Malachai Stout’s Family Reunion

$39.95

(94 customer reviews)

Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set at a family reunion.

Format:
30 Minute Mystery
Setting:
Stout's ancestral home
Time:
30+ minutes
Ages:
Adult / Teen
Players:
8-16 (Standard Game)
17-100+ (Expanded Game)
Printer next to phone
Play with Printed Sheets or the App
Hosts have the choice of playing the game with printable documents or using the PWM Party Assistant app
View app gameplay guide
Friendly cartoon people on device screens
Play In-Person or Over Video Chat
You can host this game in-person or over video chat. The game is built to be run either way!
Everyone predicted a bad reunion. Few expected murder…

Background

Your guests are going to be playing the roles of the largely dysfunctional members of the Stout family, who have gathered at their ancestral home for a family reunion, hosted by the elderly Malachai Stout. None of the Stouts have ever gotten along particularly well with each other, but the promise of a substantial inheritance has encouraged them to at least put on their friendly faces and attend Malachai Stout’s occasional gatherings.

Murder!

Now, however, something awful has happened. This morning, when you came downstairs for breakfast, the door to Malachai’s bedroom was ajar, and Malachai’s lifeless body was crumpled upon the bed, his contorted purple features a mute testament to the fact that he had been smothered in his sleep. Further, the wall safe in Malachai’s study has been opened, and the precious Stout family jewels are missing!

Solving the Mystery

The obvious course of action would be to phone the police or travel to the nearest town, but last night’s storm has knocked out the phone lines, and the tremendous rain has washed out the mountain road to town. It appears that it will be up to the guests to solve the mystery of Malachai Stout’s murder!

94 reviews for Malachai Stout’s Family Reunion

  1. Katrina


    Headline Employee appreciation week

    Nickname Katrina

    Menu Highlights We had angel food cake cut into dead bodies with strawberry glaze as blood on the heads. Also hotdogs and picnic family reunion style

    Theme Highlights We all dressed up and of course we created a fake crime scene which was awesome!


    We had murder mystery day and employees played characters while everyone else tried to solve it! We decorated and created a fake crime scene! Was perfect and everyone had a blast!!!! Easy to follow and put together these 30min murder mysteries!

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    (4) (0)
  2. Mrs. P – Girl Scout Leader


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Mrs. P - Girl Scout Leader

    Menu Highlights It was a scout meeting after school so we had typical meeting food, fruit, cookies, juice boxes, etc..

    Theme Highlights No costumes since I put this together hours before our meeting that day. So easy to run and set up!


    We did this mystery for my daughters 6th Grade Girl Scout Troop, working on the Cadette Secret Agent Badge. The timing was perfect! Took the girls about an hour to solve. They loved it so much they want to do another one for our next meeting, next week! We had 10 girls, 8 of them became the characters, 1 was the host/narrator, and 1 wanted to be an inspector, and interrogate each suspect. The girls could have worked on this mystery longer, but we only had a short window, so we had to keep the girls on track to finish before our meeting was over. So easy to set up and run!

    (6) (0)
  3. Luree


    Headline The Dinner to End All Dinners!

    Nickname Luree

    Menu Highlights A picnic requires deviled eggs, so that was one of the items on our menu. But it was a snowy night, so we had a Greek stew (was Malachai Greek?) instead of a barbecue. But since reunions are also oftentimes shared food offerings, everyone brought part of the meal. Easier for the host!

    Theme Highlights Our next murder mystery dinner will encourage costumes. We didn't this time, simply because it was our first time. But one participant (in the role of stuffy, money-driven Mortimer) came dressed in a smoking jacket. And everyone played the personality of their characters well.


    Four couples, all friends, gather monthly for dinner together. This time we did something different — and turned it into a Malachai $tout family reunion, complete with murder and family accusations. None of us had ever participated in a murder mystery dinner before, so not only was it a howl of fun for everyone but everyone said this is a jump-off point for future murder mystery dinners. We also loved the fact we could sit around a dinner table and march through the game without having to move. The fact that it was also fast-paced, requiring about an hour of rollicking fun and intrigue, was added incentive to plan this evening’s entertainment for everyone in the first place.

    (4) (0)
  4. Dee


    Headline Murder Mystery Birthday!

    Nickname Dee


    We had an absolutely great time playing Malachai Stout’s Family Reunion! It was for a 12 year old’s murder mystery family birthday party with ages ranging from 11 to 80. The process was very simple from ordering online to playing. I wanted a game to add to our party, but not one that takes the entire evening. The 30 minute mystery was a perfect murder mystery game that doesn’t involve pre-party planning to organize and play. Easy to follow instructions from ordering to playing.
    We will definitely order another game in the future.

