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Last Stop: Murder
$49.95
Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set on a snow-stopped train.
Format:
Mystery Party Kit
Setting:
Aboard a train
Time:
90+ minutes
Ages:
Adult
Players:
Murder aboard a snow-stopped train…
Backstory
You and your guests are passengers on the luxurious Oriental Express. Your fellow passengers number several unsavory characters, almost certainly up to no good. No one knows who they can trust, as everyone seems to have an ulterior motive.
Murder!
Unexpectedly, the train is snowed in and one of the passengers is murdered. Fortunately, the famed detective Pardot is on board. With the help of your guests, the identity of the murderer should be discovered by the time the police arrive.
Solving the Mystery
Now the guests must work together to sift through the evidence and identify the killer in their midst!
There are 15 primary suspects in this mystery, however only 10 are required to play the game. The host or hostess will play the role of Detective Pardot, who will enlist the aid of the other passengers in order to solve the mystery. Read the "How To Play" section for more information on how to play an expanded game with more than 15 guests.
Male Roles
* = Optional character
- Elrich von Unterbiten, the Scientist: An nuclear physicist in East Germany who has been looking for a way to escape the Communist government.
- Stephen Goldring, the American: A wealthy American businessman with a taste for the finer things in life, particularly women.
- Ernesto Vespucci, the Gambler: An Italian gambler who loves food and drink.
- Dr. Sigmund Schwarzwald, the Doctor: (Played by the guest who played the victim in Act One) A coach passenger called in to examine the body.
- *Count Zoltan Navatov, the Count: A wealthy Hungarian nobleman returning from his second honeymoon with his wife in Paris.
- *Colonel Major General Reginald Tobias, the Englishman: A retired British army officer on his way to India.
- *Roderick Broadhausen, the Student: A European university student suffering from a deep bout of existential angst.
Female Roles
- Patty Hunt, the Widow: A wealthy American widow with four dead husbands and a dark reputation.
- Princess Elisabetta Dagomir, the Princess: A wealthy Russian princess who loves books and intelligent debate.
- Gretchen Sutteberg, the Maid: Princess Dagomir’s personal servant and constant companion.
- *Suzette Delacroix, the Head Mistress: A teacher currently traveling to her next job aboard the first class car for the first time.
- *Annette “Annie” Mayfield, the Sales Lady: An ambitious American saleswoman who dreams of becoming Europe’s first make-up mogul.
- *Countess Esmeralda Navatov, the Countess: The wife of Count Zoltan Navatov who is enjoying her second honeymoon.
Male or Female Roles
- Sampson/Hypaetia Pardot, the Detective (Played by the Host or Hostess): A world famous detective investigating a series of crimes committed aboard the Orient Express recently.
- Pierre/Monet Parpadue, the Conductor: The Conductor of the Orient Express and quite possibly the world’s rudest Frenchman/woman.
- Sam Ignatio, the Porter: A vital member of the Orient Express staff who sees and hears everything.
Extra Players
- *Investigator (male or female): Additional players have the option of playing the role of "Investigators". In this role the players are not suspects and do not have character backgrounds but can question the suspects and try to solve the mystery along with the other players.
What's Included
Last Stop: Murder is a 122-page downloadable PDF file that you print at home. It includes the following features:
- An introduction that explains the basic principles of running a mystery-party and provides specific tips on props, menu items, sound effects, and special tips to help make your party exciting, memorable, and easy to run
- Step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for your party
- A detailed party guidebook that will walk you through the event in a simple, easy-to-understand format
- Instructions on how to run the party for a large group
- Nametags and character sheets for each player – the character sheets include tips on costuming and role-playing, as well as special goals and information unique to each character
- Fully customizable invitations, complete with RSVP cards and guest lists
- 3 pages of full-color props and clues for use during the scavenger hunt
- Voting sheets
- Customizable awards for your guests
- And much more!
With your purchase of Last Stop: Murder, you will also receive the following:
- Step-by-step printing instructions
- Three MP3 audio effects for use with your party
- Instructions on how to use these audio clips to best effect
Follow these steps to host this mystery:
- Each guest will each assume the role of a particular character
Mystery Parties involve a combination of improvisational acting, storytelling, and creative problem solving. Each guest will play the part of that character throughout the course of the game. Each character has specific personality traits, goals, secrets, and information, all of which are included in the character sheet; a big part of the fun is getting into character and taking on a new, exciting role. - A mysterious Event will occur
At some point during the party, an Event will occur that will force the players to come together in order to solve a problem or unravel a mystery. Traditionally, the Event in question will be the murder of one of the characters (as played by a guest), but the parties crafted by Playing With Murder often use this basic framework to accommodate different types of Events, thereby ensuring that your guests will be surprised and entertained (even if they are veteran murder mystery party players). - Solve the mystery!
