Set Sail for Disaster

$49.95

(67 customer reviews)

Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set on a cruise ship.

Format:
Mystery Party Kit
Setting:
On a cruise ship
Time:
90+ minutes
Ages:
Adult
Players:
10-22 (Standard Game)
23-100+ (Expanded Game)
A balmy, nighttime tropical cruise turns violent…

The Backstory

Your players have been invited on a pleasure cruise by Captain Michael Von Ammon. The guest list includes a number of the Captain’s friends, family members, and business associates, as well as the crew of the Captain’s sixty-foot yacht, the Elizabeth May. Everyone is expecting an evening cruise replete with dinner, drinks, and dancing – they aren’t expecting foul weather, the murder of someone on board, or a sudden shipwreck on a deserted island in the uncharted Caribbean.

Murder!

This mystery is divided into two primary segments. During the first portion of the evening, Act One, the events take place on the Elizabeth May, Captain Von Ammon’s ship, a sixty-foot pleasure cruiser manned by the Captain, the Ship’s Engineer (played by the Host/Hostess), and a handful of wait staff. As the evening progresses, a tropical storm rolls in, casting a somewhat ominous pall over the festivities. As the hour grows late, lightning strikes the ship, the lights go out in the cabin, and the partygoers hear a scream and a thud. When the players light candles they will find that someone has taken advantage of the momentary darkness to kill another person on the ship. The mystery is afoot!

The Perfect Crime?

Unfortunately, the partygoers will have no immediate opportunity to determine the identity of the killer; the ship has been struck by lightning, blowing most of the mechanical systems. Worse yet, she is taking on water, and the storm is intensifying. Amidst the crash of the waves and the roar of thunder there can be heard a rending shriek as the hull splinters. The partygoers are tossed about and lose consciousness.

Solving the Mystery

Act Two opens with the characters regaining consciousness on the shore of a small island, amid the wreckage of the ship. Miraculously, everyone has survived (except, of course, the victim, whose body has been lost at sea). It looks like there is enough left of the ship to put together a makeshift raft, and there are enough resources on the island to feed the group for quite a while ‘but everyone is nervous at the knowledge that there is undoubtedly a murderer in their midst. Now the players must work together to collect sufficient food and water, build an escape boat from the wreckage of the Elizabeth May and try to identify the murderer!

Customer Images

67 reviews for Set Sail for Disaster

  1. Aiste Osinskyte


    Headline : Murder mystery on actual boat!

    Nickname : Aiste

    Menu Highlights : Sandwitches and cupcakes - simple to eat on boat

    Theme Highlights : Perfect party theme for a summer birthday!


    My friend has a birthday in June, so my gift to her was organizing murder mystery party, while she booked a boat to sail on the local reservoir, enjoy sunshine and greenery around us. We have spent an hour (first act) sailing, then we got “shipwrecked” and played the second act in the park on the coast, where we had a picnic as well 🙂 The characters were fun and enjoyable. Most people have haven’t played murder mystery games before, but they had no trouble getting into character and playing 🙂

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  2. Melissa


    Headline : The little things

    Nickname : Melissa

    Menu Highlights : Food Pulled chicken sliders, Jamaican potato salad, black bean quinoa, watermelon, chips, and butter-rum cupcakes. One utensil food

    Theme Highlights : Decor We use that deck as the ship where everyone ate dinner and we had wooden plank looking table covers taped up as visual barriers to separate the two areas. we put fake potholes on the wooden panel table covers, and it looked like a boat. Lol. Our backyard is already pretty Caribbean theme, so we did not need to do much.


    We did Set Sail for Disaster for our anniversary party. My husband and I split the host duties. I did all of the pre-party preparation, and he did during the party.

    Guests
    18 with me and hubby, 20

    Scavenger hunt
    We did more of an escape room with the food and wreckage tokens. We had riddles and games for them to solve and get the tokens.

    Extras
    I made dossiers (fancy folder) For each person. It had their act one character sheet, a piece of Elizabeth May stationary I made for them to use during the games, the voting sheet on the back of the folder, a clip on name tag, and a pen. I used the name tag image a few times, like on the folder, and on a large envelope to give each player their act two character sheet.

