Broadway: 1849 12+

This is an exciting game with delightful characters and tons of historical detail.

It’s much more than a management sim; you’re also tasked with finding your way in 19th C. New York society and culture. You make alliances or enemies with actual people from the time (and a few memorable characters from literature). It’s not only your ability to mount a successful play but also your skill in making the right friends that can avert disaster and lead to box office triumph.

The game is fast-paced, immersive, and it has good replay value. The writing is vivid, light-hearted, and very readable. Highly recommended!

On my second playthrough now, but if you've enjoyed other Choice Of offerings, know that this one runs a little shorter than the rest. A compelling setting and several points of intrigue, but the amount of parameters your choices have an effect on can be confusing. Sometimes it went on too long without choices, or choices were made for you when branching paths felt expected. The main draw of the game, making creative and practical decisions for theatre, came too few and far in between. The plays felt like a backdrop, unlike the more process-focused offering in "Hollywood Visionary," where you had more say in the creative process. The rivalry was too plain to sustain interest and the supernatural subplot was rushed. I'd love to see an update fleshing out the subplots, adding a few choices to improve the pacing and agency, making the villain less one-dimensional, and making the (optional) romantic subplots more than a blip. Also was not expecting the first actor I picked to automatically be picked for every new play, and some characters dropped off the map completely. You'll still get your money's worth, but this needed a longer beta.

This is a really enjoyable choose-your-own-adventure set in a fascinating, volatile time and place. It’s a jam-packed cabinet of curiosities, filled with vivid characters and memorable scenes. Highly recommended!