Your guests will need to use the information that their characters know (as well as additional clues that are provided during the game) to solve the mystery or overcome the problem posed by the Event. Typically this culminates in the guests voting on the identity of the murderer, but again, different parties will have different specific goals. All of our parties also come complete with additional subgames (treasure hunts, unique character goals and special puzzles) that are guaranteed to keep the action intense and your guests motivated and focused.
Expanded Game For Large Groups
If you have extra players, there are two ways that you can accommodate everyone:
- Investigator Role – Additional players have the option of playing the role of “Investigators”. In this role the players are not suspects and do not have character backgrounds but can question the suspects and try to solve the mystery along with the other players. Expanded Games include a PDF guide that explains how to use the Investigator role, as well as printable character sheets and name tags for anyone that is playing an Investigator.
- Multiple Groups – It is also possible to break your guests up into groups and play multiple instances of the game at the same time. The game will more or less happen the same way; the host makes announcements and each group moves their game forward simultaneously based on the host’s instructions. It’s good to have one assistant in each group to answer questions and facilitate gameplay within the group. This method provides a more intimate experience for your guests, who get better acquainted with a smaller group and participate in a more digestible story.Please contact us if you’d like more information about how to run your party using the Multiple Groups method.
Both the standard and expanded games are included with the purchase of any game kit.
Read more about Expanded Games here
First time hosting a murder mystery party?
Visit our How to Host a Mystery Party page to get step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for your murder mystery party.
Content Rating:
This party is rated adult. While there is no explicit material, the party does contain references to the following:
- Infidelity and extramarital affairs
- Alcohol use
- Pregnancy
- Depression
- Murder
Note: this mystery is set during World War II, and is intended to be largely historically accurate. This means that the party includes numerous references to war and espionage, as well as Nazism. Characters are drawn from both the Allies and Axis parties, and a key plot point revolves around one of the characters being a former Nazi.
Difficulty:
This party is moderately complex to set up. We recommend a venue with at least two rooms and a sufficient area to hide clues for the scavenger hunt.
This party is difficult; the solution involves multiple steps, and may not be intuitively obvious to most players. Playtesters and clients have consistently marked this party as our most difficult to solve. This party also includes an optional logic puzzle mini-game.
Suzanne Gilleeney –
Headline Last Stop Murder - Fun, but could use improvements
Nickname Sue
This was the first murder mystery party that I held and while everyone had a good time I was a little disappointed with the game itself. The overall theme and character development was interesting and enjoyable. My guests had a great time acting out their characters and interacting with each other. The problems arose in the mystery itself. We found inconsistent information within the story / character summaries. The conclusion was too convoluted, even as the host reading all the information through beforehand the ending unnecessarily confusing. At the end it was a guess on who the killer was and no one got it correct. The Spy puzzle was impossible and the dossier clues contained incorrect information. Even with the host information on who the spies were, we weren’t able to correctly identify them with the information provided for the our guests. At the end we decided that it would be best to leave this part out of the party.
Overall I really enjoyed the theme, characters and idea of a mystery party. I will definitely have another party, but next time I’ll try a game from another company.
kblumreich –
Hi Sue, thank you for the review, and please accept my apologies that this party did not meet your expectations. Last Stop: Murder is definitely our most challenging party kit. It has, however, been play-tested extensively and proofed multiple times. Can you clarify what errors or inconsistencies you found in the kit? We are always striving to make our products better, and if there is inaccurate information in this party, we definitely want to fix it!
In regards to the logic puzzle, while it is definitely very difficult to solve, all of the required information to correctly complete it (with 100% certainty, not with any “most likely idea” guesswork) is included in the dossier clues. I just went through and verified this (though I admit, it did take me over 30 minutes to reach the solution).
Again, I’m very sorry that the kit didn’t meet your expectations.