    Conclusion
    It was fantastic. It was the best party we have ever thrown. I read through the paperwork three times or so so that I knew it backwards and forwards. I played the character of the bartender while my husband was the engineer. Have someone who is a good actor be Mrs. Von Ammen and another tip I saw on here was to have a good actor be Jake Morrison. Have someone friendly and talkative be the captain. We will totally Play With Murder again.

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  3. Nikimac@gmail


    Headline : Wonderful mystery - great character development!

    Nickname : Nikimac@gmail

    Menu Highlights : Charcuterie with salami & smoked salmon & many cheeses, fruit tray, veggie tray, shrimp cocktail, chips with salsa & guacamole, rum raisin spice cupcakes, lemon coconut cupcakes, lavender lemon pepper tofu, barbecued shredded chicken, pineapple rice, meatballs, popcorn, macarons, strawberry coconut jello shots, bloody marys, sparkling water & soda pops

    Theme Highlights : I used scavenger hunt items for decor, put a YouTube video of the ocean / a storm / an island on the TV, played a couple yacht rock records, had a fun old steamer trunk and random nautical decor, printed a Happy Birthday banner I made in nautical flags, plugged in LED lights to reflect the mood, spread seashells throughout. I bought lifeboat nametags from Oriental Trading, but everything else was pretty random or repurposed. The macrame on the favor bottles took a while but looked great! If you email me I can share the file for the banner & word find & crossword, but the crossword has a couple modifications so you'd probably just want to use it as an example.


    I just held my 40th birthday with 35 awesome participants for Setting Sail for Disaster. I had my party from 5-9 so there was a social hour before the game started, and some chill time after. The mystery itself was about 2 hours on the button. I did it at a large house and it was set in the front room (which I called the solarium and had some plants & shells & a record player spinning yacht rock), the galley (which I set up as a bar), the dining hall (where all the food was and a table with lovely candles), and the lounge (where the TV played a porthole view of a boat trip).
    I modified the clean version of this story to write it just for my women friends, which worked fine. I kept the captain character a man but my friend just wore a fake mustache to play so. I left out all the waiter characters, as I wanted my friends to relax and just enjoy. The chef happily served me a birthday pie, and I modified one waitress to be a photographer instead, who gladly took photos throughout the party.
    Some people got sooo into it, but even the friends who didn’t play characters still dressed tropical, and I had a Ginger from Gilligan’s Island, 2 mermaids, and a Coast Guard help as background people. Made me so happy that even the introverts enjoyed themselves. Some characters went so into it – printed promo photos, brought a sculpture, made fake injuries, brought business cards, etc. It was wonderful.
    I supplemented with some get to know you activities including a crossword with answers that you had to talk to each character about, a word find about parts of a boat, and a guessing jar full of Swedish fish. For the scavenger hunt, I nixed the food & water tokens entirely and just set up decor to be used as raft pieces (3 ropes, 3 fishnets, 2 tarps, 1 pole, 15 boards that I’d set food on, 1 anchor, and 1 steering wheel). I also set my laptop and a bag with a dremel motor in the “captain’s office” for discovery later. Out of 33 votes, only 4 guessed the murderer correctly, which was wonderful.
    I gave mini bottles of liquor with macramed fishnet around them and lifesaver candies as gifts. I served a bunch of dinnery food with a little tropical twist for some things. I gave two trophies to the best costume and best actress, along with a fake nose/glasses disguise and an inflatable trophy. Correct guessers got a tiny treasure chest with a Winner! pin inside.
    The mystery went exactly as I planned – I sent Act 1 info via email a month beforehand, then had Act 2 available in envelopes to read at the halfway point. Act 1 was an hour, then about a 15 minute regroup, then Act 2 was half an hour, then guessing and announcements were another 15 minutes or so. It was perfect! I was really happy I made some custom modifications, but I would 100% buy again, and I already have friends talking about wanting to host their own.

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  4. Cindy


    Headline : 50th Birthday Tropical Get Away!

    Nickname : Cindy

    Menu Highlights : Served Hawaiian Meatballs, fruit skewers, veggies & dip and Pina Colada Cupcakes

    Theme Highlights : Ordered a cruise ship backdrop from Amazon, created a ship's wheel, grass skirt to line the food counter, centerpieces that included sand, seashells and candles.


