Questions and answers about our murder mystery games
Here, the writer and creator of our murder mystery games answers your questions.
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What is a murder mystery party?It’s an event hosted usually at home for a group of friends and/or family during which they play a murder mystery game. The host usually buys a murder mystery party set containing party instructions, murder mystery party invitations, character place cards or labels, character booklets, scripts, clues and a CD or some other sort of recorded narration. Incidentally, two of our own murder mystery game sets also contain secret items.
The party usually starts by playing a CD to set the scene and the discovery of a murder, and all the characters played by the host and the guests are suspects. During the party, they have to work out who the murderer is by listening to the dialogue and examining the evidence. Then usually at the end of the murder mystery game, each character makes an accusation as to who the murderer is and the murderer subsequently reveals themselves.
Is there a lot of work involved in planning a murder mystery party?
No, there’s not really a lot of work as it’s all been thought through and organised by us, the creators of our murder mystery games for dinner parties, but if you’re going to be hosting a mystery dinner party, we’d recommend you read the party instructions well in advance of playing the game as some forward planning and preparation are required. The party instructions contain guidelines on how to prepare for your home murder mystery party and make it as smooth-running and as fun as possible.
We urge hosts to send out their invitations well in advance of the party to allow guests plenty of time to prepare their costumes. Hosting a murder mystery dinner seems daunting, we know, as it conjures up imagery of multiple courses, but we advise hosts to keep the food simple as players will become absorbed in the game and will not want to be distracted by a multiple course meal. We also advise that the games are played more easily with fork or finger food. Visit our 'How to play' page for a lot more advice and information on how to play our murder mystery games.
I’ve no idea how to host a mystery dinner party AND organise the murder game properly at the same time, but I’d love to do one. Do you have any advice and tips on how to host a murder mystery party game?
I’d just say relax and don’t get stressed about hosting a murder mystery dinner party. They’re supposed to be fun for everyone, including the host. If you buy one of our murder mystery game packs, you will get full instructions containing guidelines on how to prepare for the party and make it as smooth-running and as fun as possible, even down to how to arrange guests around the dinner table, so don’t worry!
I’ve seen some internet sites selling murder mystery party kits and others selling murder mystery game kits. I’m confused! What’s the difference between the two?
The terms mean basically the same thing and the kits will contain the same sort of components. As a host, you’d hold a murder mystery party, at which you’d play a murder mystery game, so there is a subtle difference in meaning, but in the context of a box that contains all the game components, they are the same thing. You’ll also see sites selling murder mystery party sets and murder mystery game sets and murder mystery kits and murder mystery sets. There’s all sorts of terminology for box sets that are essentially the same thing.
Are Murderous Acts! murder mystery games for adults only?
Strictly speaking, they are. Although the murder mystery games contain no overtly sexually explicit references, the murder mystery dinner party scripts would be considered of an adult nature, with the use of mild ‘bad’ language, and are therefore aimed at an audience aged 14 plus, so therefore, we would only recommend them for an adult murder mystery party.
I’d like to host a murder mystery party for children. What age do your games start from?
Although the murder mystery games contain no overtly sexually explicit references, the murder game scripts would be considered of an adult nature, with the use of mild ‘bad’ language, and are therefore aimed at an audience aged 14 plus.
I would really like to hold a children’s murder mystery party. Have you written any murder mystery party games for kids?
No, we haven’t, I’m afraid. Murder mystery for kids is something we may turn our attention to at some point in the future.
Are the games suitable for a Christmas murder mystery party?
There’s no reason at all why any of our games couldn’t be played at a murder mystery Christmas party, but none of the games has a Christmas theme as such so therefore don’t constitute Christmas murder mystery games. If you’re planning to host something like a Christmas murder mystery dinner party and want something more obviously Christmassy and seasonal, have a look on the internet for specially designed Christmas murder mystery party games, but otherwise, our games would still be great fun to play at Christmas!
Are your games suitable for a New Year’s Eve murder mystery party?
