagonists Unfairplay as well as Ryan Haddad, Rob McClure, Erica Hernandez, Will Roland, Celia Rose Gooding, Alex Brightmann, and many others. The first episode of Unfairplay, “The Mansion Case: Murder at Vanguard Mansion” will premiere April 21 at 9 PM ET. You’ll need to go to foulplay.live to join in the fun, and you’ll need to purchase the episode separately for $9.99 each, or a full season pass for $39.99. You’ll find the full release schedule, a trailer, and how-to video below.

THE MANSION CASE: MURDER AT VANGUARD MANSION

• Premiering April 21 at 9 PM ET

• You have been invited to a dinner party in a sumptuous and mysterious house on the hill. Vanguard, its owner, is known for throwing parties with extremely interesting guests. Sure, you’ve never been one to turn down a dinner party. But be warned: your host might just be a cult leader who worships Henry Winkler.

THE CASE OF REALITY TV: REAL REAL LIFE OF REAL LIFE PEOPLE

• Premiering April 28 at 9 PM ET

• Competition. Ache. Joy. Backstabbing. Join us for a drama-filled episode of The True Real Life of Real Life People: All-Star Edition. Reality’s biggest stars continue their journey of being stuck in a house together to compete for a cash prize. Forget what’s going on outside the doors of this house, no matter how awful it may be… nothing goes wrong in reality TV!

THE CASE OF FILM NOIR: THE CUBIC ZIRCONIA HAWK

• Premiering May 5 at 9 PM ET

• Detective Dick Dickerson is the best private detective in town, but ever since he fired his partner for being a loose cannon, it’s been a disaster. His entire life has been dedicated to the search for the Cubic Zirconia Hawk, a priceless statue for which he was hired anonymously. Today is his birthday, and all he wants this year is to find out who hired him and find the falcon…but he just might end up getting more than he bargained for.

THE FANTASY CASE: THE DARK CURSE OF SAVION PARASOLE

• Premiering May 12 at 9 PM ET

• Welcome to the Whispering Fireball, a tavern where Wizards, Dragonborn, Elves and Goblins can bond over a pint of mead after a long day of adventuring. No fight, magical or otherwise, will EVER take place within the walls of this adventurer’s haven…until the prophecy is fulfilled. That would be bad. The prophecy coming true would be very, VERY bad. Anyway, huh!!

THE CASE OF CHILDREN’S TV: MR. THE WORLD OF ROBERTSON’S IMAGINATION

• Premiering May 19 at 9 PM ET

• For 30 years, Mr. Robertson has made the world a better place with his children’s television show. He has filled the world with so much love that his once inanimate puppets, Kevin Kindness (Gaten Matarazzo) and his friends, have come to life, creating an imaginative world like no other! However, as Mr. Robertson has aged, the puppets of him have also aged… and they are not as loving.