    This party was purchased for my husband’s 50th birthday. The night was a success! Everyone came in character, mingled with the other characters and used the clues and their knowledge to help solve the crime! Some were quite surprised by the killer!

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  5. Karen


    Headline : Mystery Solved With Giggles Aboard

    Nickname : Karen

    Menu Highlights : Hawaiian BBQ chicken, shredded and on Hawaiian rolls as sliders. Shrimp cocktail. Powdered sugar donuts turned into life preservers with red frosting. Life Saver mints


    We purchased the Set Sail for Disaster murder mystery dinner for a volleyball team bonding event for 16 year olds. They did a great job at this age staying into character and solving the mystery. Whole event took 2 hours and every player brought an app, side dish or dessert. I bought cruise ship decor online and used toy plastic food and water bottles for act 2. The audio clips were perfect and really added to setting the right atmosphere. I would definitely host this theme again and any others from Playing With Murder.

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  6. Me1973


    Headline : So much fun!

    Nickname : Me1973


    Murder mystery party at my art studio.
    Adult birthday party

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  7. Savannah


    Headline : Best time ever

    Nickname : Savannah

    Menu Highlights : Dinner was BBQ, mac &cheese, green beans, potatoes and banana pudding.

    Theme Highlights : We had so much fun decorating for it. We rented drapes to separate the “deck” from the private island. On the deck side, we hung up scene setter that looked like a boat and water. At the beginning of Act II we took down the drape to reveal the island we set up. We even rented a real margarita machine that was a huge hit! I had LED flood lights set up on both sides of the room. During some of the script reading I had people have the led lights flicker to look like lightening.


    We purchased this file for our annual murder mystery but then Covid it. So 2 years later we actually were able to use it.

    It was well worth the wait. We had a total of 40 people. It was our largest party yet and went off without a hitch. At the beginning we had each character introduce themselves and give some details about theirselves. Even some investigators gave some insight of their “work history”. It really set the mood.

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  8. Milda


    Headline : First time and will not be the last!

    Nickname : Milda


    It was all the guests’ first murder mystery party (including mine as the host) and we had so much fun! The instructions made everything easy to put together! We were 11 people
    We did the food token hunt first, and then I put all the shripwreck tokens in envelopes with puzzles in them instead of making them part of the treasure hunt. We could have done without the treasure hunt, if I were to organize it again I would take that part out.
    I followed the advice of another reviewer on here to put the best acting friends as the Gambler and Elizabeth Von Ammon, and it made for a lot of fun!

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  9. Cass


    Headline : Wine and Murder - Awesome Party!

    Nickname : Cass

    Menu Highlights : Instead of a full dinner, we did a large (typical) charcuterie table with a few island/ocean themed items. Shrimp cocktail, pineapple dip, crab dip, coconut almonds.

    Theme Highlights : We had the second act outside to really play up the island theme. During the murder scene below deck, we covered the windows to make it really feel like you were below deck!


    We rented out and hosted our murder mystery party at a wine bar with 50 people. It was fantastic! People are still talking about it over 2 months later. The costumes and people really getting into character made the night so make sure to give the big roles to people who will really play it us. The “scavenger hunt” portion of the game was a little unnecessary and actually confused guests a little, but it gave me a way to add some more decor/prop items. Only about half the group guessed the murderer. So fun and will definitely be purchasing another!

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  10. Mommyholly1


    Headline : We killed it!

    Nickname : Mommyholly1

    Menu Highlights : Pulled pork and tropical drink menu. Guests were asked to bring a tropically-themed side dish or dessert. They brought many different summer salads and we also enjoyed rum-infused coconut cupcakes. My daughter cut a watermelon to look like a shark and put Barbie doll legs in his mouth along with the fruit. We offered Mai tai’s, hurricanes, jellyfish, pink diamonds, and bay breeze drinks along with beer, wine and soda.

