How To Play Our Murder Mystery Party Dinner Games

mardigraspirate suspects LackeyALL our murder mystery games are for large groups (20 to about 125 or so). 

Depending on which mystery game you select, you’ll need to provide 6-8 people to play the primary suspects. 

The rest of your guests will take on the role of detective and it will be their “job” to actively solve the case by examining evidence, finding clues, following and questioning suspects – whatever it takes for them to solve the mystery.

Our invitation encourages them to come in costume and in character.

They have the freedom to do so or just come as themselves to enjoy the mystery.

No pressure to take a role or do something that takes them out of their comfort zone. 

EVERYONE will have a crucial, interactive part in the mystery game. No one will be bored or feel left out.

  • Our games will NOT work for just 6-8 people like the boxed games.
  • They are NOT suitable as virtual games.
  • They can’t be adapted to a “room to room” mystery where the suspects and/or clues are found in different rooms and the participants must visit each room to find the evidence or talk with the suspect to solve the mystery.

Our downloadable mystery game kits provide you with TWO versions of the mystery.

The Know It All Version: 

      • The prime suspects get a sequence of actions to carry out as well as their detailed character descriptions and other pertinent details ahead of time – and they will know whodunit.
      • Your suspects won’t have to memorize a lot of dialogue but they will have to be familiar with a timeline of events and actions.
      • They’ll carry out suspicious activities to set themselves up as suspects and make sure their guests know some key facts.
      • This is not a typical play in that all the dialogue is fully scripted. Our format will allow them to better play off the guests and get them actively participating in the mystery.


The Narrator Version:

      • You’ll add a narrator/storyteller to narrate the mystery while the prime suspects act out what the narrator is saying.
      • The suspects will not need to know whodunit in this version. They’ll only get their character descriptions and some set up information ahead of time.

Corporate team building

In the CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING VERSIONS of these games, the participants will be divided into teams (usually each table represents a team) and will receive instructions for solving the case as a team. (The prime suspects will be their own team.)

Each team member/detective will be assigned a team role and, to incorporate multi-tasking, they’ll be asked to complete a project (included with kit) while working together to solve the case. Each team’s speaker will present their findings at the conclusion of the mystery

OUR BEST ADVICE

Remember that the mystery will never be perfect. Ever. But that’s not the point. The point is to simply have fun, whether you’re a suspect or a detective.

If you go into this with the idea that you’re going to have a GREAT time with each other as prime suspects in a murder mystery, then your guests won’t want to miss out on all the fun you’re having – they’ll naturally want to be a part of it. Think about how much fun Carol Burnett and her gang always had with each other (if you are old enough to know who she is of course). Besides being genuinely funny and clearly enjoying themselves, they made each other laugh. Their audience couldn’t help but be pulled into those zany skits.

Go for the comedy and silliness. 

Do your best to involve your guests (the detectives).

If they want to question you, let them.

If they want to present their theory to the crowd, let them and hold your action until they’re finished.

But if they want to sit back and watch, don’t force them to do anything they don’t want to do.

Just let go and have fun playing your character. 

This is your winning combination. Many people may not solve the mystery but they’ll have so much fun trying.

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