You know that feeling when a show you love decides to release a tie-in product and you just know it’s probably a cash grab? I felt that exact skepticism when I first heard about the Only Murders in the Building board game. It’s a common story in the tabletop world. Big IP meets cardboard, results are mediocre. But then I actually sat down with it.
Honestly, it’s not what I expected.
Most mystery games try to be Clue. They want you to move through a house, guess a weapon, and call it a day. This one, officially titled Only Murders in the Building: The Board Game, tries to capture that specific, chaotic energy of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. It’s published by Goldsmith Games, and if you’ve spent any time in the Arconia, you’ll recognize the vibe immediately. It isn't just about finding a killer. It's about the podcast. It's about the secrets people hide in high-end New York apartments.
How the Only Murders in the Building Board Game Actually Plays
The game is designed for 1 to 4 players. Yeah, you can play it solo, which is a nice touch for those of us who occasionally want to channel our inner Brazzos without company.
Basically, the goal is to solve the murder before the lead detective (usually Detective Williams) catches up to you. You’re moving through the Arconia, searching apartments, and collecting evidence. But here is the kicker: you’re also trying to gain followers for your podcast. Because in the world of the show, solving the crime doesn't mean much if nobody is listening to the episode.
The board itself is a top-down view of the Arconia. It’s stylized. It looks like the opening credits.
Players take on the roles of the main trio. Each character has their own specific strengths, which actually feels thematic. Oliver is all about the spectacle and the podcasting side of things. Charles is more about the methodical (and sometimes awkward) investigation. Mabel is the glue. You aren’t just rolling dice and moving; you’re managing a hand of cards that represent your "leads" and your "production value."
The game uses a deck of cards to drive the narrative. You’ll encounter "Secret" cards and "Lead" cards. Some secrets are just flavor—vignettes of the weirdos living in the building—while others are the key to pinning the crime on a suspect. You have to decide which leads are worth chasing. Time is your biggest enemy. Every turn you take, the "Police" token moves closer to closing the case. If they get there first, you lose. It’s a race.
Why the "Podcast" Mechanic Matters
Most mystery games are "one and done." Once you know who did it, the box sits on the shelf gathering dust until you find a new group of friends who haven't played it.
The Only Murders in the Building board game tries to solve this with a variable setup. There are multiple suspects and different combinations of evidence. While it’s not an infinite replay machine like a heavy strategy game, it offers way more longevity than a standard escape room in a box. The podcasting track is what really separates it from the pack. You have to balance "solving the crime" with "making good content."
If you focus too much on the killer, your podcast fails. If you focus too much on the podcast, the police shut you down. It’s a tightrope.
The Component Quality (The Real Talk)
Let’s be real for a second. We’ve all bought games based on movies or shows where the pieces felt like they came out of a cereal box.
Goldsmith Games did a decent job here, but it's not a "premium" boutique board game. The cards are standard weight. The tokens are cardboard. The art, however, is the saving grace. It leans heavily into the aesthetic of the show—those deep teals, the oranges, and the silhouette-heavy illustrations. It looks great on a coffee table. It feels like an extension of the Hulu series rather than a cheap imitation.
If you’re a "sleeper" (someone who puts their cards in plastic protectors), the card stock might feel a bit thin to you. For the casual fan? It’s perfectly fine.
Who Is This Game Actually For?
If you are a hardcore "Euro-gamer" who spends their weekends playing four-hour sessions of Terraforming Mars, this isn't going to satisfy you. It’s a light-to-mid-weight game.
It’s for the people who host viewing parties. It’s for the family that wants something more engaging than Monopoly but less intimidating than Gloomhaven. The rules are straightforward enough that you can teach them in about ten minutes. That is a huge plus. Nothing kills a game night faster than forty-five minutes of reading a rulebook while everyone else looks at their phones.
The game thrives on the "metagame"—the table talk. Because you’re playing cooperatively, you’re constantly debating which apartment to hit next. "Do we trust Howard?" "Is the cat involved?" These are the questions you’ll be asking.
Dealing with the "Spoilers" Myth
A common concern I see online is people asking if the game spoils the show.
No. It doesn't.
It uses the setting and the characters, but the specific "case" you are solving in the box isn't a beat-for-beat recreation of Season 1 or Season 2. You don’t need to have seen every episode to play, though the inside jokes land much better if you have. If you know who Tie-Dye Guy is, you’ll have a better time. If you don’t, it’s just a mystery game.
Strategy Tips for Your First Session
Don't just run toward the biggest clues. It's a rookie mistake.
First off, keep an eye on the Detective track. It moves faster than you think. If you spend three turns in the same room trying to optimize a single lead, you’re going to run out of time. You need to divide and conquer. Charles should be looking for the hard evidence while Oliver pumps the podcast track.
Secondly, use your character abilities every single time they are applicable. I've seen people forget they have a special power until the last two rounds. In a game this tight, those "free" actions or bonus cards are the difference between a successful podcast and a "Cease and Desist" from the NYPD.
Lastly, pay attention to the "Secret" cards. Some of them seem like dead ends, but they often provide the shortcuts you need to bypass certain board obstacles. New York living is all about knowing the right people, and the game reflects that.
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Where to Find It
You won't usually find this at your local niche hobby shop tucked between the $100 miniatures. It’s a mass-market title. Think Target, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. It usually retails around $25 to $30.
For that price point, the value is solid. You’re getting a couple of nights of solid entertainment. It makes a great gift for that one friend who won't stop talking about Selena Gomez's knitwear.
The Verdict on Arconia's Tabletop Debut
Is the Only Murders in the Building board game a masterpiece of game design? No. But it is a genuinely fun, thematic experience that respects the source material. It captures the humor and the slight tension of the series without becoming overly complicated.
It succeeds because it knows what it is: a social mystery game for fans.
If you want to get the most out of it, don't play it like a math problem. Play it like you're recording a podcast. Lean into the characters. Argue about the clues. It’s the interaction between the players that makes this game work, just like the chemistry between the leads makes the show work.
Your Next Steps:
- Check your group size: Make sure you have at least two people for the best experience; while solo works, the "discussion" aspect of the mystery is lost.
- Clear the table: The board is surprisingly long, so you’ll need more space than a standard card game requires.
- Refresh your memory: Watch an episode or two of Season 1 to get back into the headspace of the Arconia's layout; it actually helps with the immersion.
- Monitor the clock: Set a "hard stop" for the Detective track to keep the tension high; the game is most fun when you're down to the wire.
Buying the game is only half the battle; the real trick is getting your friends to stop talking about the show long enough to actually finish a round. Good luck, and try not to get evicted. Or murdered. Either one is a bummer.