    Theme Highlights : We hosted a backyard tropical beach party (with a twist of course) and we turned most of the hidden pieces that need to be found into “escape room” type games so it was more than just finding a piece of paper. We locked a dry bag and an ammo box with combination locks and the combos needed to be found elsewhere (one was behind a cardboard porthole and the other in a banner of maritime flags. I printed a maritime flag description sign and casually displayed it with other shells and nautical items on my tables. I made strings of nautical flags out of cardstock and the guests needed to figure out the hidden messages in order to open puzzles. My husband cut two logs and drilled out the inside to hide a clue. We made a cruise-ship looking fence in the backyard with stakes and rope. The weapon was two candlesticks glued together - everything was on a budget but had a nice impact. We printed a large poster of the Caribbean Islands and had a hint there, too! We really had a great time!


    We had a great time! We turned this into a tropical backyard party with over 50 people. The materials were easy to use.

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  11. Andrea Johnson


    Headline : Very pleased with the murder mystery kit!

    Nickname : Andrea Johnson


    I was very pleased with the murder mystery kit. While the downloaded PDF was a lot of pages, I understand because there was a large amount of information that made the event incredible. The event and characters were very detailed, but the directions were easy to follow. The plot and separate acts were well-written, and an added bonus was the music that I was able to use throughout the event. This party was an 18th birthday party for my son, and he and his friends enjoyed it a lot. They were into their characters throughout the event and spent a lot of time attempting to determine the murderer. When they turned in their cards, of the 24 attendees, there were five possible murderers amongst their answers. I thought this spoke very much to not only everyone staying into their character but the well-written nature of the plot. If I am going to host a murder mystery again in the future, I will definitely purchase a kit again from you!

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  12. Muhammad


    Headline : A well-crafted murderous adventure!

    Nickname : Muhammad

    Menu Highlights : Louisiana Cajun Chicken, cajun chips, Gumbo and starters composing of anchor shaped pastries + canapés and champagne...

    Theme Highlights : Nautical theme with Louisiana Luxury yacht experience


    We ‘Set Sail for Disaster’ on my girlfriend’s birthday on the 28th of April. I chose a nautical theme to leverage the murder mystery content and added my own spin on it by making the ‘yacht’ a Louisiana high society luxury yacht experience.

    We had only close friends attend, around 10 people. Initially I was concerned that there weren’t enough cast members but everyone put effort in with their characters and it made the evening an exceptionally fun experience.
    The story itself is well-crafted and the game rewards effort.

    None of us really enjoyed the scavenger hunt (especially me as the host) and there were certain plot elements (no spoilers) that were predictable. But on the whole it was fantastic and everyone, even those that couldn’t or didn’t like acting, fully took to it. 
    Some tips for players of this game:

    1) If you run the experience with proper effort, everyone else seems to step up so put the effort in terms of decor, food, audio and getting all your stuff ready as the host and guide of the game.

    2) Prep well in advance! Give yourself at least a few weeks. There is a lot to print and arrange and rehearse if you want to make it a kickass experience.
    3) Try not to be an idiot like me and handle it all yourself. Make sure you have ‘boat staff!’
    4) Focus on the dressup! I found that because everyone made the effort to dressup and rehearse (even if they weren’t that skilled), it set the mood.
    5) Set a good couple of hours aside for the actual game. It runs away with you, especially if you’re having a dinner!

    6) Get your best acting friends to play Morrison and Lady Von Ammon. They’ll make the show.

    7) As the host, try to link the character sheets to aspects of your friends’ personalities. It creates so much drama in the interactions and end-of-story vote!

    Final verdict: 8/10. Would definitely recommend.

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  13. MAK


    Headline : Family Fun at its best.

    Nickname : MAK

    Menu Highlights : We were at a beach location with a pool in the backyard so it lent itself perfectly to this theme. We did island drinks and fish for dinner.

    Theme Highlights : Fortunately, our mood was set for us already with the beach location.


    We played Set Sail For Disaster during a family reunion with folks from 24 years old to 80! It was great. I was worried that there wasn’t enough information for each person to be able to talk in character through an entire dinner and I was way off. And it just got better as the night went on. I was also surprised that the murderer was not at all obvious – we all chose someone different as a suspect.

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  14. Arielg


    Headline : An adventure from beginning to end!

    Nickname : Arielg

    Menu Highlights : We ordered a variety of pastas, garlic break, salads and tiramisu. We served non-alcoholic champagne and had staff serve residents.