    (3) (0)
  5. Donette


    Headline Murder at the Mansion

    Nickname Donette

    Menu Highlights A catered meal was served in 3 courses during the 3 intermissions of the play.

    Theme Highlights Each actor dressed in appropriate attire for their character. The stage was decorated to resemble an old fashioned living room.


    At our over 55 senior community we used the Malachai Stout Family Reunion script for our April dinner theater. Keeping everything simple, we selected 8 actors to portray the family members with a narrator to guide the investigation.
    Over 40 people attended, seated at 8 tables, one for each character in the story. As the play opened the actors sat in front to deliver the first round of information, then an intermission allowed everyone to enjoy appetizers and discuss what they had heard. After each round, the actors returned to their tables for the main course and dessert. After the "investigators" had the full story, they began to deliberate on the identity of the murderer. The narrator then called on each table to give their conclusion before asking "will the real culprit please stand up."
    This was a highly successful event for our residents and it was very easy to plan because there was no need for prolonged rehearsals. The downloaded script was clear and concise with enough direction to be helpful but with lots of flexibility to adapt to any situation or size group. There was a very useful script layout to indicate how to stage the program without revealing the secret to the reader.

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    (2) (0)
  6. Amsterdam party


    Headline A work party to remember

    Nickname Amsterdam party


    We used this game for a team building evening. We combined it with a lovely three course dinner. The idea was that we would play a round of the game, then do a course of the dinner, then again a round of the game etc. It worked out great! I counted on the game to take about 30 minutes, but it ended up taking much longer, mainly due to my team very, very chatty (the wine may have something to do with that) so rounds took longer. Obviously that was not a problem and everyone had a great time.

    This game is well worth the money, I can recommend it to everyone who wants ‘something different’ with their colleagues or friends

    (2) (0)
  7. Mila


    Headline Birthday Masquerade Party

    Nickname Mila

    Menu Highlights Appetizers and lot's of champagne!

    Theme Highlights We played for a whole hour, and enjoyed every minute of it:)

    Video Campbell


    Great game for any occasion!
    We had a masquerade birthday party, so I changed the script a little to make it related to our theme.
    My friends were such great actors, so we didn’t want to finish plying:)))
    We definitely will play more games from Playing with Murder!

    (1) (0)
  8. Jennifer


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Jennifer

    Menu Highlights No menu or food

    Theme Highlights We did not dress up or have a theme.


    This was a 7th grad advisory activity and the kids loved it! They really got into character! There were 8 students and myself so it really worked out-number-wise. The timing was perfect because our group spent about 45-50 minutes on this and that was about how long the period is.

    (3) (0)
  9. Marsha


    Headline Malachi Stout's family reunion

    Nickname Marsha

    Menu Highlights All green snacks and a green cake, even green Hi C.

    Theme Highlights St. Patrick!s Day theme described above.


    We had a blast! I did this with a group of junior college church group students. With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I made that our theme. We were a dysfunctional Irish Catholic Family. On one of Malachi’s trips to Ireland, he stole a pot of gold from a leprechaun. It was hidden somewhere on the family estate. They had to find it. We will definitely do some more of these!

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    (2) (0)
  10. Kim


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Kim

    Menu Highlights We served King's cake.


    I am an activity coordinator for a retirement home. This is the first mystery game we have played for an activity. I wanted something different to do for our Mardi Gras party, and I was hoping this would do the trick. And, boy did it! I changed the location of the mansion to outside of New Orleans to go along with the party theme. It was a great time for all, and my residents want to do it again. They really got into their characters and there were a lot of laughs. I have to keep the time down from the longer stories due to the fatigue factor of the residents if an activity is too long. So, this story was perfect. We are definitely looking forward to doing another one in the future. Thanks!

    (4) (0)
  11. Youth Group Leader


    Headline Murder Mystery Night

    Nickname Youth Group Leader

    Menu Highlights We invited them all in to a room setup for the event. There were snacks in place and sparkling cider to drink. It did set a dinner party atmosphere, which seemed to set a very positive mood right from the beginning.


