Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQ are about our 1944 Radio show

What is Club Drosselmeyer?

Club Drosselmeyer is an Interactive Nutcracker in swing-time! For four Decembers, we've delighted Bostonians with a WW2-era nightclub and our own live, swing-time version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite played by our 8 piece swing band. In the club, players dress their 1940’s best, solve puzzles, work together, watch our floor show, listen to the excellent band and dance the night away!

Last year, we created the the Club Drosselmeyer 1943 Radio Hour so folks could play safely from their homes, where ever they may be! This year, we're cooking up another radio show with all new new mysteries and adventures featuring your favorite characters: Herr Drosselmeyer, Dr. Clara Stahlbaum, Rhett "the Rat" King, Sugar Faye and Project Nutcracker!

How does the game work?

The Club Drosselmeyer 1944 Radio Hour will have three parts: the Radio Show, the Drosselmeyer Industries Switchboard and the Puzzles. As a player, you can plan the ultimate holiday evening gathered around the radio. There will be no video camera watching you (no Zoom!) and our Drosselmeyer Switchboard will respond to how you play!

The radio show will sound a lot like a 1944 radio drama with a twist: at points during the show, the characters will need your help! Solve puzzles to help Herr Drosselmeyer, Dr. Clara Stahlbaum, and Project Nutcracker save the day!

The Drosselmeyer Industries Switchboard will manage all your interactions with characters in the show with a unique call-in system (yes, real phones!). There will be a combination of prerecorded messages and (for the live show) live interactions with the actors as you get to the bottom of this mystery! Most excitingly - the radio show responds to the puzzles you solve and the choices you make. Listen to the broadcast, call to interact with characters and help them out by cracking codes and solving puzzles. There's always a lot to do at Club Drosselmeyer!

Note: Playing this game will involve making phone calls (617 area code), so please be aware of any fees which may be charged by your phone carrier. Also, Caller ID will be used by our system to track state, so phones with Caller ID blocked will need to temporarily disable it while playing. For international players, we suggest using a cheap VOIP service (like these) to avoid racking up long distance fees and since a 10-digit phone number is required!

What should I buy?

Any purchase (other than an Extra Drosseldossier) includes access to the game! So you just need to decide how you’d like to receive the game materials and whether or not you want to participate in a live show!

If you get the Digital Only version, you’ll get access to printable PDFs of game materials
For the Drosseldossier version, you’ll also get an envelope shipped to your door with the game materials printed

The game materials will include a Drosselmeyer Field Agent Preparedness Manual complete with Slide-o-Matic decoder!

The live shows will take place at a specific time and date: December 18th and December 19th at 7:00PM. If you’ve signed up for one of the live shows and play during your selected time:

You’ll have a chance to interact with the actors live when you call to the Drosselmeyer Switchboard!
Live “operators” will be standing by to help you out with hints if you need them!
You can join us for a post-show digital afterparty where you can meet the creators and actors, and talk with other players!

If you don’t choose to do a live show, you can play at any time (once the game is released!), through the end of 2022! Live show ticket holders will be able to do this as well, if you want to re-play the game to get a different ending!

Note: The radio show broadcast will change based on the decisions you and your team make, so the actual broadcast will not be live. Due to capacity constraints, most phone interactions will be with an automated system. Live interactions will occur at selected points in the game (e.g. when you achieve a particular goal). If you are experiencing a longer than expected wait, you will have the option to skip the live interaction and hear a pre-recorded message instead.