Hosting large murder mystery games

This page contains tips for hosting large murder mystery games. And when I mean "large," I mean games where you have 20 players or more.

Prepare well to avoid problems

Running a murder mystery party for a large number of people is very different from one for a dozen or so people.

If nothing else, there's a bigger chance of Murphy's Rule (if something can go wrong, it will) striking.

So in order to minimise trouble and maximise enjoyment, here are my tips for running a large game.

Prepare in advance

Everything is going to take longer, so make sure you start well in advance.

Don't wait until the last minute before choosing your game - give yourself at least a month.

Ideally, give yourself even longer.

buffet meal

The larger murder mystery games are all "interactive" in style, rather than the dinner-party games.

So that means a buffet meal, or finger food so that your guests can wander around the room with a drink and a plate in their hand.

Make sure you have lots of places for people to leave their plates and glasses as they play.

get plenty of help

Don't try to do everything yourself! If possible, recruit some help.

You might want someone to help with running the murder mystery, but you might also want someone else in charge of food or drinks.

Don't try to do it all yourself.

Beverages

Make sure you have a good supply of soft beverages.

Your guests will be talking throughout the game, and are bound to become very thirsty.

It's up to you if you want to provide alcohol. Some players seem to like a glass of wine to help get themselves going (I know I do). But there's a danger that some of your guests may drink too much, and spoil the party.

lots of prizes

Rather than hand out one prize, have several. See here for more ideas.

don't worry about playing yourself

Some of the games allow you to play in the game - but if you're organising a large party, you're likely to be too busy to spend much time trying to solve the mystery.

So I wouldn't worry about playing a character in the game, even if the murder mystery allows for that.

play safe

Don't forget to play safe!

Props are great - but don't ever use props for weapons.

Click here for more about safety.

you can't please everyone all of the time

Which is to say that you should expect one or two problems and maybe even a complaint.

There's not that much you can do about this - it doesn't matter how well organised an event is, it's likely that someone will find something to complain about.

So be prepared to handle problems.

have fun

And finally - remember to have fun!