    We played at a Youth Group meeting. Since it was our first attempt at this sort of activity, we followed the directions given. I was not sure whether to play along and not read any spoilers or read all the material before playing. I chose to try to play along with the group. The group absolutely loved the event and we will plan another night like this. One downfall for us was one player did not read their directions thoroughly. Ironically, it was the guilty party and it did impact the eventual outcome. I am not sure if this could have been addressed discreetly if I had read all material before starting. We had players that are naturals at this type of event and they made their characters come to life for us.

    (0) (0)
  12. Jacob Lambert


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Jacob Lambert


    We used this party for a youth group session one Sunday evening – had 32 youth play (split up 4 per character) and had a BLAST! I let them pick their role and hid Clue #1 and Clue #2 to get up and search for, but the rest was done sitting in a big room and it was great. The best part was at the end, EVERY single person had a different theory on the killer – so all 8 characters were on the chopping block!

    (8) (0)
  13. Karen


    Headline New years eve bash

    Nickname Karen

    Menu Highlights We just had appetizers. But I ve done them in the past with a dinner. It is great to do.

    Theme Highlights I made a picture frame photo op for everyone as they arrive. I do it for every murder mystery. It makes for great memories.


    We started the evening by pulling characters out of a hat (guys and gals). There were 16 people including the host and hostess. We took half hour breaks between sets. I bought some silly costumes a cane a walker ect. Lots of accusations. Lots of laughs. Only one person guessed the murderer. It was a great evening.

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    (0) (0)
  14. Teens Leader


    Headline Surprised!

    Nickname Teens Leader

    Menu Highlights We had cereal because I called it a 'cereal killer'.

    Theme Highlights Used costumes and had spooky music playing in the background. The kids did not have an invitation because we set it up right there and then and let them choose their character.


    We had approx 12 teens and adults present for this murder mystery morning. It was part of a Christian caravan park holiday program and it went really well. I did not have much time at all to plan, probably about 1 day. But the pack was so straight forward and self guided that there was no issue at all. I prepared some costume props for each character and that was all! The teens were about 14 and initially weren’t excited when they heard it was a murder mystery. During the game they paired up in teams or played alone and by the end they all said they were surprised how fun it was. Including set up and game play it took about 45mins to an hour. We actually played outside in a park and it was no trouble. Highly recommend!

    (2) (0)
  15. Susie Orr


    Headline Malachai Family Mystery

    Nickname Susie Orr

    Menu Highlights Our dinner had an Italian theme.


    Neighborhood progressive dinner with 8 couples. Found the body at one house. Introduced characters at 2nd house. And enjoyed the clues and character discussions and questions at 4th house
    Characters enjoyed dressing the parts. The investigators had many questions

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    (3) (0)
  16. Shera-Lee Kerr


    Headline Family Drama

    Nickname Shera-Lee Kerr

    Menu Highlights We ordered family style Greek platters so we could concentrate on the gane instead of the menu!!


    We were celebrating my Father-in-Laws 80th Birthday at a local restaurant. All the characters were covered with real family members – we had family members from 8 – 80 years old.

    (2) (0)
  17. Becky R


    Headline Family Halloween Party

    Nickname Becky R

    Menu Highlights Nothing special. Everyone always just brings their favorite foods to share at our family gettogethers.


    Our 7 sons and their wives like to do these murder mystery parties every year around Halloween. This year we kind of strayed from the original theme.
    Everyone had to call me a couple of weeks before to tell me who they were coming as. Since this is our family Halloween party, the children greatly influenced what their parents dressed as. We had Bugs and Lola Bunny, the old guy Carl and the little boy Russell from Up, the Hulk, Super Man and Super Girl, etc.
    I took a few liberties with the game, hope the creators don’t mind. Things like our daughter-in-law, who came as Little Red Riding Hood, played the part of the spoiled college student, Bugs Bunny, instead of being a drunk, was addicted to carrots. The Hulk, was the crazy uncle, so instead of an injury during the war, he had an accident in the lab.
    It was hilarious, we stretched it out to last about an hour, since all my kids and their wives like to really get into character.
    Our family loves your mysteries and we will continue to buy and use them.

    (0) (0)
  18. DS


    Headline quite a success

    Nickname DS


    Our club presented your Malachau Stout’s Family Reunion at our fun night meeting this month. It was quite a success with very few simple props and no advance notice to our characters.
    Didn’t know we had so many terrific actresses in our club. They all really got into their parts and our investigators asked some terrific questions. Out of 19 characters and investigators, only four picked the correct culprit. It was a great evening. Thank you.
    Photo of our actresses follows.