    Theme Highlights : We purchased cruise ship decor from a local party store, played steel drum music on the speaker, had some back drops, set the table with table cloths and flameless candles.


    We facilitated this event for our residents living in long term care. Some of the roles were a tad complicated for them but with the help of the 4 staff members we were able to have a very successful and fun event! Residents were laughing and add libbing as the night brought them out of their shells. We didn’t do the scavenger hunt due to mobility however adapted with trivia which was very successful. We ordered in pasta from a local Italian restaurant, decorated the room like a cruise ship, purchased and provided small items to dress up in to distinguish their roles and provided place cards to help other residents identify each other.

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  15. rmacd6


    Headline : SO MUCH FUN! Highly recommend!

    Nickname : rmacd6


    This was SUCH a fun party! It was my first time hosting so I didn’t really know what to expect, but Playing with Murder made it really easy with step-by-step directions to follow. We had 11 people playing “Set Sail for Disaster” and everyone was super into it, staying in character and brainstorming who the murderer could be – we had a big vote in the end and only 2 people were correct (but it was close)! Now that I’ve hosted before I feel more comfortable doing another event and can’t wait to try another one – would highly recommend Playing with Murder for the cost, ease of set-up, and game instructions.

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  16. Tore


    Headline : We had a blast!

    Nickname : Tore

    Menu Highlights : We only did finger foods.

    Theme Highlights : Floating candles, shells, ocean sounds on the Alexa, a fishing net.. we even had a real fish out!


    This was so much fun! We had 17 people, which was a great amount for us. I didn’t want to make anyone the boat staff, but those would have been a great role if someone wasn’t certain they could come and/or didn’t like to act. Act 1 took place in the house and act 2 was out in our backyard. I put all the food, water, wreckage tokens in empty beer bottles and hid those around. It worked great and people knew what to look for. We also made the rule that whoever had the most food and water tokens got to make the final decision as to which clues to look at. They could also barter the tokens for more information. A couple things I wish I had done differently: 1. Written a part for a photographer or hired a local teenager to take photos. I wish I had gotten more photos but didn’t have the time. 2. Told everyone beforehand that they need to have a bit of a backstory for their character to keep the conversations going. Overall, it was a great night and everyone really got into it! Only 4 people guessed the murderer. We can’t wait to do it again sometime! The packet is a bit overwhelming at first, but had everything you needed!

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  17. I was the Engineer Drew


    Headline : All characters were spot on in their roles

    Nickname : I was the Engineer Drew

    Menu Highlights : Charcuterie board. Pineapple boats with chicken, black beans, rice. Dessert was a choice between key lime or chocolate cream pie. Wine, Martini (deep blue sea), and Cosmos were served to guests.


    I had 26 people participate. Dinner and music set up for the yacht scene in my basement. Shipwrecked scene in a different room.
    I had a charcuterie board, bar (with bartenders), and served pineapple boats for dinner.
    I played the downloadable storm sounds on my bluetooth speaker

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  18. Chele


    Headline : Even small groups can have so much fun with this!

    Nickname : Chele

    Menu Highlights : Finger foods. Shrimp cocktail, charcuterie board sausage roll, veggie tray, etc.

    Theme Highlights : Cruise ship railing backdrop, island beach backdrop, rubber ducks


    I had a small (11 people) house party and decided to try something different. I read through a lot of the reviews to see if doing it with such a small group would be OK and couldn’t find that much, but figured I’d take a shot and try. Well let me tell you, it was a BLAST!! I almost feel like I it was better with such a small setting. Reviews like this are hard because you don’t want to give away too much. I did purchase a few backdrops that fit the theme to turn areas into my house into areas that fit the mystery. I also ordered small rubber ducks to use during the 2nd act (if you’re a cruiser, you will see the tie between the yellow ducks and the 2nd half and my whole group are cruisers so it was even more fun). We did not do “dinner” but just aps and it worked out fine. With a small group, you don’t have all the staff so not having dinner working out better I think. I thought at the end, everyone would figure it out, everyone would know all the answers to the questions, nope. Out of 11 people, only 2 got it right! That made it for even more fun because then we spent over an hour with everyone saying how and why they answered the way they did. We did dress up and I think that made it even more fun. If you’re thinking about doing this, but have a small group, do it! You won’t be disappointed.

