These free murder mystery games will make sure you have everything you need to throw a murder mystery dinner or party, without having to spend the usual $20-$75 to buy the party kit that you'll probably only use once.
These games are good for 6-28 guests, so you should be able to find a great game no matter what the size of your party. Each game includes character descriptions and scripts so your guests will be ready to get into the game. Usb ethernet adapter windows 10. Some of the free games also include free invitations, name tags, props, and more.
Here are some other spooky party games for adults and silly adult party games that you may want to incorporate into your murder mystery party.
- Sour Grapes of Wrath: This free murder mystery game includes an almost 70-page file that includes planning instructions, party invitations, costume suggestions, name tags, rules, secret clues, maps, accusation sheets, suspect dossiers, and the solution.
- Free Murder Mystery Game for Tweens: This free murder mystery game is targeted towards kids who are 10-12 year old but I think it would also work well for an adult murder mystery party. This free kit includes a master plot spreadsheet as well as a list of characters. Each guest has it's very own printable party invitation as well as instructions. Props including a sign and birth certificate are also included for free.
- The Little Engine That Could Kill: This free murder mystery game includes parts for 8 players to figure out who murdered a passenger on the express train from India to Portugal. In-depth profiles are included for each character.
- The Romanian Uranium Mystery: Here's a very detailed murder mystery game that includes a scripted show, as well as an improved show, that's set around your dinner party.
- Way Out West: Here's a free murder mystery game that includes the set-up, characters, script, clues, and more. You'll need to subscribe to their free newsletter for the complete package.
- Harry Potter Mystery Dinner: This murder mystery script is for all the Harry Potter fans out there. Download the free script, character cards, evidence documents, memos, and directions all for free.
- Jazz Age Jeopardy: Here's a murder mystery that's set in a 1920's jazz club in New York City. The free PDF file includes an introduction, instructions, party guidebook, character sheets, clue cards, and voting sheets. Up to 15 people can play this one.
- Butler Kicks the Bucket: Download free murder mystery character cards and play the free Butler Kicks the Bucket murder mystery. There are enough cards for up to 15 players.
- Mafia Party Game: A fun detective style murder mystery game that's for 7-24 players.
- Murder, She Wrote: This is a free printable that you can use to help Angela Landsbury solve crimes while binging Murder, She Wrote on Netflix. You'll have to guess who the murder was, the motive, and the details of the killer. This murder mystery game can be played by yourself or with a whole group of friends gathered around the TV.
- The Murder Mystery: This is a casino themed murder mystery party game that includes character profiles and clues. Sample emails and invitation wording is included as well.
- The Business of Murder: This murder mystery game has everything you need to throw a very detailed murder mystery. Clues and invitations are all included in one convenient download. This game is for 7-8 players.
- Murder at the Ugly Sweater Party: This is a 50-page PDF that includes host instructions, guest instructions, game clues party materials, forensic reports, and investigative sheets.
Play Title | Writer | Location | Language | Genre | More Info |
Abe Lincoln | Richard Nathan | Richard Nathan Scripts | full length | Comedy, Sci-Fi | play |
Ace of Diamonds | T. James Belich | Open Wardrobes: The Theatre of Colorado Tolston | Murder Mystery | play | |
Acharnians, The | Aristophanes | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Acharnians, The | Aristophanes | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Acharnians, The | Aristophanes | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Adúltera virtuosa , La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Adversa fortuna de don Alvaro de Luna, La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Adversa fortuna de don Bernardo de Cabrera , La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Agamemenon | Aeschylus | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Agamemenon | Aeschylus | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Agamemnon 2.0 | Charles Mee | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Ajax | Sophocles | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Ajax | Sophocles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Ajax | Sophocles | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Alcalde del Zalamea , El | Calderón de la Barca, Pedro | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Alcestis | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Alcestis | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Alchemist , The | Jonson, Ben | Humanities Text Initiative | English | play | |
All Clear | Richard Nathan | Richard Nathan Scripts | full length | Comedy, Sci-Fi | play |
All's Well That Ends Well | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Amazons | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | full length | Historical Drama | play |
American Pies, Happy Lives, Blue Skies and Other Lies | Christner, Dave | Vietnam Veteran's Home Page | English | play | |
Amor, ingenio y mujer | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Amours de Microton, ou les Charmes d'Orcan, Les | Anonymous | Theatre de la foire | French | play | |
Amparo de los hombres, El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
And the Lion Shall lie Down (one-act) | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | English | play | |
Andromache | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Andromache | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Animal profeta , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Antigone | Sophocles | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Antigone | Sophocles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Antigone | Sophocles | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Antony and Cleopatra | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Tragedy | play |
Antony and Cleopatra | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Arms and the Man | George Bernard Shaw | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Arpa de David , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
