Author by : Mary Lee Ferrin

Suddenly the lights go out and you are startled by the sound of a gunshot. The
lights come back on and you see a dead man lying next to you! As you look around
the room you notice some very shady characters. One of them must be the
murderer, but which one is it?

This may sound like a movie, but it isn’t. You are in fact participating in an exciting
murder mystery party game.

Murder Mystery Parties are becoming a very popular entertainment choice for Party
Hostesses looking for something unique. Party planners want their event to be
talked about in excited conversations for weeks afterwards. Your run of the mill
food, music and social gathering just doesn’t garner real excitement. Hostesses are
now looking for other ways to get their guest excited about attending. Many are
tying Theme Parties, which can be fun. Even more fun is a murder mystery theme
party.

Murder mystery games have been around a very long time and have been very
popular in the UK for about 15 years. The last 2 years has seen a huge growth of
interest in the USA as more people are becoming exposed to them. The first murder
mystery games featured actors who portrayed characters using scripted roles. They
would mingle with the guests dropping clues. These are still performed today at
large fund raising events and murder mystery dinner theaters.

The next generation of games let the guests themselves play the characters but the
parts were still scripted. Later boxed sets were introduced which were scripted and
played out in rounds, much like a board game. While these could be enjoyable they
lacked spontaneity or the ability to be creative. Everything went exactly as scripted.

Today a new genre of Murder Mystery Games is emerging. In the older versions
solving the murder was the sole point of the game. Some of the new murder
mystery games have many subplots. Guests will have their own nefarious agendas.
Parts are no longer scripted. Instead characters receive detailed backgrounds which
details their fictional relationships with other characters at the party. They also have
secrets of their own which may have nothing to do with the murder that occurs.
Participants take on their characters persona.

After the murder they learn certain details of the crime through evidence,
eavesdropping and questioning other characters. Some games include play money,
which can be used for buying information, blackmailing and other nefarious
schemes. All of this leads to extensive social interaction, which is the real point of a
party, isn’t it?

How many boring parties have you been to where there were small groups of people
gathered together into clusters? Or even more horrifying to the host/ess are people
standing around not conversing at all. This just doesn’t happen at a well-written
murder mystery party. With a good game the guests get so caught up in their own
schemes that they sometimes forget to even investigate the murder!
Each murder mystery game usually takes place in exotic locations and timelines.
These can include gangsters in Chicago during the roaring twenties or sock hops in
the fifties. You might even be taken to fictional settings. These settings allow
participants to don great costumes, which allow them to more fully experience the
ambience of the game.

When you decide to host a murder mystery party there are some things you should
look for:

• First and foremost is to stay away from scripted games. These allow no
imagination or spontaneity and play more like a board game. For true enjoyment
your guests need to feel immersed in the world your chosen game has created.

• Look for a theme that you think your guests would enjoy. My bestseller is
Murder at the Four Deuces, which takes place in 1920′s Chicago. The reason this
game is so successful is very simple and something many people don’t think about.
Men are usually the first to balk at participating in this type of event. When told that
they will be playing a gangster they become excited about the idea. They get to play
powerful characters. It also allows them and the other guests to be bad, without
actually being bad. It is exciting to be able to unleash our normally suppressed
tendencies without suffering any guilt. Something we don’t want to do in real life,
but relish doing in a make believe way. So whatever game you do decide on it is a
good idea to choose one with good strong characters for the men.

• Look for a game that is easy to host. Most of the good games are
purchased and downloaded from the Internet. There is too much to them to include
in a box. This does not mean that they have to be hard to host. I operated a murder
mystery theater before I developed the Dinner and a Murder game system. I knew
how important it is to be able to have easy to follow instructions. The night of the
party the last thing a host/ess needs is to have to scramble around trying to run the
game, while making sure all the guests are happy, food is served, cleaning up. You
get my point. A good game will have very few hosting duties associated with the
game allowing the host to participate as a character also. If the host guide reads like
a technical manual move on.

• Do not purchase a game that does not have an introductory file that you
can read before purchasing. All games are not created equal. There are good ones
and bad ones out there. You do not want to take a chance on harming your
reputation by hosting a bad murder mystery party. If a site cannot give you a partial
glimpse of the actual game then they are very likely hiding something. This
introduction should contain the host guide and other details about the game that
will give you a good feel for how it will work.

• While you are at the web site also look for customer comments. Of course
we all know that they are not going to post negative comments on the site and
could in fact make up comments. If you only see one or two line comments be leery.
Customer comments can also give you great ideas for throwing your own party. I am
constantly amazed by my customersÕ creativity.

• Murder Mystery Game Kit Contents: A good kit will have everything you
need to play the game. You should not have to go out and purchase elaborate
props. It should have invitations, host guide, characters & evidence at the least.
Game money is a plus that adds a whole new dimension to the game experience.

• Either the kit or the web site should also give you party theme ideas.
Everything from menu, decorations, hairstyles, music & costumes can give a host
very good ideas for their party.

• If your kit does not contain certificates you can design some yourself. It is
always nice to be rewarded in the game for solving the murder, best costume, best
actor etc… Certificate paper can be purchased at an office supply store and is very
inexpensive.

Next I will give you some tips on planning and hosting a murder mystery party:

• Try to plan your event at least 2 weeks in advance. You can throw a last
minute party, but things will be much less stressful with careful planning.

• Before sending out the Invitations it is a very good idea to call or email
your guests. Tell them about your party including theme, date & time. Inform them
that due to the nature of murder mystery games you need a definite R.S.V.P. before
assigning characters. Let your guests know that when they confirm you are counting
on them to attend.

• When it comes to food easier is better. I have thrown murder mystery
parties where I did all of the cooking and it made for a very stressful day and party.
Unless you can have your party catered, the easiest menu is done potluck. The first
time I decided to do this I worried about what my guests would think, but to my
surprise they loved the idea. It gives them a chance to contribute to the party and
show off their culinary skills. Just about everyone has a special dish that they excel
at. If not there are always needed items that don’t require cooking skills. Drinks, ice,
cups etc…

• After the solution has been read it is always fun to go around the room
and let each character reveal their secrets. Your guests will be amazed at what they
didn’t know was going on under their noses.

• This tip isn’t necessary but I have found it adds a fun element to a murder
mystery party. If your party utilizes game money I ask guests to also bring a small
inexpensive item. I also cruise the dollar store and spend about $30 on small,
unique items. For my last party I bought butterfly houses, wind chimes, scented
candles unique picture frames and other items. After the party ended we held an
auction with all the items. Guests used their play money winnings to bid and
purchase items. Everyone left with a small remembrance in addition to a smile on
his or her face.

Using this advice your next party is sure to be one people will talk about for weeks.
So be brave. Plan a party your guests will be DYING to attend!

Written by Mary Lee Ferrin owner and writer of Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games.
Visit our web site at http://www.dinnerandamurder.com to learn more.

[tags]party planning, event hostess, murder mystery party games, fund raisers, holiday parties[/tags]

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