Yes, all our games are suitable for playing at a murder mystery New Year’s Eve party. In fact, given that our games can take a few hours to play, they make perfect New Year’s Eve murder mystery dinner party games.
Are the games suitable for a Halloween murder mystery party for adults?
None of the games has a Halloween theme so therefore don’t constitute Halloween murder mystery games. If you’re planning to host a murder mystery Halloween party, I'd suggest you have a look on the internet for specially designed Halloween murder mystery dinner party games.
Would one of your games work at a murder mystery office party? I’m thinking of organising one for our office but I’m not sure how it would work with the team dynamics.
In essence, yes, any of the games would work, but bear in mind that colleagues at an office murder mystery party may not be as relaxed in each other’s company as friends at a private murder mystery party. You should take into account your colleagues’ individual personalities and cast them in roles in which they will feel comfortable and happy to participate, and to do this you would have to know your colleagues reasonably well. The invitations give brief character and costume descriptions and essential requirements, and the players are encouraged to adopt appropriate accents for their characters, so I would advise you to read your party invitation carefully when casting the roles. The game is intended to be fun, not embarrassing, so it’s important to get the casting right. Alternatively, allow your colleagues to choose their characters.
I’m thinking of having a murder hen party and I’ve been looking for murder mystery games for girls, or perhaps, as I’m – cough - nearly thirty, I should say, murder games for ladies only, but I haven’t found anything that particularly excites me. Do you think your wedding themed game would work with females filling the roles of the male characters?
Yes, I think Murder Not Marriage would work very well for an all-female murder mystery party and I think it would add to the fun and hilarity of the event to have some of your girlfriends dressed in male costume. I hope you do it! If so, let us know how it goes!
Have you written any murder mystery games for small groups of people i.e. for 6 players?
I'm afraid I haven't. I have had requests to do so but unfortunately haven't yet found the time. Judging by feedback and questions such as yours, a murder mystery dinner game for 6 players would be extremely popular. I've been told that most houses/dining areas are geared up for 6 people.
I’m planning a murder mystery at home. Do all my guests have to attend my party for it to play properly?
Strictly speaking, yes, because each guest is allocated a character to play on the murder mystery night and all the characters must be present at the party as they are all suspects and all have a share of the dialogue. Our fully interactive mystery games can’t be played properly if any of the characters are missing. But don’t let that put you off buying a game! Obviously, things don’t always go to plan, so I would simply suggest that you have some ‘back-up’ guests in mind in the event of any of the original invitees not being able to attend. Although it’s preferable in the normal state of play that the characters are in costume, it is inevitable that ‘back-ups’ may not be. It’s more important that you have the number of players necessary to fill the character roles, and some improvisation may be needed.
If I’m hosting one of your murder dinner party games, do I still get a character to play?
Yes, that’s the usual set-up, so when sending out your murder mystery invitations, remember to keep one character for yourself. You can choose to be whichever character you want. You will, of course, have one invitation spare because the number of invitations always matches the number of characters. This is because some people simply want to host a murder mystery dinner party and observe the game without taking part themselves.
I’m thinking of having a murder mystery dinner party at home. Do any of your group mystery games contain optional extra characters? I don’t like those because the optional extras end up with nothing to contribute really and tend to just sit and observe rather than participate properly in the murder night game.
We’re totally with you on this! And no, none of our murder night games contain optional extra characters. Like you, we believe it’s important to give all the characters lines to read. When guests have gone to the time, trouble and expense of acquiring costumes and getting into character, they appreciate participating fully in the group murder mystery party rather than being an optional extra with no lines.
If I wanted to host a murder mystery dinner party game for adults, would your games indicate what my guests should wear?
Yes, the murder mystery dinner party invitations include character and costume descriptions and indicate any essential requirements regarding character props.
Do your games include suggestions for character costumes and murder mystery party props?
Yes, the murder party invitations include character and costume descriptions and indicate any essential requirements regarding character props. The party instructions to the host offer some murder mystery party decoration ideas specific to the game.