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  19. Disappointed Youth Leader


    Headline : Inappropiate

    Nickname : Disappointed Youth Leader


    I bought this pack for a Christmas Breakup Party with teenagers. I am aware that it was classified as adult (there aren’t many youth ones that are actually good!) I previously bought another adult one and was hoping that they would be similar…unfortunately this was not the case! It wasn’t until I bought the kit and looked through the in-depth story line and character profiles that I realised how inappropriate this one was!

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  20. Gabriel


    Headline : Great fun for everyone

    Nickname : Gabriel


    Set Sail for Disaster was a wonderful party for my group of friends! This being my first murder mystery party I was pretty nervous but everything was very well explained in the packet. Everyone had a wonderful time and we have decided to make a murder mystery party an annual event!

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  21. Mike


    Headline : Set sail for a really fun evening

    Nickname : Mike

    Menu Highlights : Appetizers: coconut shrimp, bruschetta, fresh fruit Main course: baked fish with green beans and risotto Dessert: key lime pie and mango pound cake Drinks: mojitos, sex on the beach, and (of course) wine

    Theme Highlights : For decor: fresh flowers, bright lights, anchor prints, a video of the ocean on loop on the TV. For props: tried to get objects or pictures to match each clue (rope, boxes, etc.). Used Easter eggs to hide food/water tokens!


    Though the party was postponed multiple times due to Covid-19, it ended up being a ton of fun! Guests were very into debating which clues to view, and the murderer was very close to getting away with it! We had the second half of the evening outside, and used Easter eggs as the clues and tokens (since we didn’t actually get to celebrate Easter this year). Overall, everyone enjoyed the party and we are all already looking forward to the next one.

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  22. Hailee


    Headline : A great night.

    Nickname : Hailee

    Menu Highlights : We decided to have more small bites to pass around and started the party a bit later to accommodate friends with kids.

    Theme Highlights : We did use decorations but we could have added more. We played dinner music as guests arrived. We used the TV to show a storm outside and a ships engine sound in the side room. The names tags are a must and everyone dressed in costume.


    We had a great time with this game. This was my first murder mystery, and the guide book was helpful. Our guests had a great time.

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  23. Addison


    Headline : A new Halloween Tradition!

    Nickname : Addison


    This is our second murder mystery from Playing with Murder and we couldn’t be happier! It’s become a great Halloween tradition for us. Everyone goes all in and has a great time. The packet is very thorough, and really makes the whole event seamless. We had SO many people want to participate, that I had to make up (duplicate) some of the roles and it went really well. PWM did a great job making a lot of items optional so you can customize based on your crowd, while still keeping it fun and engaging. In our version, NOBODY guessed the murderer which kept it really tight and close to the very end! PWM also put in a nice “twist” from the other party we held that kept things interesting up until the very end.

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  24. Justine


    Headline : A fantastic murder mystery!

    Nickname : Justine


    My party had about 17 people which was a great number of people. Most people were able to easily get into character and dress up to suit their character. The PDF was laid out so well it was very easy to host this party and make sure everyone had fun.

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  25. justinewalker


    Headline : A fantastic murder mystery!

    Nickname : justinewalker


    I hosted this game for a group of men and women who were acquaintances for a get-together. It went really well, everyone dressed up and got into their character. Most people commented on how fun it was at the end. I did minimal decorating, and it seemed that everyone was still able to get into the story. I did not serve dinner, but served snacks, and the party lasted about 2 hours, with about 17 people. This was a good number of people. The PDF is laid out so well, I had never been to a murder mystery party nor had I hosted one, but this one went so smoothly considering how much there is to do. The PDF is really great 😀

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  26. Cathi


    Headline : Book Club Murder Mystery - We loved it!

    Nickname : Cathi

    Menu Highlights : We served an Italian chicken dish, salad, fruit, and a charcuterie board. We served a variety of wines and a special cruise drink, the "Deep Blue Sea".