JAS –
Headline Great game but confusing solution
Nickname JAS
Menu Highlights We had roasted chicken, green beans, duchesse potatoes, chiffon cake, and various appetizers along with coffee, tea, and mock champaign punch.
Theme Highlights The party was held in an old train depot, so the game fit perfectly.
This was a great game and we all had fun. My only criticism is that the solution round was confusing and we were unclear on the identity of the murderer, even after I reread the host information.
Ali –
Headline Murder mystery for 11 - huge success
Nickname Ali
Menu Highlights Each guest brought a plate to share.
Theme Highlights Everyone had great costumes.
We hosted friends in the dining room and living room, perfect amount of space for the party, dinner and scavenger hunt included
ASJ2016 –
Headline Fun for Guests!
Nickname ASJ2016
Menu Highlights Appetizers: homemade hummus, homemade cheese ball, celery, carrots, peppers, ritz crackers Dinner: homemade spaghetti sauce, red lentil pasta, Angel hair pasta, garlic bread, gluten-free garlic bread, mixed salad and dressing Dessert: homemade gluten-free strawberry cake Drinks: mineral water, red wine, old fashioned, whisky skin, ginger beer, sparkling apple cider
Theme Highlights We live in the Midwest and it snowed in February so I didn’t add any snowflakes to windows though that would have been fun. I searched for 1950’s train tickets and settled on an Etsy Shop’s format that I could place names for name tags, tickets, and place cards (VectoriaDesigns on Etsy). Our dining room was a little squished with two tables seating 11 people. We brought out our fine China, silver ware, and linens for the event. Our dining room is also open to our kitchen so we had drinks in there and appetizers. Our family room was used for the search. I chose to purchase items that were similar or exactly like the vital clues to make them more realistic and enhance the game a bit. This was not necessary but something that I wanted to do. I sent invitations along with a personalized note to my guests after they confirmed they were able to attend.
I held this Murder Mystery Party for my 33rd birthday. It was in my house and there were 11 of us present (including myself as the host). The preparation for the event was a lot of fun for me. I chose to create train tickets from an Etsy Shop that The Conductor actually punched and brought the event to life. I used that for our name tags (instead of the ones provided in the template) and seating place cards too. My friends (5 couples and 1 priest) got into character with their costumes and personal props.
Most of them were very prepared with their character develop and were excited to share information with one another. Others who were important to guide the conversation had some trouble with announcing that to others. As host, I found it difficult to make sure that our food was prepared on time, guide the conversation, and then ask questions out of character for those who needed them. I wish I had attended a murder mystery before so I knew what an undertaking I would undergo as host.
Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun though. Second act was interesting and the puzzle was most loved. We ran out of time for those who wanted to complete the puzzle and no one guessed who the murderer was. Lots of laughter and whacky conversations occurred. We ended the night with cake and being our normal selves.
Some of the things I loved from this Murder Mystery Set was the script for the host and guide to help the flow of the party; the character sheets for the guests gave good advice but allows for the actor to create their own persona; the ideas for props, sound effects (I did not use these – too much going on), suggestions on who to cast in what character, and friendly reminders throughout the set to guide the host.
Some things I wished I would have found was a host only guide that gave very clear details on how to run the event in this Mystery Set and highlight when I was supposed to hand out certain items or a guide for how long something should take. I was a fresh new host and I felt confused on timing and guiding the conversations. If there was a secondary character who could have known more information and could have juggled some of the hosting with the main host, that might have been helpful.
I don’t know if I will host a murder mystery party again. It was a lot of fun to plan it all and get things set up for my friends. But I felt overwhelmed and slightly confused as the host during the actual event and I blame myself for no one getting the puzzle (because of time) or the murder.
My friends had so much fun though! Which was what I wanted. So it was a successful fun time.
Suggestions: hire catering or have other family/friends help with the food who are not involved in the murder mystery – it will really make the party more enjoyable for you as a host and character
Party Planner Extraordinaire –
Headline Another Successful Murder!
Nickname Party Planner Extraordinaire
Menu Highlights We made it simple with a taco bar, nachos and taco salad. This allowed guests to bring their munchies to the tables and not require silverware.
Our house was converted to a Casino and we had 18 of our closest friends and family transform into a variety of Characters. What a great time we had. Taco bar, Poker, Roulette and Black Jack kept everyone busy.