arte nuevo de hacer comedias , El | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
As You Like It | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Comedy | play |
As You Like It | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Auld Alliance, The | Boyd, Edward | STARN | English | play | |
Auto de los Reyes Magos | Anonymous | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Bacchae , The | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Bacchae , The | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Bacchae 2.0, The | Charles Mee | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Balcones de Madrid , Los | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Balconies of Madrid (Los balcones de Madrid) , The | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | English | play | |
Bartholomew Fair | Ben Johnson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Beggar's Opera , The | Gay, John | DarkWing | English | play | |
Beyond the Horizon | O'Neill, Eugene | Bartleby.com | English | play | |
Bindermeyer Theory | Nicholas Wardigo | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Birds, The | Aristophanes | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Birds, The | Aristophanes | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Birds, The | Aristophanes | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Blackout | Lawenda Jones | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Blue Room, The | David Hare | Team Nicole | word for word | Drama | transcript |
Bomber, The | Eric Ferguson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Box | Rich Smolen | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Burlador de Sevilla , El | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Caballero de Olmedo , El | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Caballero sin nombre, El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Caesar and Cleopatra | George Bernard Shaw | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Car, The | Eric Ferguson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Carboneros de Francia , Los | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Casa del tahur , La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Cast Spell | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | one-act | play | |
Castigo sin venganza , El | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Catiline | Ben Johnson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Catiline | Jonson, Ben | Humanities Text Initiative | English | play | |
Cautela contra cautela | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Chaste Maid in Cheapside | Thomas Middleton | Tech.org | English | play | |
Chaste Maid in Cheapside , A | Middleton, Thomas | Tech.org | English | play | |
Choices - aka Under Siege | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | full length | Comedy | play |
Chrysippus | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Cicero en Catilina | Elvervelt, Hendrik van | University of Leiden | Dutch | play | |
Cid , Le | Corneille, Pierre | ABU : la Bibliothèque Universelle | French | play | |
Circé en Postures | Anonymous | Theatre de la foire | French | play | |
City Heiress, The | Behn, Aphra | Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia | English | play | |
Clavo de Jael , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Clouds, The | Aristophanes | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Clouds, The | Aristophanes | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Clouds, The | Aristophanes | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Colmenero divino, El | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Comedy of Errors | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Comedy | play |
Comedy of Errors, The | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Complete online works | Middleton, Thomas | Tech.org | English | play | |
Conde Alarcos , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Condenado por desconfiado , El | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Confusíon de Hungría, La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Conquista de México, La | Zárate, Fernando de (Antonio Enríquez Gómez) | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Conventional Behavior | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | one-act | play | |
Coriolanus | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Tragedy | play |
Coriolanus | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Cowboys Don't Look Down | John Biggs | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Cuatro milagros de Amor | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Cyclops , The | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Cyclops , The | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Cymbeline | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Comedy | play |
Cymbeline | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Cynthia's Revels | Jonson, Ben | Humanities Text Initiative | English | play | |
Cyrano de Bergerac | Rostand, Edmond | ABU : la Bibliothèque Universelle | French | play | |
Dama boba , La | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Dangerous Angels | Scott Sickles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Dark Lady of the Sonnets | George Bernard Shaw | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
De gelukt list | Arduum, Nil Volentibus | University of Leiden | Dutch | play | |
Dead Rats | Paul Knag | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Desdén con el desdén , El | Moreto, Agustín | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Desgracias del rey Alfonso el casto, Las | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Deus ex machina (one-act) | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | one-act | play | |
Dinosaurs | Richard Nathan | Richard Nathan Scripts | full length | Comedy, Sci-Fi | play |
Discreta enamorada , La | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Divertissements de la foire, Les | Anonymous | Theatre de la foire | French | play | |
Dom Juan | Moliere | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Don Gil de las calzas verdes | Tirso de Molina | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Dziadza and the Red Squirrel | John Biggs | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Ecclesiazusae, The | Aristophanes | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Ecclesiazusae, The | Aristophanes | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Ecclesiazusae, The | Aristophanes | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Ejemplo mayor de la desdicha , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Electra | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Electra | Sophocles | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Electra | Sophocles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Electra | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Electra | Sophocles | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Elegy (short one-act) | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | one-act | play | |
