Murder & Mayhem: How to Host a Murder Mystery Party

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file5381291239055_1A few weeks ago I threw a murder mystery party to celebrate my belated 40th birthday. We all had such a blast, so I thought I’d share how to do it for yourself.

1. Know how the games work. Most murder mysteries run as follows:

  • Each character gets assigned before the party happens. Some characters HAVE to be filled and some will be extras with smaller parts. Games are downloadable with information you can print out at your leisure. There are no lines to memorize; the information will be given to each character regarding their role in the murder throughout the game, but it’s up to them as to how to play. The killer typically doesn’t know they are the killer, and sometimes the victim doesn’t either.
  • There are 3 rounds with information given to each character at the beginning of each round. This involves information other characters should know and information that you can’t let anyone else know. You can’t lie but you’re welcome to get around the truth any way you can! The rounds can be fit in during a cocktail hour and meal if need be. The whole thing is over in 3 hours.
  • There are games in which the host can play or not play. As the host, you need to know what your role will be before you start looking. I hosted and played this last party, but I’ve hosted two games before this and was only a host.

2. Pick your theme. Seems simple, right? Not unless you have your heart set on something specific to begin with. Roaring Twenties? Cowboy Western? Wedding gone awry? There are an amazingly large amount of sites offering their murder mysteries with themes – popular AND hard to find – but with different twists and characters. You’ll need to know approximately how many people will be involved and their level of involvement when you start your search. NOT everyone will be keen on playing a role. It’s good to pick a game with a variety of characters so you can match them up to the right person. I chose an Alice in Wonderland mad tea party theme. The date that I chose was actually my 40 ¼ birthday (made me think of the Mad Hatter’s hat), had a variety of characters, and well… Alice…Allison. I’ve heard it all my life. It just fit.

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3. Give guests plenty of time to prepare. Guests will need time, especially if you expect them to dress up (and don’t be surprised if someone doesn’t like that). On the invite to my party it said minimal costumes were mandatory but over-the top was encouraged! Otherwise they could not attend. Everyone, thankfully, obliged.
Alice_collage_2

4. Decorate! You don’t need to spend a lot of money, but do something to make the occasion more authentic and fun. Don’t forget the food and drinks, too! Go ahead and make Pinterest proud.

Alice_collage

5. Know that there can be a lot of prep as the host. You’ll need to make sure each character has all of the information provided by the game, and the paperwork can be extensive for just a game. I suggest white envelopes with each character’s name and the number of the round to keep everything on track. Be sure to read through the instructions ahead of time. There could be clues that you need to have printed out for the event. If you’re playing, the story should give fair warning about things you shouldn’t read.

6. Have fun! That’s the point of a murder mystery party. If your stressed out, relax and enjoy instead!

Here are my favorite sites to find murder mystery games:

My Mystery Party

Dinner and a Murder

Night of Mystery

Have you ever experienced a murder mystery party? Well, what are you waiting for!

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