Laura –
Headline Lots of fun and interesting characters
Nickname Laura
Menu Highlights Lasagna, Mexican pinwheels, bread and dip, chips, chocolate.
Theme Highlights Fancy tables (table cloths, candles, etc), played a video of a train moving on the TV and used provided audio clips
Had a fancy dinner, then moved on to second part of the night. Everything went very well. Interesting to see how everyone embodied their characters.
TrainMan –
Headline Enthusiastic Encounter On Train!
Nickname TrainMan
Menu Highlights Southern Meal of fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, pie, and added salad pimento cheese sandwiches for vegetarians.
Theme Highlights Made a train engine, made the clues to hide, everyone wore hats.
We mailed the character parts to our guests in advance and on the day of the party they came in character and dressed in character and came very excited. They immediately got into role and remained until after the game. They were enthusiastic and it lasted for about 2.5 hours. As the conductor, I would choose to serve a simpler meal with paper plates so my time would be more spend mingling. Everyone left pleased with time well spent.
Terry M –
Headline Last stop: FUN!!!
Nickname Terry M
Menu Highlights We didn’t have dinner, but pigs in a blanket, chocolate covered strawberries, and meringue was good! Also, since we’re under 21, there was so much sparkling juice consumed- you can still act like it’s real alcohol, especially since the characters have drink preferences!
I had never been to a murder mystery party before, much less hosted one, and it was so fun!!! I liked how the victim gets to continue playing as another character so they don’t feel left out, and all the clues were unique and though it was difficult to find the murderer, it was so fun trying to!!! It was so fun to dress up as these characters and everyone really got into character!!! I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a fun and unique party experience!!
Danko/Berry/Saneholtz Family –
Headline Holiday Party Surprise!
Nickname Danko/Berry/Saneholtz Family
What an awesome evening we had! My family gathered during the week between Christmas and NYE and spent 4 days together in a large family farmhouse. That was 16 of us! The murder mystery party was a complete surprise to everyone – but what a great time they had getting into character! I left wrapped boxes on everyone’s bed with instructions to open in private. The box had the character bio and a few props/costume pieces to help their character. The mid game scavenger hunt was great – I purchased simple items that represented each clue (eg: an american flag I stuck in a planter that referred to the clue about USA – and taped the clue on the back side) WE can’t wait for the next party!
Penny “Pardot” Eldred –
Headline It was a hit and they're asking for more!
Nickname Penny "Pardot" Eldred
We did this for New Years Eve, starting around 6:00 p.m. We had 21 people participating and everyone had a blast! Even some of the husbands who were dragged along cracked a few smiles as guests got into character as soon as they came through the door.
Our “Patty Hunt” played her part so well that some of the other wives were a little nervous as no one really knew each other to begin with and it was often hard to tell whether it was role playing or their actual personality.
We started off with a reception of shrimp cocktails, cheese platters and skewers. Soon the Conductor was heard over the sound system calling “All aboard, All aboard!” and we moved onto dinner in the “Dining Cars”.
We had so many people we ate in two different “Cars” and labeled them 1st and 2nd class. What fun it was to watch as some of the 2nd class passengers insist they should be in the 1st class dining.
We made tickets and the 1st class passengers tickets were in gold lettering. The Conductor used a punch and took tickets at the “dining car” doors.
A dinner of plated salad, Stuffed Cornish Game Hens, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and glazed carrots was enjoyed amidst the sounds of a train rolling down the track and a blustery snow storm. The guests loved it and the conversation continued to stay with the scene as guests talked about the Russians, Americans etc.
During Coffee and Dessert (chocolate truffles with fresh raspberries and cream) it was announced that one of the passengers had been murdered and Round 2 instructions were handed out in sealed colored envelopes.
Round 2 began with the scavenger hunt and this is when the quieter personalities began to blossom. These people came to life as they ran everywhere looking for clues.
Not knowing how long all of this would really take or if I had hidden the clues in too difficult of places, I was surprised that by the time we did interviews with everyone and found all of the clues, it was almost midnight.
The highlight of the night was supposed to be going out onto the porch (we’re in the north and it’s very cold) with our champagne and welcoming in the New Year as the Clock Tower (which is right in front of us) strikes midnight. It was foggy and we squinted to see the hands come together on the “12” but heard nothing. No chime. Did we make a mistake? Had any of us actually heard the clock chime at midnight to begin with? We all laughed, kissed and toasted, heading back inside from the cold. 12:04 a.m. and the clock suddenly starts chiming as if to laugh back at us.