empeños de una casa , Los | Juana Inés de la Cruz, Sor | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
End, The | Richard Nathan | Richard Nathan Scripts | full length | Comedy, Sci-Fi | play |
Entremés de Getafe | Hurtado de Mendoza, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Entremés de Miser Palomo, part 1 | Hurtado de Mendoza, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Entremés de Miser Palomo, part 2 | Hurtado de Mendoza, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Epicoene | Ben Johnson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Eponine | T. James Belich | Open Wardrobes: The Theatre of Colorado Tolston | Contemporary | play | |
Erroneous Zones | Scott Sickles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Esclavo del demonio , El | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Españoles en Chile, Los | Gonzáles de Bustos, Francisco | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Eumenides | Aeschylus | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Eumenides | Aeschylus | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Every Man in His Humor | Ben Johnson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Everyman | Anonymous | Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia | English | play | |
Examinarse de Rey | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Expatriates, The | Charles L. Cron | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Family of Love , The | Middleton, Thomas | Tech.org | English | play | |
Fantasia for String Trio (one-act) | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | English | play | |
Faust | Johann von Goethe | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Fénix de Salamanca , La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Fielebout | Arduum, Nil Volentibus | University of Leiden | Dutch | play | |
Forces de l'amour et de la magie, Les | Anonymous | Theatre de la foire | French | play | |
Forever Yours Marielou | Tremblay, Michael | STARN | English | Drama | play |
Foxhole, The | Eric Ferguson | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Frogs, The | Aristophanes | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Frogs, The | Aristophanes | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Frogs, The | Aristophanes | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
From The Calton to Cataluna | Maley, John and Willy | STARN | English | Drama | play |
Fuenteovejuna | Vega, Lope de | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Galán, valiente y discreto | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Gallowglass | Maley, John and Willy | STARN | English | Drama | play |
Gambler's House (La casa del tahur) | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | English | play | |
Gammer Gurton's Needle | Anonymous | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Gender Agenda (one-act), The | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | one-act | play | |
Genealogy of a Kiss | Scott Sickles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Gli Innamorati | Goldoni, Carlo | CRS4 Home Page | Italian | play | |
Good Blood and High Standards | Horton, G. L. | Horton's Stage Plays | full length | Drama | play |
Gysbregt van Aemstel | Vondel, Joost van den | University of Leiden | Dutch | play | |
Hamlet | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | Tragedy | play |
Hamlet | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Hamlet (1603 Quarto) | Shakespeare, William | Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia | English | play | |
Hamlet (1604 Quarto) | Shakespeare, William | Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia | English | play | |
Happenstance | Scott Sickles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
Hard Candy | Rand, Jonathan | PlayScripts.com | English | play | |
Hecuba | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Hecuba | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Helen | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Helen | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Heliogabalus | Tysens, Gijsbert | University of Leiden | Dutch | play | |
Henry IV Part 1 | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry IV Part 2 | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry IV, part 1 | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry IV, part 2 | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry V | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry V | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry VI Part 1 | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry VI Part 2 | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry VI Part 3 | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry VI, part 1 | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry VI, part 2 | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry VI, part 3 | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Henry VIII | William Shakespeare | English Server Drama Collection | English | History | play |
Henry VIII | Shakespeare, William | MIT's Complete Works of Shakespeare | English | play | |
Heracleidae , The | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Heracles | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Heracles | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Heraclidae , The | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Hero y Leandro | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Hija de Carlos V, La | Mira de Amescua, Antonio | Comedia | Spanish | play | |
Hippolytus | Euripides | The Internet Classics Archive | English | play | |
Hippolytus | Euripides | The Perseus Digital Library | Greek | play | |
Holidaze | Scott Sickles | English Server Drama Collection | English | play | |
House Among the Stars, The | Tremblay, Michael | STARN | English | Drama | play |
Hypnotists, The | Jeffrey Parenti | English Server Drama Collection | English | play |
Are you looking for original play scripts to use in your classroom? Drama teachers and directors may use these one-act plays free for educational purposes.