Do your games contain meal suggestions and recipes for a murder mystery dinner at home?
No, they don’t. We did consider including suggestions for food, but I personally think it’s totally unnecessary. I think we have to give hosts credit in deciding what food to provide at their own parties. However, within the party instructions, we advise hosts that the food should be interesting and tasteful but to keep it simple as players will become absorbed in the game and will not want to be distracted by a multiple course meal. We also advise that the games are played more easily with fork or finger food. That was something I learned from personal experience of attending murder mystery dinner events. Players are generally too busy scribbling notes about murder mystery clues to be able to eat with a knife and fork!
Can you recommend any websites for murder mystery dinner party decorations?
I’m afraid I can’t recommend any from personal experience, but if you look online you’ll find plenty of sites that sell all sorts of murder mystery party decorations. It’s worth comparing prices and postage. A lot of towns still have physical shops selling vast ranges of party accessories, including murder mystery game props.
Why do your murder mystery detective games come with full scripts? It seems a bit rigid. Can’t the players just make it up as they go along?
We made the decision to have full scripts in our games after carrying out research that indicated that most people prefer to have full murder mystery game scripts because they keep the conversation flowing and make role-play easier for the more reticent players. But there’s more to it than that. Each game is a murder mystery play in itself, and the murder mystery play script tells an interesting story and reveals details of each character's life and secrets that they may have. The players can also ad lib if they wish to embellish their characters, but they must not give false information as this will mislead the other players.
Can my guests ad lib at my murder mystery game night?
Yes, in addition to reading the script, the players can also ad lib if they wish to embellish their characters, but they must not give false information as this will mislead the other players.
I want to hold a murder evening at home but some of my guests may be too shy to read their lines. Can someone else read their lines?
I’m afraid it would confuse the exchange of conversation if one character read another character’s lines from one of the murder mystery party scripts. You need to think carefully about who you invite and whether they will be comfortable taking part. The invitations give brief character and costume descriptions and essential requirements, and the players are encouraged to adopt appropriate accents for their characters. You should attempt to cast the players in roles in which they will feel comfortable and happy to participate. In the main, this situation sorts itself out. Most people know what a group murder mystery game involves, and the invitations indicate that guests will need to get into character. You may have guests decline your invitation because they don’t feel comfortable. It happens and it’s fine, but that’s a reason to send out your invitations several weeks before your murder mystery dinner night. Generally, if people accept the invitation, then they know what to expect. Some guests may feel a little nervous to start with, but in our games, they don’t have to make up any lines or improvise if they don’t want to, so actually reading the script is all they have to do and they can put as much or as little into it as they want. From my own experience, players usually get comfortable in their roles pretty quickly as they become engrossed in the plot and want to know what’s going on!
What do I get if I buy one of your clue dinner party kits?
If you buy one of our boxed murder mystery games, you get the following:
Party instructions to the host
Invitations and envelopes
Character place cards or character labels
Character booklets
Scripts
Envelopes containing clues
A CD
Take a look at the typical contents of our murder mystery games.
Murder Not Marriage and Calamity Clinic also contain secret items.
I see on your website that your clue dinner party games come with ‘real’, three-dimensional, tangible clues. What does this mean exactly?
Most clue murder mystery games come with paper clues like letters, notes, that sort of incriminating evidence, and also photographs of items that in real life would be three-dimensional and tangible. Our boxed murder mystery games do contain paper clues, but they also contain real objects. To what extent depends on the individual game. I’m afraid I can’t say any more without giving too much away. Of course, in the downloadable murder mystery games, these real objects have had to be replaced by photographs, and therefore some improvisation may be required when revealing these clues.
Where can I buy a murder mystery game by Murderous Acts! other than from your website? I’m in a hurry for one of your games and don’t want to wait a week for delivery to the US. Are there any stores in the US that stock your games?
No, our games are not sold in any stores or shops. We sell via Amazon.com, but delivery is also from the UK so you wouldn’t get the game any quicker. The best thing I can suggest is that you buy one of our downloadable murder mystery games. You will receive a link to the downloadable files within 24 hours of receipt of your order and then you just need to allow a few hours to prepare the game components.