    Image #1 from DS
    (4) (1)
  19. Grandma


    Headline ten year old birthday party

    Nickname Grandma


    I had a family party for my grandson’s 10th birthday party. The 12 guests ranged in age from 8 to 65. Everyone had fun and my grandson said it was the best birthday party ever. The game was easy to administer and was fun and funny. Everyone came dressed up as their character which put them in the mood for the mystery. I highly recommend this company.

    (0) (0)
  20. Travis Walker


    Headline Youth Group Mystery Night

    Nickname Travis Walker


    We had 30+ middle school students experience several different mystery related themed rooms throughout the evening, One of the rooms was Malachai Stout’s Family Reunion. So, we had 4 different groups of 8 experience this same mystery. Each group had a max of 25 minutes to solve the mystery. The students absolutely loved it. At the end of the night this room was voted most fun by the students. The story mad sense, flowed easily and had the kids interactivity a lot. I will note that this one is a little simple to solve. All four rooms got it right with out much difficulty. But, the goal was fun and this story was definitely accomplished that.

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    (0) (0)
  21. Sarah


    Headline Family Reunion Girls Night

    Nickname Sarah


    Our high school was hosting a girls night. The event went very well. The students really got into their characters and loved solving the mystery.

    (0) (0)
  22. Mike


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Mike

    Menu Highlights Chicken Cordon Bleu, roast beef, sweet baby carrots, green beans almondine, waldorff salad, rolls, chocolate cake


    We played this mystery at our church senior adult banquet. It was a great success. We introduced the characters (played by some of our church staff) before the meal was served. After everyone was served and seated, the plot was read and the round one informations was shared by each of the characters. The characters then circulated among the tables to greet and answer questions .Each table of eight was an investigator and competing to solve the mystery. Everyone enjoyed the event. There were 120 in attendance, so it can be fun for large groups too.

    (6) (0)
  23. Kimberly


    Headline Winter Formal Progressive Dinner

    Nickname Kimberly

    Menu Highlights Since this was the dessert portion of a progressive dinner, we had an ice cream sundae bar with all the toppings, as well as cupcakes.

    Theme Highlights We chose a winter theme to go along with the winter formal event, but it all worked well together with murder mystery as they were dressed up


    For my teenage daughter’s winter formal event, we hosted the dessert and game portion of a progressive dinner. We had sixteen teenagers who had never participated in a murder mystery before, but they all had a blast!

    They had just finished their main course at the previous home, so we jumped right into the murder mystery. After Act II, we paused for dessert, but they kept in character and continued discussing possible suspects and pointing an occasional finger!

    Since they were all new to this type of game, we had them paired up so that two people played one character. This led to many laughs at "split personalities" and sudden voice changes.

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    (0) (0)
  24. Helen


    Headline Black Tie 18th Birthday Party

    Nickname Helen

    Menu Highlights We served cocktails/mocktails during the sit down meal, to add to the theme. We had a set menu that everyone chose before they came. Setting up an event on face book made it easier to collect info. The only people that knew about the murder mystery were the characters allocated before the event, who were sworn to secrecy! Most of the 3 course meal was ready prepared and I made mini cheese cakes and gateaux for dessert. https://www.facebook.com/buzzfeedtasty/videos/vb.1614251518827491/1701992736720035/? type=2&theater everyone love the food.

    Theme Highlights As most of the guests were performing arts students it added to the atmosphere, we hadn't prepared how much they would ad lib, made more effective by how they took on the characters.. We had a piano and open mic which guests tapped in to .A great night and comments included best murder mystery I have ever been to...


    My daughter had requested a party incorporating something from all her birthday parties. As she had a Murder Mystery for her 13th, we decided to use the 30 minute script.
    As everyone arrived in Black TIe and we had a sit down meal to seal her 18th, we run the murder mystery alongside the 3 course meal…

    (0) (0)
  25. Patti Wood


    Headline AWESOME !!

    Nickname Patti Wood

    Menu Highlights We had an appetizer table set up as people came in. This helped set the mood before everyone sat down. We also had our teenagers serve as waitresses which added to the fun.

    Theme Highlights The room was decorated like a banquet room. We had candlelight so it made the room feel so different than just dinner in our fellowship hall. We also greeted everyone as they came in and tried to get them into the theme of the reunion.


    This was our first "young adult" fellowship for your church so we really didn’t know how well this idea would go, but it was a huge success

    We had 28 people and we selected the 8 main characters by placing envelopes around the tables with the word "man or lady".

    We set up the area like a banquet room and played each round asdinner was served. We had one person play the part of a "cousin" that found the body.

