My murder mystery games

I've written a few murder mystery games - and a couple of other similar games that you might be interested in.

My murder mystery games

This page collects all the murder mystery games I've written.

Death on the Gambia

Death on the Gambia is set in Gambia in 1939, and is for 8-11 guests and a host. It is just before the start of the second world war. It follows the journey of a tramp riverboat as it sails along the River Gambia in Africa.

Aboard are a curious mixture of passengers - a big game hunter, a missionary, a doctor, a journalist, an archaeologist and more.

Death on the Gambia was my first murder mystery game - and it's slightly different in that it doesn't start with a murder (although it's likely that several will be committed during the game).

Click here to learn more about Death on the Gambia.

Hollywood Lies

Hollywood Lies is my murder mystery game set at a modern-day post-award party. It is for 16 to 32 players, and contains a movie-making game where the players must create a short skit of their movie.

Ten additional characters have been added to the game by DeAnna Knipling since I first wrote it.

Click here to learn more about Hollywood Lies.

Hollywood Lies has Halloween and Christmas versions (Halloween Lies and Christmas Lies). While the name and setting has changed, they're basically the same game.

The Roswell Incident

The Roswell Incident is a UFO-inspired mystery party game set in 1947 Roswell for 10-13 guests. Something has crashed outside Roswell. If it is just a weather balloon, why are all these government officials so interested?

And yes, there are aliens.

Click here to learn more about The Roswell Incident.

Other games (and books)

The following games are similar in how they play to my murder mystery games above, but they differ in two significant ways.

First, they're not necessarily murder mysteries. There may be a murder, but there probably isn't. But if you like games with lots of characters with conflicting goals, then you should like these. (They're commonly known as larps - live action roleplaying games.)

Second, their instructions assume you already know how to run a game like this. So if you're new to this, I would play one of the above games first.

all Flesh is Grass

All Flesh is Grass is a 13-player game set in 1965. A mysterious forcefield has surrounded a small American town - what is going on?

All Flesh is Grass follows on from The Roswell Incident (above). It's set 18 years later, and features some of the same characters.

Click here to learn more about All Flesh is Grass.

Children of the Stars

Children of the Stars is a 13-player game set in 1983. In Geneva, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is meeting to discuss various issues of international importance.

But will those issues include mysterious golden-eyed children?

Children of the Stars is part three of a series of first-contact games that starts with The Roswell Incident and All Flesh is Grass. It's set 18 years later, and features some of the same characters.

Click here to learn more about Children of the Stars.

Writing Freeform Larps

Writing Freeform Larps is my book on how to write a murder mystery game. (A "freeform larp" is a game with pre-written characters and intertwined, conflicting plots - so just like the murder mystery games I write about here.)

Writing Freeform Larps includes a ten-step process, and covers much more than just murder mystery games.

Click here to learn more about Writing Freeform Larps.

Venice

Venice is a freeform larp for 15 players set in mythic sixteenth-century Venice.

Venice is ruled by five powerful families, alike in dignity: the Capones, the Capulets, the Corleones, the Montagues and the Sopranos.

Lady Theresa Capulet, the Doge, the ultimate authority in Venice, has been murdered and the five ruling families of Venice are meeting to decide who is to replace her. (It's not a murder mystery, though!)

Click here to learn more about Venice.

The Highgate Club

The Highgate Club is a freeform larp for 12-14 players and set at an exclusive London club for those who live extra-ordinary (and supernatural) lives.

The Highgate Club overlooks Highgate cemetery, and membership is by invitation only. Its membership supposedly includes witches, warlocks, immortals and vampires - but nobody really knows for sure. (It is considered impolite to inquire.)

Click here to learn more about The Highgate Club.