Can you offer any suggestions as to where to buy a murder mystery party kit without ordering from your internet store? I’d prefer to buy from a shop so that I can look at the contents before buying. I live in the UK.
I assume you’re asking specifically about one of our games, in which case, I’m afraid they’re not available in the shops. However, should you wish to view the typical contents of our murder mystery games, click here. The contents of each game do vary a little, so if you want to view the contents of a specific game, visit the product page.
Do you sell printable murder mystery games?
Yes, if you buy one of our downloadable games, you will be sent an email containing a link to the downloadable files for the murder mystery game and you will then need to print the components yourself. This may take a few hours depending on the speed of your printer. You should prepare the components of the game well in advance of your party.
What do I get if I buy one of your murder mystery downloads?
If you buy one of our downloadable murder games, you are sent an email containing a link to the downloadable files for the game components.
What happens after I’ve paid for one of your mystery games download?
Within 24 hours of receipt of your order, you will be sent an email containing a link to the downloadable files for the murder mystery game and instructions to help you prepare the components. The link will expire after seven days, but if for some reason you haven’t downloaded the files before the link expires, if you get in touch, we’ll sort out any problems.
The process of downloading files and preparing the components sounds complicated! What if I have problems with the murder mystery game download?
It’s not complicated, but you will need a PDF reader. We strongly recommend Adobe Acrobat, which you can download free of charge from the internet. If you have any problems with the murder mystery party download, just contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Does it take a long time to print the contents of your printable mystery games?
It does take some time to prepare the components. This may take a few hours depending on the speed of your printer. However, the majority of this time will be spent printing the murder mystery scripts, and you are advised to print all eight or ten copies at once rather than one at a time. You can then leave your printer to run while you do something else. You should prepare the components of the game well in advance of your party.
Do you have any free download murder mystery games?
No, sorry. Our games have taken considerable time to put together so there is a small cost involved in downloading them. Bear in mind there’s no delivery charge though.
What are the secret items that some murder mystery home kits contain?
As far as I know, only Murderous Acts! murder mystery games contain secret items. I think we came up with the idea! The secret item is delivered sealed to the host, who must discreetly present it, still sealed, to the relevant guest as soon as they arrive at the party, and the guest must follow instructions about what to do with the secret item. The secret items are rather like extra clues, but they may or may not be red herrings. I can’t tell you much more because they’re secret, other than Murder Not Marriage and Calamity Clinic both contain secret items.
Do the secret items that are included in your murder mystery dinner party packs indicate who the murderer is?
Not necessarily! That’s all I can say, other than the secret items establish the relevance of some of the clues.
There are lots of other murder games online for adults. What makes your games better than the others?
Haha! It’s the buyers who decide what are the best murder mystery games! We don’t think our games are better or the best. They’re just different, and I think it’s great that nowadays there are so many different interactive murder mystery games to choose from.
I’m undecided at the moment between going on one of those interactive murder mystery weekends and having a murder mystery night at home. I’m open to persuasion, so can you give me some reasons why I should buy one of your murder mystery solving games instead of going on one of those professionally run murder weekends?
The two are totally different experiences and both have their own merits. Our games are designed to be played as part of an interactive murder mystery party at home in the company of friends and/or family. If you decide to take one of the murder mystery weekend breaks that are on offer, you’ll be joining people you don’t know, but of course, it’s always fun getting to know other people with the same interests. Yes, a murder weekend in a hotel will be professionally organised and should be acted out by professional actors, whereas our games are organised by you, the host, and are designed to be acted out at your own private murder mystery dinner party by the friends and/or family that you choose to invite. At £29.99 plus postage for the boxed games and £24.99 for the downloadable games, our games are a fraction of the cost of a murder mystery weekend away, but it depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for and is down to individual choice. You could always do both!
If I buy one of your murder mystery party packages, will I find out beforehand who committed the murder?