    It was great – actually it was hard to end it because everyone kept asking questions.

    Thanks for a great Party

    (7) (0)
  26. Meghan Groos


    Headline Malachai Stout's Family Reunion

    Nickname Meghan Groos

    Menu Highlights Drinks and finger foods worked great.

    Theme Highlights set up the murder scene to get the charters in the mood. As the host its always good to control the pace of eth game and allow adequate time for each character to speak OR to cut them off if they are talking too much.


    I planned a surprise party for my boyfriends birthday. We are both into card games, board games all sorts of games. I had all the guests/characters waiting and he had no idea, he was really surprised. I set the mood for the game in an old family house. The murder scene had Malachai’s lifeless body crumpled upon the bed and the empty safe. It was a lot of fun. Our friends still talk about it. I made the game more interactive. As the host I was able to slow the game down and have the characters mingle and check out the murder scene and clues. I would recommend a murder mystery game to anyone who like games.

    (6) (0)
  27. Regina


    Headline Casseroles with a side helping of murder

    Nickname Regina

    Menu Highlights Assorted casseroles, salads, and desserts.


    The Pinochle Club at our DelWebb community sponsored a community dinner. We all brought casseroles and salads; afterwards each of the eight tables with eight characters each played the game. I tweaked the dialogs by changing the murderer’s paper so that he/she did not know his/her guilt. After Round Three, the members had to discuss "who did it," and the first table to bring me the correct answer won the $10.00 per person prize. Everyone loved the activity and can’t wait for us to do it again.

    (3) (0)
  28. Rachel Morgan, program chairman for the 39ers


    Headline Murder mystery at the 39ers' Potluck Dinner

    Nickname Rachel Morgan, program chairman for the 39ers

    Menu Highlights This was a potluck dinner; we had everything from fried chicken to homemade icecream. At a family reunion, people often have potluck dinners.

    Theme Highlights We made signs for the characters to wear. It gave the name of the character and the relationship to Malachai. The man playing the part of the drunkard carried a brown paper sack with a bottle inside; he occasionally took a sip.


    The 39ers, a church group of senior citizens, presented this murder mystery as a program for our potluck dinner. Not only the participants but also the audience enjoyed the mystery.The parts were distributed a few days before the dinner, and the characters were well prepared for asking questions and responding to statements about themselves. Some members of the audience occasioally made comments, and there was much laughter. Even though this was a murder mystery, the audience thoroughly enjoyed the funny comments and antics of the participants. I would definitely recommend "Malachai Stout’s Family Reunion" for a home dinner party or for a larger group such as ours.

    Image #1 from Rachel Morgan, program chairman for the 39ers
    (2) (0)
  29. Keiandra


    Headline My sister's 30th Birthday

    Nickname Keiandra

    Menu Highlights We had a cocktail party with bite sized finger style foods including finger sanwhiches, wings, spinich dip and broclli bites. We also served shrimp pasta im martini glasses and non alcoholic cocktails.

    Theme Highlights Our theme was Mardi Gras masquerade. The guests were asked to wear masks and dress up in their finest cocktail attire.


    This was my sisters 30th birthday partyand she really wanted to go to a murder mystery show in the city but limites funds would not allow it. I decided to try to find one we could do at home with little to no props. This game was awesome! The party guests really got in to character and we laughed so much. It was tons of fun. Whem my sister reflected on the party she said this was her favorite part. As if that wasnt great enough several of my guests said they had a ball playing and they want to do it again!!

    (2) (0)
  30. Gene


    Headline Literally 8 to 80 at our party and everyone had a wonderful time

    Nickname Gene


    Half way thru the Mystery the 80 year old asked if someone had died. The 8 year old relished her part as did the others and after some of the questioning we laughed till we cried. We had a new guest at the family gathering so the part of facilitator was perfect for her and made her feel comfortable with easy to follow instructions.

    Looking forward to our next party and a new mystery.

    (2) (0)

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There are 8 primary characters in this game. Read the "How to Play" section for instructions on how to play this game with more than 8 people.


* = Optional character


  • Grandma Winifred Stout: Stately and stern, Winifred Stout, Malachai's wife, isn't the sort of grandmother who bakes cookies for the little ones; she's more the sort to scream at them to stay off the furniture.

  • Penelope Clarington: Icy cold and snobbish, Penelope Clarington, Malachai's daughter, is far more concerned with maintaining proper appearances than anything else.