    Theme Highlights : We actually had a lot of fun with the "cruise" theme. We decorated almost all the rooms in the house. We labeled the doorways with small chalk boards for the galley, the dining room, the Lido deck, and the guest rooms. All of the guest rooms had anchors on them with room numbers. We decorated both the kitchen table and the dining room table with blue table mats and napkins. We had center pieces that had candles, blue stones, and seashells in them. We set up a bulletin board that had the "guest" list on it and trip information on it. We created boarding passes that had basic identification information on it, their "room" number, and which dining room they were assigned to for the evening. We placed nautical elements all over the house. We even had a towel animal in the bathroom. We played beach music in the background. We purchased nautical napkins for dinner service and dessert service. We had special cups for the cruise cocktail. We just tried to make it is a fun as possible.


    Murder Mystery Book Club Meeting

    My book club had just finished reading a murder mystery that took place on a yacht trip, so this fit perfectly. It is an all female club, so I enlisted the help of my family and friends to play the male roles for the evening. Everyone stepped right into their roles and they all had an amazing time! The loved all the certificates for solving the mystery, best acting, and best costume. It is was the best book club meeting. We can’t wait to do it again!

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  27. Nfulkmd


    Headline : Murder Cruise Fun

    Nickname : Nfulkmd

    Menu Highlights : Bruschetta, chicken wings, crockpot meatballs, charcuterie board, caprese kabobs,

    Theme Highlights : Cruise backdrop. I made some origami towel animals and had them scattered around the rooms. Used the audio files included


    We had a blast on the Set Sail for Disaster Murder cruise. We had 18 guests and that was the perfect number. We knew 2 of our guests would be late so they had to arrive “via helicopter” as the ship had already set sail! Some of our guests REALLY got into their parts. We had bought a cruise ship backdrop, which I wish we had hung higher so it was more visible in the photos. I got it off amazon for a decent price. I bought some other sailing and beach related decorations, too. Food was simple with chicken wings, charcuterie board (I made myself!), and trays of bruschetta. This was my 2nd Playing with Murder party and everyone is looking forward to the next one!

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  28. Nancy, Teen Librarian


    Headline : Tropical Disaster Fun!

    Nickname : Nancy, Teen Librarian


    Ella Johnson Library hosted its third annual Murder Mystery event on a Friday after hours at the library. Teens had to register ahead of time and pick up a character sheet, so they could come in costume the night of the event. Over 20 youth came for a pizza dinner while they mingled in character. After the murder, survivors of the shipwreck had to figure out who the murderer was while also trying to survive on a tropical island.

    The owner and author of this company, Ken Blumreich, was able to give us modified roles that were appropriate for a teen audience. The event was a spooktacular success thanks to Playing With Murder!

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  29. Cheri


    Headline : Set Sail for Success!

    Nickname : Cheri


    We had a great time with this. It was all spelled out for us and the group loved the scavenger hunt as well. It got very competitive in a fun way and I loved that my guests dressed the part. I actually did this for 97 people and the on lookers really enjoyed the 24 that acted out their parts. I simply incorporated in a longer mingling time. I will be doing another one. Thanks guys.

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  30. Library Party


    Headline : Library Event: Murder Mystery Party

    Nickname : Library Party

    Menu Highlights : I served cupcakes and juice.


    We put this event on as a library program. The patrons enjoyed it. I didn’t serve dinner and it took about an hour in total. Assigning characters through the registration process was time consuming and difficult. If I did it again I would assign characters at the door.

    There were more adult relations that I’d hoped for in the backstory of Set Sail for Disaster. I wish there was a better way to preview the script.

    (1) (0)

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There are 22 primary suspects in this mystery, however only 10 are required to play the game. The host or hostess will play the role of Drew Henson, the Ship's Engineer. Read the "How To Play" section for more information on how to play an expanded game with more than 22 guests.