If you buy one of our murder mystery box games, then you shouldn’t find out who the murderer is beforehand, as the character booklets, scripts, clues and, where relevant, secret items, are delivered sealed to prevent the host viewing them.
In delivering the downloadable mystery games and requiring the host to prepare the components, it’s impossible to provide the same safeguards. Therefore, if you buy a downloadable game, you should avoid reading the printed material. Whether you glean information from the components or not is down to you as an individual. The downloadable murder mystery games offer a different experience for the host to that of the boxed games, and ultimately, if in preparing the components, you discover some of the characters’ secrets and/or establish the identity of the murderer, this should not spoil your enjoyment of the game. You will simply have an insight that should not be shared with the other players.
Do the people playing the murderers in your murder investigation games find out at the beginning of the games that they're the murderers?
Yes, they are advised in their individual character booklets.
What should I do if one of the guests at my mystery evening dinner asks outright who the murderer is?
That is strictly not allowed and defeats the object of the game! On no account must any of the players ask anyone if they are the murderer, and they must not accuse anyone until instructed to do so. If a player is asked if they are the murderer, they must refuse to comment. This is covered by the rules in the character booklets, and it is up to you, as the host, to ensure the players observe them.
How did you come up with your murder mystery plots?
Well, there were already a number of period murder mystery games out there, so I wanted to create some modern day murder mystery games, and I think my murder mystery game plots naturally developed from initial ideas I had about how the murders took place.
Being a lover of weddings, I wanted to create a wedding murder game, and it seemed rather tragic that the murder was that of the bride-to-be, who was strangled with her own veil. Then, I think, with Body on the Beach, I’d come up with a few character names that seemed to go well together, and from those character names, another murder game plot developed, i.e. the murder on an otherwise idyllic island of an affluent lady. I felt it was important to bring in a flavour of the rich and glamorous, as they were the kind of people who would be able to afford to live on such an island. My son had spent a lot of time in and out of hospital and I was particularly inspired by one of his lovely, jovial consultants into writing a hospital murder mystery game, but I decided to make it a cosmetic clinic instead of a hospital, again to bring in that glamour element. And lastly, I particularly wanted to create a murder game set in the fashion world, as fashion themed murder mystery games were rare and I’d always thought that a stiletto heel would make a lethal weapon! From the initial murder in each game, the rest of the plot developed as ideas popped into my head.
How long do your games last? I’m thinking of organising a murder mystery game at home and don’t know how much time to allocate.
Our games are fairly long, the shortest lasting about 2½ hours and the longest lasting about 4½ hours, so they do provide excellent value for money. However, one of the reviews we received via another selling platform was that one of our 3-hour games was too long! Well, I guess you can’t please everybody and too long or too short or just right is purely subjective. What I would say is that our games are not five minutes of fun, and if they were, you might consider you hadn’t got your money’s worth. Our games allow you, for a few hours, to lose yourself in a fantasy life. And yes, they do take quite a long time to play as they require some intellectual analysis of the evidence presented. If you feel that 3 hours plus is not for you and your guests, then have a look at some of the short murder mystery games that are available in the shops or online. On a more positive note, for anyone thinking of arranging a murder mystery lunch, we promote Body on the Beach as an excellent game to play while having a barbeque or other alfresco eating as it is a long murder mystery game, lasting a minimum of 4½ hours and is intended for all afternoon entertainment.
Which are your most popular murder games?
The two most popular murder mystery games have been Murder Not Marriage first, followed closely by Body on the Beach.
Do you sell murder mystery party board games?
No, our games are not board games. I’m not sure if murder mystery board games even exist. It’s worth looking online. They would be a totally different kind of game.
Are you planning on writing any new mystery games?
Not in the foreseeable future, because writing a new murder mystery game would be all-consuming and I have so many other demands on my time, but if I had a completely empty calendar, I’d love to write a prison murder mystery game and a beauty pageant murder mystery game.
©2018 KM Pearce/Murderous Acts!