The murderer was then revealed and awards given and most of the guests went home, all asking us to do it again soon!!
Loran Miracle –
Headline LAst stop murder
Nickname Loran Miracle
I still need dossier clues for Last Stop Murder. Party is this Saturday 4.14.
Cathy S –
Headline Happy New year "Murder mystery on a train"!
Nickname Cathy S
Menu Highlights We did gin and tonic, wine, and sparkling cider. We did Rachel Ray's Christmas pasta, along with homemade potato and chicken noodle soup. We served a homemade chocolate chip cheesecake.
Theme Highlights We did most of the party in our main living area upstairs and did the scavenger hunt and interviews in our finished basement. We used the train sounds and ended the evening with 1960s hits.
We had a mix of young adults and parents for our New Years Eve party. Little racy in parts but was overall very entertaining. Wish I would have had everyone state their guess of the murderer and the accomplice. I only had them fill out the written form and not state their case.
Lynette –
Headline Lots of Laughter
Nickname Lynette
Menu Highlights Italian buffet: caprese skewers, stuffed mushrooms, chicken marsala, salmon piccata, etc., followed by whiskey cake and cream puffs.
Theme Highlights I hosted the party at my office. The large main room served as the dining car and the multiple small offices were the sleeper car cabins. One office contained a body cut-out with sticky blood. This is my 5th murder mystery party, so the attendees really get in to their characters and costumes! Always fun!!!!
Video Everett
30 participants had a great time! Even the investigators came in costume! Spy Game for prizes added another element to the night!
N Cameron –
Headline Last Stop Murder
Nickname N Cameron
Menu Highlights We had some light appetizers, Thai food from a restaurant and a chocolate cake to die for, for dessert. Everyone brought their own drinks. The porter served the drinks for guests which added to the role and feel of the evening.
Theme Highlights Some people really got into their parts which added so much to the evening. The American was amazing! We had some prizes to go with the certificates at the end of the night. We used classical music in the background which helped to add a touch of class. I really recommend the host read everything and be well prepared, it helps so much on the night.
Amazing game. Everyone really got into their character and did lots of prep beforehand. The game flowed smoothly an dlasted about 3.5 hours. We set the luxurious scene of the dinning car with curtains and low lighting, we used a separate location for the sleeper car which worked really well.
Patti and Richard –
Headline lots of fun
Nickname Patti and Richard
Menu Highlights We needed to work around a menu which already existed, so we found a way for each course/menu item to relate to a different country (even a neighboring town) at which we "stopped" during a prior leg of our journey. We had a giant map and marked all the places at which we had picked up food along the way. It was cute to see how the train veered to Pennsylvania for a short time!
We added this murder mystery to a dinner party which was already planned. One husband who whined about not wanted to do this, and even those who had to be coerced into coming ALL had a great time. We had mix of children from 4-18 years old, and a core of "adults." I was more than a little intimidated at first with the line "please read all 122 pages" before beginning, but it did come together quite nicely in the end. Each character’s "cheat sheets" set the tone for lots of fun improv. Not one person left without a big smile on his/her face! I would recommend this mystery party to everyone!
Debbie the Countess –
Headline Last Stop Murder
Nickname Debbie the Countess
No spoilers here! I wish I had read other reviews, but am always afraid that I’d learn too much. This was the fourth year our group of friends played a murder mystery game and we especially love getting good characters and a fun setting. This game has both, in abundance. Unfortunately, the rest disappointed. Primarily the pacing of the game was off. There was far too little information to hide or pass on in the first stage and too, too much in the second. For those who wish to try it, I’d suggest a very early, light dinner quickly finished. The secondary game did little to enhance the fun and just slowed the action down more. The detective has too much to read and do with all the interviews so makes the rest of the players too passive.
This would not stop me from ordering another game from Playing With Murder, but I’d look more carefully at how it paces.
Laura –
Headline Last Stop Murder
Nickname Laura
we used this for a high school dinner theater for 75 people. Had to tweak it a bit but had a great time.
Jennifer Fromke –
Headline New Year's Day Night Train
Nickname Jennifer Fromke
Menu Highlights Beef tenderloin, gruyere potatoes, chocolate mousse, and sparkling cider for the kids.
