diff --git a/client/src/scripts/howToUse.js b/client/src/scripts/howToUse.js
index e7d2679..6cf8d9d 100644
--- a/client/src/scripts/howToUse.js
+++ b/client/src/scripts/howToUse.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { injectNavbar } from '../modules/Navbar.js';
 
-const howToUse = () => { injectNavbar(); };
+const howToUse = () => {
+    injectNavbar();
+};
 
 if (typeof module !== 'undefined' && typeof module.exports !== 'undefined') {
     module.exports = howToUse;
diff --git a/client/src/scripts/notFound.js b/client/src/scripts/notFound.js
index 68e7047..e83aec9 100644
--- a/client/src/scripts/notFound.js
+++ b/client/src/scripts/notFound.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { injectNavbar } from '../modules/Navbar.js';
 
-const notFound = () => { injectNavbar(); };
+const notFound = () => {
+    injectNavbar();
+};
 
 if (typeof module !== 'undefined' && typeof module.exports !== 'undefined') {
     module.exports = notFound;
diff --git a/client/src/styles/game.css b/client/src/styles/game.css
index ab35553..4d6708c 100644
--- a/client/src/styles/game.css
+++ b/client/src/styles/game.css
@@ -271,6 +271,10 @@ h1 {
     -moz-user-select: none;
 }
 
+#game-role:active, #game-role-back:active {
+    filter: brightness(0.85);
+}
+
 .game-role-good {
     border: 5px solid #5469c5 !important;
 }
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 28fcfce..a473d39 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -3,15 +3,12 @@
 const express = require('express');
 const path = require('path');
 const app = express();
-const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
 const GameManager = require('./server/modules/GameManager.js');
+const SocketManager = require('./server/modules/SocketManager.js');
 const globals = require('./server/config/globals');
 const ServerBootstrapper = require('./server/modules/ServerBootstrapper');
 
-app.use(bodyParser.json());
-app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({
-    extended: true
-}));
+app.use(express.json());
 
 const args = ServerBootstrapper.processCLIArgs();
 
@@ -34,6 +31,9 @@ if (process.env.NODE_ENV.trim() === 'development') {
     gameManager = new GameManager(logger, globals.ENVIRONMENT.PRODUCTION, gameNamespace).getInstance();
 }
 
+/* Instantiate the singleton socket manager */
+const socketManager = new SocketManager(logger, inGameSocketServer).getInstance();
+
 gameNamespace.on('connection', function (socket) {
     socket.on('disconnecting', (reason) => {
         logger.trace('client socket disconnecting because: ' + reason);
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ gameNamespace.on('connection', function (socket) {
 
 /* api endpoints */
 const games = require('./server/api/GamesAPI');
+const admin = require('./server/api/AdminAPI');
 app.use('/api/games', games);
+app.use('/api/admin', admin);
 
