A murder mystery party (for those who don't know) is an interactive dinner party where 6 or more guests get together, each playing a specific character, who all work together to solve a murder. The aim of the game is to guess correctly which character is the murderer, and to have as much fun as possible doing it!
Each guests gets a character outline that tells them their relationship with the deceased, their feelings and relationships toward the other characters, and their overall personality. There are customized actions for the characters, and throughout the night clues are revealed, alibis uncovered, and reactions between guests analyzed. At the end of the night, everyone considers the evidence and takes a guess at the murderer. Then the culprit reveals themselves and explains how they did it!
- Put some thought into your guest list. Make sure you invite people who will enjoy this type of event and really get into it. Assign the more outgoing characters to the least shy of your guests, and the less involved parts to the more timid people in the group.
- As the host of the party it is your job to keep the script going. Don't let the group get sidetracked with conversation about the last episode of such and such or "did you see what that coworker yada yada". Keep the ball rolling and encourage guests to stay in character.
- Encourage guests to come in costume. Let your guest know ahead of time who their character is so they can prepare.
- Tell your guests to keep their characters an absolute secret, (even partners or spouses!)
- Do a buffet instead of a sit down meal. It will let you focus on the guests and the mystery at hand.
Listed below are some great free downloadable murder mystery scripts!
- Murder Mystery Party for Kids (up to 36 players) A wonderful and age appropriate game for kids.
- Sour Grapes of Wrath (6 players) One early autumn day, six people passed through the gates of Killingsworth Farm - one of them, a cold-blooded Killer...
- A Death in the Cult (6 players) The death of Tara Windsor-Jones: An infamous activist who was also a internationally acclaimed author was found in her abandoned car stabbed several times.
- Poisoning in Buzby's Nightclub (6 players) The murder of Romeo Riley: Night club owner and entrepreneur was tragically poisoned and found dead in his nightclub.
- Murder in Milan (6 players) The body of famous designer Giuseppe Zanetti is found floating in a lake near Milan.
- Murder on the Disoriented Express (6 players) A famous rocket designer known as Werner Von Black, has been discovered in his sleeping compartment - dead.
- The Business of Murder (7 players) This murder mystery has a backdrop of academia.
- Murder in the Caribbean (7 players) The music tycoon and world's richest man is pushed off his million pound yacht on the Barbados coast.
- Murder at Aldbury Manor (7 players) The death of Lord Strutbury: Lord and Lady Strutbury lived all their married lives in Albury Manor until someone violently ended his life at 85 by pushing him off his own balcony.
- The Little Engine That could Kill (8 players) On Wednesday, August 5 th , 1932, you and eight other passengers boarded a three-day express train from Bombay, India to Lisbon, Portugal. Unfortunately, one did not survive the journey.
- Fête Accompli (8 players) The annual village fête of Market Wheaton is a popular local event, drawing crowds from every corner of the county. Tracy Rounder was discovered dead at the back of her tent, and not just dead, but brutally murdered!
- The Death of Tarantula (8 players) The crazed death metal vocalist Tarantula is founded stabbed in his swimming pool in Los Angeles.
- The Pungent Pumpkin Poisoner (8-10 players)
"The Pungent Pumpkin Processing Company" is celebrating its first
anniversary. Founders, Friends and Associates have gathered together in
a luxury restaurant to toast the company's success and to mark the
launch of the company's two latest products. But one member of the
company is about to find out that "Pungent Pumpkin Rat Poison" is
lethal!
- Assassination in Hollywood (11 players)
Millions of hearts will have been broken throughout the world this week
as the biggest heartthrob in movies, Jed Manhattan, was gunned down in
his Mansion in Beverly Hills.