Theme Highlights We didn't really decorate (Christmas dec's were still up). We didn't add much in the way of ambiance, but it didn't matter. We did use a completely separate part of the house for the "Sleeper car" activity and that worked VERY well.
What a great way to shake up our family celebration of New Year’s Day. Teens and multigenerational adults mixed together for a super fun time. All the varied accents kept cracking us up all night. The costumes were easy to procure from our existing closets, but added a ton to the fun.
JFromke –
Headline New Year's Day Night Train
Nickname JFromke
Menu Highlights We served beef tenderloin, gruyere potatoes, and finished it off with chocolate mousse. All Gluten Free.
Theme Highlights The costumes really added to the fun, and were not difficult to pull from our closets. We didn't really decorate, but it was very helpful to make the 'sleeper car' in a separate room from the rest of the action. The middle portion of the game was really fun, and the competitive folks in our group were very focused.
We hosted Last Stop Murder on New Year’s Day for a family party. Teenagers and adults both enjoyed it immensely! The more over the top the acting, the more the fun multiplied. The fake accents were the best.
Greg –
Headline New Years Eve Ride
Nickname Greg
This was our annual New Years Murder Mystery. This one was as good as we have had in several years. The highlight of the evening was the interrogation of the Conductor by the Detective. It was the height of French audacity in the face of accusation. The player who was the Princess’ maid really stole the show with the genuine feel of her need to follow the orders of the Princess.
Liz Bears –
Headline Oriental Express
Nickname Liz Bears
Menu Highlights We did heavy appetizers and it was awesome. Sushi, salmon croquettes, veggie bites and fruit parfait and cookies. Yum.
Theme Highlights It was Christmas time so we had gifts for everyone. But the winners got to choose first.
We had a great time. The layout is awesome. No set lines meant that everyone can add their own personality to their characters. I would recommend this company.
Wendy Cochrane –
Headline Last Stop to Murder
Nickname Wendy Cochrane
Menu Highlights We served finger food as we did not have facilities to work in. All pre prepared. Did some fancy deserts and served 'mocktails' in champagne flutes.
Theme Highlights The Murderer turned up in a snazzy 3 piece suit, the Princess looked lovely as did the Widow...the Maid came dressed in a black dress with a white apron....a top effort.
It was a end of year breakup for a Youth Reference Group. We contacted the local Steam Railway Organisation and they allowed us to use a Dining Car and a Travel car for our game. It was in an old sandstone goods shed with all the trimmings and atmosphere galore. The travel sounds really set it off! It was a very hot night but everyone survived in their costumes and followed the script. We ended up running out of time so didn’t do the spy puzzle (we ran from 6.30 to 10pm) We worked with only 10 participants so some of the spy clues were not relevant but we worked around that. Everyone did their best acting in the roles they were given.
Amy H –
Headline Last Stop Murder
Nickname Amy H
Menu Highlights French onion soup, salad, pasta, cheesecake, mock tails, and appetizers
Theme Highlights We found some vintage dishes and tablecloths and rearranged some furniture to make it seem like you were on a classy train.
Celebrated my birthday with this fun murder mystery!
Alex –
Headline A step back in time Aboard the Orient Express!
Nickname Alex
I had so so so much fun hosting this party for my friends this Halloween weekend. Everyone suggested we make it a yearly tradition! It did take a lot of planning on my part, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The spy puzzle was a little confusing, and only 3 people were able to solve the mystery; however, the drinks were flowing pretty heavily, which may have played a big role in that.
Voula Tsarouhas –
Headline PLAYING WITH MURDER
Nickname Voula Tsarouhas
Menu Highlights Well it was Christmas Day so we had : Turkey dinner with all the trimmings Beverages of all chouces Deserts It all fit in with being on a train on Xmas Day and acting out the Murder Mystery. :)
I bought it for Christmas Day. I wanted people yo interact with each other and stay away from the TV after Christmas dinner.
Mission accomplished!.
We had so much fun and laughed all night playing and talking about it afterwards. Would definitely do it again but next time I would order way in advance and give my guests their parts a couple of weeks ahead so that they can prepare and encourage them to dress the part as much as possible.
We had a blast! . 🙂
Mia DiPaola –
Headline Lots of Fun with Last Stop Murder
Nickname Mia DiPaola
My guests ranged from 14-16 years old. While a few of them were not fully invested in the event, most of them had a great time. Many of the guests were distracted in the solving of the murder by the spy component. Many guests did not know that they were the spy, so brief your guests in secret to be sure they fully understand their roles.
