Tips for Hosting a Murder Mystery Party

I always wanted to attend a murder mystery party but unfortunately the opportunity never presented itself. On my 26th birthday I decided that if I ever wanted to go to a murder mystery party, I had to make it happen. I had tremendous fun searching for the party I wanted to host from among the hundreds, even thousands, of the party packs that are available. Party packs can be bought at game, party, and toy shops. You can also find them on the internet second hand and often times in charity shops. You can buy them on eBay and there are many websites dedicated exclusively to murder mystery games. You select whatever interests you. You can choose games for four to forty players, although I recommend keeping it smallish (8-12 people is ideal). You need to invite a suitable group of people that are willing to dress up and get into character. I am lucky enough to have several exciting family members and friends who are willing to get into the game wholeheartedly.

Once you have the game selected and a bunch of people in mind it is time to get creative. The first priority is to check to see if everyone is free and set the party date. Next you need to assign characters to each party member and send them an information pack regarding their game role. The game instructions will tell you exactly what you need to do and in what order. You will send each person an invitation along with a character description, which will instruct them regarding background and costume information. I remember when I hosted my first party my guests got so excited when they received the invitation. The majority of them had never went to a party like that before and they were enthusiastic about trying something different and exciting.

The next part is the planning. I happen to enjoy organising and love cooking so I thoroughly enjoy hosting parties and try to put on grand events each time. For my first party, I hosted an event with a Titantic theme and served a 12 course meal! I actually researched details about the Titantic and came across a menu, so I simply based my own menu around that. I also looked into the etiquette from that time period and made a list of rules for each “passenger.” Then I found some music appropriate for that era and played it for the background music. What makes the experience much more fun and authentic is paying attention to the small details. To save some on the party expenses, I asked each guest to bring champagne, red wine, or port. My second party was an Alice in Wonderland party and I decided for it to not be a set meal, but rather a selection of cookies, cakes, tarts, sandwiches, fairy bread and pies. For my party, I made everything from scratch, but you don’t have to go to that much trouble unless you just feel like it. You can ask your guests to bring a plate of something if you like. Just use whatever system works best for you. Renting a costume can be expensive so if money is an issue for you (or your guests) then use clothes that you already have, shop at a charity store or borrow a costume from a friend.

The game instructions are thorough and will teach you how to make the dialogue booklets for each character. There is also evidence and also clues for the party and for the solution; the solution should be put in a sealed envelope and hidden away out of sight. So, all you need to do is follow the instructions and have a great time. Make sure the game that you have selected is age appropriate. If children or teens will be attending, you may need to base your theme selection on something for a younger group. I specifically chose games for adults only and they were quite scandalous!

There are several reasons why murder mystery parties are so much fun. It is nice to dress up in costume. It is exciting to play the role of someone else. It is great to be surrounded by fun and interesting people. It is also really enjoyable to drink great wine and eat delicious food. It is fun to put your brain to work to analyze the clues and solve the murder mystery. Your guests will walk away from the evening raving about what a good time they had and you will probably feel a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you made it happen!