Birthday Party

by Colin Green
(Memphis, Tennessee )

I want to have a murder mystery party for my wife’s 31st birthday.

I’m brand new at this and looking for a place to start.

Ideally, I would want her and the guest to all be in on the suprise, but after reading, I’m not sure that is a possibility. I’m open to all different themes and ideas and how to do this.

My response:

I think it's very hard for everyone to be in on the surprise for a murder mystery party.

That may be okay for the turn-based boxed games (the "How to Host a Murder" series), as they require very little preparation in advance.

But for the murder mystery games on this site, generally you want your guests to know what's happening - for several reasons.

First, it helps with costuming. Many people enjoy dressing up for a murder mystery party.

Second, some games have character sheets that need to be read first. This can take 15-20 minutes, so there's an advantage in sending them out in advance.

Third, anticipation is part of the fun!

Fourth, some guests might not enjoy a murder mystery game. (That's hard for me to believe, but it's true.) They might want to chat with their friends rather than play a game. It's worth getting buy-in first.

I hope that helps - and I hope your wife's birthday is a success, whatever you choose to do.

Click here for my suggested approach to choosing a murder mystery game.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Your murder mystery party questions.

New game

Cover for Backstage Business

Backstage Business - a 1980s rock music themed murder mystery for 18-22 guests.

Don't know where to start?

Here's my suggested quick route through the site:

Step 1 - Go to Choosing a Game to choose the game that suits your party best.

Step 2 - Review the Tips for Hosts for helpful advice.

Step 3 - If you want to keep up to date with the latest murder mystery game news, click on my What's New page.

Step 4 - Once you've had your party - tell me how it went! Click here to tell me your murder mystery party story.

Got a question? Click here to go to the FAQ.

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