Heidi Peterson –
Headline Last Stop: Murder
Nickname Heidi Peterson
Menu Highlights Gourmet Cheese and crackers amuse geules (smoked salmon, fresh spring rolls, parmesan cups with bruschetta; muffeletta stuffed grape tomatoes Mashed potatoes with truffle oil; mushroom-stuffed roast, green beans with frenched carrots, gravy Maple-blueberry ginger parfait Much champagne, wine, and whiskey
Theme Highlights Our guests really outdid themselves finding amazing costumes, and getting into character. The meal and conversation was fantastic, they played their roles well. The 'reveal' was a bit of a letdown though as it was inconclusive the way it was presented. Overall everyone had fun, that's what counts.
the mystery party was great! The character descriptions and prep instructions were good and made the evening simple to plan.
My only comment is that the finale, p. 39-40, was a letdown. 122 pages of info and script, with only 2 pages of ‘who dunnit’, and that info not very clear either, was confusing and a bit of a deflation on the evening.
There should have been more detail and drama about the ’reveal’, as he rest of the info was quite detailed, but the ‘who dunnit’ was not.
Overall though I’d give the kit an 8.5 out of 10
Everyone had a great time, the costumes they put together were great, and I would recommend our chef anytime your customers are in need a chef
DMNY –
Headline Huge Hit with Pre-teens!
Nickname DMNY
Menu Highlights We stopped in different countries for meals- Appetizers- Asian style- dumplings , egg roles, edemame Dinner- Italian- salads, garlic bread, Manicotti, chicken Parmesean (easy to heat and serve while running party) Desert- French style- Cheeses, fruit, chocolate fountain, banana/chocolate ice creme cake Drinks- Purple Fanta in Wine glasses Fortune cookies in every room! Breakfast - French - Egg and cheese Croissants cheeses fruit cinnamin rolls OJ in wine glasses
Theme Highlights Asian decor- Red/Gold/Purple- Authentic Chinese paper cutouts, tiny red lights in windows around them.) Elegant silver trays for serving and Chinese trays tea lights and candles everywhere Tall candles for table Fake hollowed out books to hide Dossier clues
We celebrated my daughter’s 13th birthday with a "Murder in the Orient Express" mystery party with 13 of her closest friends! All of our guests dressed according to character sheets and played out their roles beautifully throughout the evening! (I requested on the invites that each guest dress in a particular color as well so it would be like the "clue" game!) We couldn’t have asked for better actors! 13 year olds are often self concious in social situations but because they had a "role" to play they came out of their shells and pit more imagination then I could have anticipated in the party! After the discovery of many clues, the murderer was caught and taken away by the authorities along with the rest of the boys by 11pm and the girls returned to their "sleep cars" for a late night slumber party! The party was a success in my book as I figured out how to entertain the minds of 13 additional 13 yr olds for 5 hours without permitting the use of any electronic devices! I was the detective "hostess" and my adorable nieces(6 & 8yrs) sneaked into the action to hide clues throughout the night! I actually set up a "sleeping car" and put the real clues instead of paper ones for them to find during act 2.We returned to the dinning car after act 2 for desert and the interrogation of the suspects! My daughter and I watch the real "Murder on the Orient Express" movie after the party and she kept picking out everyone’s character. Now we are going to call them all back over to watch the movie!
David –
Headline Game went very well (with a couple issues)
Nickname David
The game went very well. Liked having the clues to hide and the instructions were comprehensive. It took a while to read through the information. The printing instructions were very useful.
Two issues with the game:
– the train audio clip wouldn’t loop using iTunes. I put repeat on but it advanced to my next song. It ruined a little of the atmosphere.
– the ending was confusing the way played out. If you read the script out loud, people are confused with who the killer is. It concludes with taking about the accomplice vs. the killer.
Chasa –
Headline I had a great time with my murder mystery party!
Nickname Chasa
The instructions were clear, my guests all had a great time! This was my first experience with a murder mystery dinner party, as a hostess I didn’t fully understand the amount of preparation that went into the party until I began planning this one. Ha I’m very thankful that the instructions were clear and well organized!
I look forward to hosting another murder mystery dinner!!