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A Pryce in Blood
$39.95
Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set on an island of shipwrecked pirates.
Format:
30 Minute Mystery
Setting:
Wrecked pirate ship
Time:
30+ minutes
Ages:
Adult / Teen
Players:
Play this game as a virtual party
Want to play this game over video chat so your guests can play from home? Try the virtual edition.
View Virtual Edition
A treasure-hunting adventure takes a bloody turn…
Backstory
The guests will be playing the roles of surviving crewmembers of the wrecked pirate ship Retribution. While navigating toward a remote Caribbean island, the purported resting place of the famous Treasure of the Lost Grotto, a huge storm erupted and the ship hit a large reef, splitting the hull. The ship was within sight of the island, and nine pirates, including their leader, Captain Bartholomew Pryce, were able to salvage planks from the wreckage and use them to assist in the swim to shore. The rest of the crew perished.
Murder!
Awakening from their first night on the island—spent in exhaustion on the beach—the pirates find that the captain has been murdered, and the treasure map, which he kept on his person at all times, has been stolen!
Solving the Mystery:
Now it’s up to the guests to determine who murdered the captain in order to recover the treasure map, find the treasure, and, of course, exact pirate justice!
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
- Olde Lucky, Aging Pirate: Olde Lucky has been a pirate for forty years. He’s seen a lot of
action and is missing the body parts to show it. He may be going a little senile.
- Master Luftinant, Former Naval Officer: Once an officer in the Royal Navy, Master
Luftinant became a pirate after a mutiny gone awry. He still maintains a certain military
stiffness.
- Celine du Nuit, French Exile: Celine is a French deportee and the widow of legendary
buccaneer Philippe de Berry. She uses a falsely naïve demeanor to catch her enemies off
guard.
- Orphan Ollie, Cabin Boy: After losing his parents, Orphan Ollie stowed away on a merchant
ship, which was subsequently captured by Captain Pryce and his crew. At only eleven years
old, he is a master pickpocket.
- Ramsay Prescott, Former Privateer: Ramsay Prescott was once a crewmember on a
privateering vessel, but he opted for a life of piracy after discovering the much more
equitable distribution of loot amongst pirates. He always wants his fair share.
- Estella Buckham, Swashbuckling Beauty: Estella grew up in Charles Town but left home in
her teens. She is quick-witted, hotheaded, and masterful with the sword.
- Sidney Sheffield, Young Aristocrat: Sidney Sheffield is the child of Baron Sheffield.
Shirking noble duty, Sidney left home in search of adventure but has not yet learned how to
fit in amongst pirates.
- Sawin’ Sister Sarah, Ship Doctor: Sarah was the mender of wounds, letter of blood, extractor
of teeth, and remover of limbs on board the Retribution. She may also be a witch.
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.
This game kit includes:
- Hosting guide – 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:
- Gather a group of players
- Distribute character sheets
- 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.
Yvette S. –
Headline : Murder Mystery Sleepover
Nickname : Yvette S.
Menu Highlights : The scavenger hunt with clues was a great addition.
Theme Highlights : We bought swords, hats and guns.
For my daughters 16th birthday we had a murder mystery sleepover. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and it was the perfect length for 16yr olds. We got some simple costume props (mostly from the dollar store) and the girls enjoyed playing the parts. The fun did not end when they solved the murder and found out who stole the treasure map. We then made a treasure map that led to the first clue. Then we had a scavenger hunt which ended in finding the treasure (CANDY.)
Melissa –
Headline : The mystery was a huge success!!!
Nickname : Melissa
I used it as an introduction to the next part of my Mystery Unit with my students. The students really enjoyed the roles and loved getting to play characters. The characters were very well written. The students had a blast!!!
The instructions were extremely clear and easy to follow.
I will definitely be using more of your products in the future!
Andrea –
Headline : Review of: A Pryce in Blood
Nickname : Andrea
I am part of a VW bus/van/camper club and we call our little group of camping friends “Pirates”. When I was looking for a murder mystery to host during our annual Thanksgiving weekend campout (at the farm in Connecticut of one of our Pirate friends who played Sawin Sister Sarah) I just had to find a pirate themed mystery to do. Yours was perfect. With the wonders of technology, I was able to email scripts without seeing the pages….and each person came prepared to the farm in costume. The event was in Connecticut and we had Orphan Ollie from New Jersey, myself (Ramsey Prescott) from Long Island, NY, Master Luftinant was from Massachusetts, and the rest from Connecticut.
The girl who read the narration found it to be easy reading, thorough and clear. the hosting instructions were great.
If there is any criticism, reading the lines got a bit confusing for us actors, with some of the info on the left column and some on the right…..people got confused when they were to read which side and if they should immediately respond, or wait until it was their turn to respond.
Some confusion, however was due to our own fault as there were half a dozen non players sitting around ½ of the campfire watching us, as we all stood around the other half of the campfire acting out the play. Non player comments and laughter were sometimes distracting and they would call out who they thought the murderer was at any given time….
Due to the silliness, (yes, alcohol was involved) certain clues that the characters divulged went “unnoticed”.
Anyway….we had great fun…and thoroughly enjoyed the game…and the reasonable length of time it took to complete. I wish you had more pirate themed murder mysteries, as I do plan on doing one again… I’ll just have to look at the other themes you offer.
Brandy –
Headline : 11 & 12-year-olds couldn't quite follow
Nickname : Brandy
I loved reading thru the material for the murder mystery and was very excited to do it for my Son’s Halloween classroom party. He is in 6th grade, so this was mostly 11 and 12 year olds. However, the material was a little over their heads and they had a hard time following along. I picked this theme because it seemed the most age appropriate for this group. I took a chance that it would work well for this age group, but I think it would be fun with a group of older kids who could follow along a bit better.