* = Optional character


  • Michael Von Ammon (The Captain): The well-to-do owner of the Elizabeth May, Captain Von Ammon is wealthy, successful, and well respected by all.
  • Elizabeth Von Ammon (The Captain's Wife): A society lady of excellent breeding, Mrs. Elizabeth Von Ammon is highly cultured, beautiful, and well mannered. She is happily married to Captain Von Ammon and lives a lifestyle that is envied by many.
  • Dr. Jessie Parker (The Doctor): Dr. Jessie Parker is a highly regarded plastic surgeon who caters to the wealthy and famous. Why Dr. Parker was invited on this cruise is something of a mystery to the other guests.
  • Mortimer Stout (The Banker): Mortimer Stout is a financial genius who has a better understanding of accounting than he does of people. He is a longtime business associate of Captain Von Ammon.
  • Shelly Summers (The Actress): Ms. Shelly Summers is a popular B-movie actress whose keen mind belies her somewhat ditzy demeanor.
  • *Kris Laramie (The Author): Kris Laramie is a best-selling author and critic, known both for a sharp tongue and a love of the bottle.
  • Jonathon Whipple (The Philanthropist): Jonathon Whipple was once a feared and respected businessman, known for his cutthroat approach. In recent years, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to charity, leading many to believe that he is seeking to atone for some dark secret.
  • Miss Alexandra Crane (The Debutante): Miss Alexandra Crane has only recently become part of the local social scene. Hailing from an old and powerful East Coast family, she is an impulsive young lady who enjoys horseback riding, dancing, and theater.
  • *Ashley Jones (Boat Staff): Ashley Jones is one of Captain Von Ammon's hired hands, there to make certain that the ship (and the party) run smoothly.
  • Jake Morrison (The Gambler): A close friend of the Captain, Mr. Jake Morrison is something of a loveable scoundrel; his greatest pleasures in life are fine wine, fine women, fine cigars, and the lure of the poker table (in no particular order).
  • Bridget Belle (The Model): Equal parts sugar and spice, Bridget Belle is elegant, trendy, and sharp-tongued. A very successful swimsuit model, Ms. Belle is quite used to men doing whatever she requests.
  • *Kelly McCorvin (Boat Staff): Kelly McCorvin is one of Captain Von Ammon's hired hands, there to make certain that the ship (and the party) run smoothly.
  • *Lane Garrison (Boat Staff): Lane Garrison is one of Captain Von Ammon's hired hands, there to make certain that the ship (and the party) run smoothly.
  • *Taylor Sattenworth (Boat Staff): Taylor Sattenworth is one of Captain Von Ammon's hired hands, there to make certain that the ship (and the party) run smoothly.
  • Percy Kane (Boat Staff): (Played by the guest who played the victim in Act One) Percy Kane is one of Captain Von Ammon's hired hands, there to make certain that the ship (and the party) run smoothly.
  • Drew Henson (The Ship's Engineer): (Played by the Host/Hostess) Drew Henson is the engineer of the Elizabeth May, in charge of keeping the yacht sailing smoothly and the crew at their posts. The Engineer doesn't normally mingle much with the Captain's friends, preferring to stay below decks with the machinery and the security system.

  • *Claude LeQue (The Cook): Educated at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Claude LeQue is Captain Von Ammon’s personal chef. He rules the ship’s kitchen with an iron hand.

  • *Milton Sanford (The Gourmet): A gourmet and food critic, Milton Sanford makes a living writing an occasional regular column for Epicure Monthly, a little-known culinary journal.

  • *Jimmy Grimes (The Janitor): Jimmy Grimes is the caretaker and Janitor aboard The Elizabeth May. It is his responsibility to keep the ship free of dust and dirt and to assist The Engineer in maintaining the yacht’s engine.

  • *Franklin Smith (The Architect): A well-to-do architect and old friend of the Von Ammon family, Franklin Smith has gained several very lucrative contracts through The Captain's generous use of his contacts.

  • *Regina Guissepe (The Bartender): Polite, professional, and very discrete, Regina Guissepe is the bartender aboard The Elizabeth May. She makes a killer Bloody Mary and knows how to keep a secret.

  • *Phyllis Howe (The Lawyer): Phyllis Howe specializes in corporate law and copyright issues. She became friends with Elizabeth Von Ammon after meeting her at an art show.

  • *Ophelia Saint (The Artist): Ophelia Saint is an up and coming artist who has earned a degree of fame for her otherworldly sculptures.

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.

This party kit is a 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 special goals and gossip unique to each character
  • Fully customizable invitations, complete with RSVP cards and guest lists
  • Voting sheets
  • Awards for your guests
  • And much more!

With your purchase of Murder in Manhattan you will also receive the following:

  • Step-by-step printing instructions
  • Two 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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

  3. 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.

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