The Film Noir Game Full of Murder, Manipulation & Mayhem

As you could imagine, a typical shindig just wouldn’t cut it for our team here at Broke-Ass Stuart. This year, for our holiday party, we decided to spice it up by, you know, casually plotting each other’s demise. Okay, maybe not entirely kidding. We collaborated with The Racket, an immersive film noir game that strikes the perfect balance between humor, excitement, and mystery.

Broke-Ass Stuart Team Holiday Party in Collaboration with The Racket – all photos by Vita Hewitt

Picture a mix between a parlor game and a wild rat race, plunging everyone headfirst into the cool world of Noir cinema. It’s basically our way of saying, “Why have a regular holiday party when you can have a cinematic adventure with a touch of mischief?” 

Photo by Vita Hewitt

The Choose-Your Own Adventure Party With a Noir Twist

What exactly does that look like? The event is a dramatic experience sans actors, a game with minimal rules, and a Film Noir fantasy that blurs the boundaries between player, hero, and villain. It’s an immersive journey where participants come dressed in film noir themed black & white outfits only to become the architects of their own Noir narrative, ensuring an unforgettable and unpredictable immersive experience.

Stuart and his wife Kayla – photo by Vita Hewitt

We all got our own characters to play that evening. Equipped with a new identity, we navigated an underground soiree where clandestine deals unfold in back rooms, black markets flourish, and everyone vies to amass the most wealth by the end of the night.

The Racket film noir game pieces are beautifully on-theme – photo by Vita Hewitt

As the night rolled on, pretty much everyone at the party ended up teaming up or outsmarting each other. For those who are a little more introverted, you can find a quiet corner and participate in whatever way feels comfortable to you. There’s absolutely no pressure to participate, though the experience becomes significantly more fun when you do.

Co-Creator of The Racket, Rebecca Power, gives out an award to our Events Coordinator, Vanessa – photo by Vita Hewitt

For me, I ran for Mayor so that I could engage with others in a light and fun way while also earning some money. Whether you’re pulling off a wild casino heist, building your own mafia kingdom, or quietly taking out the less vigilant partygoers, you’ve got all the options in the world. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, but with a noir twist!

Myself (Katy) and Marissa Joy Clark… The Mayor and Judge, respectfully – photo by Vita Hewitt

The Origin of The Racket

The Racket is co-founded by Rebecca Power and Justin Hinojoza. Their company, Hoax, started up in 2013 and occasionally collaborates with other artists on custom work.

Our Event Coordinator, Vanessa, won first prize – photo by Vita Hewitt

About a year and a half ago, I crossed paths with the crew from The Racket, aka Hoax, thanks to some mutual friends. However, it wasn’t until I decided to throw our team holiday party with them that I truly got to know Rebecca Power, their Co-Founder, and the rest of the squad. Their backstory is seriously inspiring because it’s a testament to the fact that a creative notion and a bit of inspiration can blossom from the tiniest seed of an idea.

Iris enjoying some down time in the game – photo by Vita Hewitt

“The Racket started as the result of a botched Murder Mystery party put on by my co-founder, Justin Hinojoza, while the two of us were still at Berkeley together. He’d found a copy of the game Murder on the Orient Express in a thrift store and been turned off by the gender and racial stereotypes, so he decided to write his own Murder Mystery and put it on for his friends. The game was somewhat of a logistical disaster, and it inspired him to start exploring alternative mechanics for party games. I was invited to his next experiment, assumed the role of The Banker, and caused chaos by requisitioning the bathroom with my new friend The Mayor to use as our secret headquarters. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had, and that night I told him I wanted to help him with his project.”

Rebecca Power and two hosts from Hoax – photo by Vita Hewitt

“We spent the next several years working on the game as a hobby while we graduated from school and took our first jobs. Eventually, after about a dozen iterations, we had something salable. We spent another year or two polishing and hosting the game largely as house parties before beginning to focus on corporate events. Since about 2016 we’ve slowly grown the business into a full-time entertainment company. As of now, we’ve run the game about 400 times in venues all over the Bay Area,” Rebecca shares with me. 

Co-owner of Broke-Ass Stuart, Alex (center), gives a look as if he’s up to no good, along with Schatzie and Stephen photo by Vita Hewitt

What Sets The Racket Apart?

By now, you’ve likely grasped what makes The Racket unique but it also comes down to their mission from the very beginning. 

“We wanted to solve the problem of the boring house party. As college students, we found ourselves spending a lot of time holding red solo cups and asking the same 3 questions. “What’s your major?”, “Where are you from?”, “What dorm are you in?” As we got older, it became “What do you do for a living?” We were seeking meaningful connections and novel experiences, but the standard party setup wasn’t creating those opportunities for us. Our goal for The Racket was to create a party where everyone felt like they had permission and an incentive to connect with strangers and the ability to make a story together,” Rebecca recalled.

Schatzie and Sandwich photo by Vita Hewitt

In this game, your objective is to accumulate as much money as possible within the given time—even if it involves “murdering” your fellow players. The Racket embarked on its mission from the start: to transform the conventional notion of parties, and they’ve accomplished precisely that. More than just entertainment, The Racket serves as a remedy for commonplace gatherings.

photo by Vita Hewitt

Where can you play The Racket or Find Them Online?

This was the perfect holiday party for our small and mighty team. It’s that perfect blend of silliness, adventure and some (dare I say it) team building. The best part? This isn’t confined to holiday revelries or team events—it’s a year-round adventure for anyone seeking a good time with friends or even a way to meet some new folks you can click with.

In the future, you may find The Racket played in venues outside of The Bay Area. The team at Hoax is hoping to expand. For now, Hoax hosts The Racket as a ticketed nighttime event approximately once a quarter, providing opportunities for members of their mailing list to attend playtests of their other works. New events are also promoted on their social media accounts, @theracketsf and @hausofhoax.

photo by Vita Hewitt

Find The Racket and Hoax Online Here:

Facebook: @hausofhoax and @theracketsf
IG: @hausofhoax and @theracketsf
Twitter: @hausofhoax
Website: www.theracket.party, www.hoax.studio

John William Law plotting his next move at city center – photo by Vita Hewitt