Written by playwright Wade Bradford, this collection of short plays primarily includes comedies that your young cast and students can hone their skills on, featuring scenarios that include time travel, talking turkeys, and even a little romance.
Each of Bradford's play scripts included here is royalty-free, so you can use them in your classroom or amateur theater productions without worry. Below you will also find a resource for radio drama scripts that can be used with character exercises that emphasize voice for action.
'12 Angry Pigs'
The 10-minute play '12 Angry Pigs' is a parody of the famous play '12 Angry Men.' It not only offers a humorous opportunity for actors of all levels, but it also provides a glimpse into the jury and justice system. Of course, there's a little allusion to 'The Three Little Pigs' mixed in as well.
Both educational and hilarious, '12 Angry Pigs' has been performed all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands.
'Back to the Summer'
Perfect for young performers, 'Back to the Summer' is a quick and witty play that gives your class a lot of creative freedom. Add your own soundtrack, have students write jokes—do whatever you like to create a positive experience for your young actors.
The premise of the play follows three friends who take a time machine back to the 1980s. This sets a chain of events in motion that stirs up historical figures from the Golden Age of pirates, the Old West, and Ancient Egypt. Even Thomas Edison makes a brief appearance.
It is a fun romp through time that actors of all ages will enjoy.
'A History of Messy Rooms'
This short play for children is based on Wade Bradford's picture book 'Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? Or, a History of Messy Rooms.'
What begins as a simple question turns into a history lesson that examines the lives (and chores) of children throughout the ages. In it, the two main characters—Mom and Jamie—are visited by children from various eras.
It is a fun, short production that allows young actors to explore simple dialogue and action.
'Montana Jones and the Gymnasium of Doom'
Written for performers between ages 10 and 14, 'Montana Jones and the Gymnasium of Doom' is a simple one-act comedy that kids of that age will relate to.
Two friends sit at the bus stop, lamenting their boring life in a new middle school, wishing for the days when they could play at recess and make up pretend adventures. That's when Montana Jones, part-time explorer and full-time fool, swoops in, taking the kids on a journey to discover their school in a whole new way.
'Cinema Limbo'
A two-person scene that takes place at a movie theater box office, 'Cinema Limbo' requires just two office chairs for the stage set. This is a play that may make some teenagers uncomfortable, but that's OK—this is acting.
Employees Vicky and Joshua are having a friendly conversation that suddenly turns romantic. (Despite the fact that she already has a boyfriend!)
'Terri and the Turkey'
Holiday play 'Terri and the Turkey,' tells the story of an unfortunate turkey that realizes that today is Thanksgiving. Guess who has a date with the chopping block? Lucky for him, a kindhearted girl named Terri wants to give the turkey a second chance at life.
Free Play Scripts For Schools
Your drama students will get a chuckle out of the ending, so you might want to surprise them with the first reading.
Radio Drama Scripts
The 'Generic Radio Drama' website has created a wonderful list of classic radio drama scripts. Although radio drama and live theater are two very different art forms, these scripts can still be excellent learning resources. Material exists from the following shows:
- 'Abbot and Costello'
- 'Flash Gordon'
- 'Little Orphan Annie'
- 'The Lone Ranger'
These scripts are suitable for performances within the classroom environment. However, if you are thinking of staging a professional production, check out the website’s discussion about copyrighted material. Some of the radio scripts are now in the public domain, while others require permission.