 /* serve all the app's pages */
 app.use('/manifest.json', (req, res) => {
diff --git a/server/api/AdminAPI.js b/server/api/AdminAPI.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e2e89b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/api/AdminAPI.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+const express = require('express');
+const router = express.Router();
+const debugMode = Array.from(process.argv.map((arg) => arg.trim().toLowerCase())).includes('debug');
+const logger = require('../modules/Logger')(debugMode);
+const socketManager = new (require('../modules/SocketManager.js'))().getInstance();
+const gameManager = new (require('../modules/GameManager.js'))().getInstance();
+const globals = require('../config/globals.js');
+const cors = require('cors');
+const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit').default;
+
+const KEY = process.env.NODE_ENV.trim() === 'development'
+    ? globals.MOCK_AUTH
+    : process.env.ADMIN_KEY;
+
+const apiLimiter = rateLimit({
+    windowMs: 60000,
+    max: 50,
+    standardHeaders: true,
+    legacyHeaders: false
+});
+
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV.trim() === 'production') {
+    router.use(apiLimiter);
+}
+
+router.use(cors(globals.CORS));
+
+router.use((req, res, next) => {
+    req.accepts();
+    if (isAuthorized(req)) {
+        next();
+    } else {
+        res.status(401).send('You are not authorized to make this request.');
+    }
+});
+
+router.post('/sockets/broadcast', (req, res, next) => {
+    globals.CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR(req, res, next);
+});
+router.put('/games/state', (req, res, next) => {
+    globals.CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR(req, res, next);
+});
+
+// TODO: implement client-side display of this message.
+router.post('/sockets/broadcast', function (req, res) {
+    logger.info('admin user broadcasting message: ' + req.body?.message);
+    socketManager.broadcast(req.body?.message);
+    res.status(201).send('Broadcasted message to all connected sockets: ' + req.body?.message);
+});
+
+router.get('/games/state', function (req, res) {
+    res.status(200).send(gameManager.activeGameRunner.activeGames);
+});
+
+router.put('/games/state', function (req, res) {
+    // TODO: validate the JSON object sent - ones that don't match the expected model could break the application.
+    gameManager.activeGameRunner.activeGames = req.body;
+    res.status(201).send(gameManager.activeGameRunner.activeGames);
+});
+
+/* validates Basic Auth */
+function isAuthorized (req) {
+    const header = req.headers.authorization;
+    if (header) {
+        const token = header.split(/\s+/).pop() || '';
+        const decodedToken = Buffer.from(token, 'base64').toString();
+        return decodedToken.trim() === KEY.trim();
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+module.exports = router;
diff --git a/server/api/GamesAPI.js b/server/api/GamesAPI.js
index 834b523..4fa21bf 100644
--- a/server/api/GamesAPI.js
+++ b/server/api/GamesAPI.js
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ router.options('/:code/players', cors(globals.CORS));
 router.options('/create', cors(globals.CORS));
 router.options('/restart', cors(globals.CORS));
 
+router.post('/create', (req, res, next) => {
+    globals.CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR(req, res, next);
+});
+router.patch('/players', (req, res, next) => {
+    globals.CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR(req, res, next);
+});
+router.patch('/restart', (req, res, next) => {
+    globals.CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR(req, res, next);
+});
+
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV.trim() === 'production') {
     router.use(apiLimiter);
     router.use('/create', gameEndpointLimiter);
diff --git a/server/config/globals.js b/server/config/globals.js
index 47442dd..b686fcb 100644
--- a/server/config/globals.js
+++ b/server/config/globals.js
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@ const globals = {
             origin: 'https://play-werewolf.app',
             optionsSuccessStatus: 200
         },
+    CONTENT_TYPE_VALIDATOR: (req, res, next) => {
+        req.accepts();
+        if (req.is('application/json')) {
+            next();
+        } else {
+            res.status(400).send('Request has invalid content type.');
+        }
+    },
     STALE_GAME_HOURS: 12,
     CLIENT_COMMANDS: {
         FETCH_GAME_STATE: 'fetchGameState',
diff --git a/server/modules/GameManager.js b/server/modules/GameManager.js
index 9fb7079..e83b8e1 100644
--- a/server/modules/GameManager.js
+++ b/server/modules/GameManager.js
@@ -199,12 +199,7 @@ class GameManager {
     checkAvailability = (code) => {
         const game = this.activeGameRunner.activeGames[code.toUpperCase()];
         if (game) {
-            const unassignedPerson = game.people.find((person) => person.assigned === false);
-            if (!unassignedPerson) {
-                return Promise.resolve(new Error(globals.ERROR_MESSAGE.GAME_IS_FULL));
-            } else {
-                return Promise.resolve({ accessCode: code, playerCount: getGameSize(game.deck), timerParams: game.timerParams });
-            }
+            return Promise.resolve({ accessCode: code, playerCount: getGameSize(game.deck), timerParams: game.timerParams });
         } else {
             return Promise.resolve(404);
         }
diff --git a/server/modules/SocketManager.js b/server/modules/SocketManager.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35bf0e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/modules/SocketManager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+const globals = require('../config/globals.js');
+
+class SocketManager {
+    constructor (logger, io) {
+        this.logger = logger;
+        this.io = io;
+    }
+
+    broadcast = (message) => {
+        this.io.emit(globals.EVENTS.BROADCAST, message);
+    };
+}
+
+class Singleton {
+    constructor (logger, io) {
+        if (!Singleton.instance) {
+            logger.info('CREATING SINGLETON SOCKET MANAGER');
+            Singleton.instance = new SocketManager(logger, io);
+        }
+    }
+
+    getInstance () {
+        return Singleton.instance;
+    }
+}
+
+module.exports = Singleton;