  • Harrison Clarington: Penelope's husband Harrison is a drunkard and a cad. He never got along with either Malachai or Winifred, and he's only here because Penelope insisted.

  • Mortimer Stout: Malachai's son and eldest child, Mortimer is stuffy, conservative, and driven primarily by his own financial interests.

  • Monica Stout: Mortimer's trophy wife, Monica is a bubbly, talkative, sweet-as-saccharine woman who has always done her best to stay on good terms with all of her in-laws.

  • Sabrina Stout: Mortimer and Monica's only daughter, Sabrina is a spoiled-rotten college student who is more interested in partying than in anything to do with her father's side of the family.

  • Uncle Edwin Stout: Malachai's brother and the black sheep of the family, Crazy Uncle Eddie was never quite right after the war. He has lived on the Stout estate with Malachai and Winifred for years, keeping almost entirely to himself.

  • Sebastian Seward: Malachai's long-suffering and much-maligned butler, Mr. Seward is responsible for keeping the Stout household running smoothly and putting up with nearly endless mistreatment from Malachai and Winifred.

Extra Players


  • *Investigator: If you have more than 8 players, 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

This game kit includes:

  • Hosting guide – A guidebook that takes you through all the steps for running the game
  • Character sheets – Information sheets for eight unique characters and one generic "Investigator" character
  • Name cards – Printable name cards that can be placed in front of players for in-person games (optional)
  • Introductory handout – A brief description of the game that can be sent to your guests ahead of the event (optional)
  • Invitation template – Printable template that can be used to send paper invitations to your guests (optional)

Our line of 30 Minute Mysteries is specially designed for fast setup and easy play, whether your playing in-person or virtually over video chat.

All you need to do is:

  1. Gather a group of players
  2. Distribute character sheets
  3. Follow the party guide instructions

If you’re playing in person, you have the option of printing out the hosting script and character sheets, or you and your guests may view them on your electronic devices.

Best of all, the party facilitator can choose whether they join in the game and solve the mystery along with the other guests!

Playing the Game

While this mystery has 8 primary characters, it is designed to accommodate any number of additional players. See the “Expanded Game for Large Groups” section below if you have more than 8 players.

Each of the players will be assigned a character and given a character sheet that explains who or what their character is, what information their character knows, and how their character should respond to events that occur during the game.

The game will progress in rounds.

Round One will start with the party’s host or hostess reading a script that explains the nature of the mystery that is afoot. After the introduction is read, each player at the table will share a piece of information from their character sheet, which will often be met by a response from another player.

Round Two begins with the host sharing a clue that should shed further light on the mystery. After the clue is revealed, the players will once again go around, providing another piece of information.

Round Three, the final round, begins with the host sharing the last clue. The players then go around the table a final time, sharing their last piece of information.

By this point, the players should have enough information to piece together a theory about who was responsible for the crime. Everyone will vote for the culprit, which the host will then reveal. Any player or couple who correctly guessed the identity of the killer is declared a winner.

From start to finish, the game typically requires half an hour to complete.

What Do I Need in Order to Play?

Our 30 Minute Mysteries are specifically designed to not require very much in the way of supplies. All you need is:

  • Playing area
    • In-person – Table to sit around or large playing area where the guests can sit in a circle
    • Virtual – Video chat room (links to 3rd-party providers like Zoom included in game)
  • A group of players (minimum 8 people)
  • Access to a printer or electronic device (so you can distribute game materials)

Expanded Game For Large Groups

If you have more than 8 players, there are three ways that you can accommodate everyone:

  • Investigator Role – Using this method, eight guests play the primary characters while the remainder of the guests each play the Investigator role. Players in this role 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.
  • Teams – Each primary character can be played by 2 or more people that work together as a team. This works well if you’ve invited several couples to your event, but also works if you break up your guests into eight larger teams of 3 or more guests.
  • Multiple Groups – If you have 16 or more guests, you can break them up into groups of 8 players and run multiple instances of the game on their own. This method is best for large events (e.g. fundraisers) where each table of people can play through the game independently. This method goes well with the Investigator method, which allows you the flexibility to add more than 8 people to any group.

Both the standard and expanded games are included with the purchase of any game kit.

Content Rating:

This party is rated adult/teen. There is no explicit material; the party does contain references to the following:

Murder

Difficulty:

This party is simple to set up and can be played with minimal or no preparation.

This party is average difficulty to solve.

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  1. Like our Facebook page to activate promo code.
  2. Use code FBPWM10 in cart for 10% off your first order!

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