The village of Snickerton has a new community hall and all the local groups get together to organise an opening day that will never be forgotten. Pity Mel, the poor official from the local council who has to try to keep apart the warring factions. There is Mike, the bombastic chaiman from the choral society, who clashes with Chris, his deadly rival, as well as just about anyone else who dare to disagree with him. Add a couple of lovies from the am dram, some representatives of Churches Together who couldn't be further apart, the leader of the cubs and beavers who sees things in the night, and a host of other characters including a caretaker with a very unfortunate name. Community Spirit is a large cast play with eleven speaking roles and any number of none speaking roles that starts out as a comedy of manners but by the end is pure farce. Great fun for any theatre group looking to involve as many of their members as possible. 68 pages (Play, Comedy) pdf format
Discuss this script on the Discussion Board
If you want to write movie screenplays, you need to read movie screenplays – it’s just as essential as batting practice for professional baseball players. Reading in general is important, whether it’s novels, comics, or the backs of cereal boxes—even if you’re not paying attention, your brain is remembering hundreds if not thousands of subtle connections between language and storytelling.
Reading screenplays provides an added benefit—allowing you and your brain to see proper formatting in action. It’s also vital for aspiring screenwriters to see the difference between how scenes play out on the page and how they play out on the screen. Finally, while proper screenwriting adheres to a very rigid format, it’s extremely useful to see how various writers work within those rules and even use them to their advantage. Even if you know exactly what you’re seeing, your brain is actively learning and your subconscious is absorbing more and stronger information with every script you read.
By reading screenplay after screenplay, you will get a sense of how you can write your own.
Here, then, are ten websites that allow you to download professional movie scripts. Start clicking and start reading today—if not for your own sake, at least do it for your brain’s.
1. IMSDB – Internet Movie Screenplay Database
IMDB has proven a valuable resource for researching movie crews, casts, and trivia. IMSDB is just as useful for those looking for screenplays of all kinds and genres.
2. Go Into the Story
Go Into the Story is the official blog for The Blacklist, the screenwriting community famous for its annual top ten list of unproduced scripts. One useful feature of Go Into the Story is its bank of downloadable movie scripts.
3. Drew’s Script-o-Rama
The titular Drew has been sharing scripts with curious readers and writers for almost two decades now, and has a vast library from which to choose from. A great benefit of Script-O-Rama is that it holds several drafts of certain movies, an invaluable resource for those who want to see how a Hollywood film evolves in the writing process.
4. Simply Scripts
Simply Scripts has a wide, diverse library that also includes plays and non-English screenplays. It’s also constantly updated, providing scripts to current movies such as Interstellar and Foxcatcher.
5. AwesomeFilm
AwesomeFilm is another resource with dozens of scripts you can download with a single click, alphabetized for easy searching. If you’re looking for a screenplay to read, this site is, well, awesome.
6. Screenplays For You
Screenplays For You is a clean, smooth website with hundreds of scripts. You’re more than likely to find something from the genre you need—its library boasts everything from low-key award-winning dramas like Sideways to action blockbusters like Avatar.
7. The Daily Script
The Daily Script offers a ton of screenplays in a very simple, easy-to-navigate layout. It keeps things homey for the typical screenwriter, even using Courier New as its primary font.
8. The Screenplay Database
The Screenplay Database is another useful resource with a large choice of scripts to choose from. If you’re interested in a certain type of film, the website also allows you to search its library by genre, to better allow you to window shop and find something you didn’t even know you were looking for.
9. The Script Lab
The Script Lab comes in handy if you’re looking for more recent screenplays. Its front page divides its library into the three most recent years of releases, so if there’s something from 2014 you’d like, for instance Birdman or Boyhood, this is the website for you.
10. Movie Scripts and Screenplays
Free Play Scripts For Kids
You’ve got to love the straightforward title. Movie Scripts and Screenplays gives you exactly what it says, with a long list of manuscripts that you can also directly find with its search function.
Free Play Scripts One Act
All writers know that reading great material is an essential part of honing and building your craft. Marlboro menthol lights carton. But if you’re ready to take the next step in developing your skills as a screenwriter with the most hands-on, intensive training in the world, check out NYFA’s screenwriting programs. Looking for a long-distance way to take your writing to the next level? Check out NYFA’s online screenwriting program options.