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Jazz Age Jeopardy
£49.95
Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set in 1920’s jazz club.
Format:
Mystery Party Kit
Setting:
1920’s New York Jazz Club
Time:
90+ minutes
Ages:
Adult
Players:
During a night of Prohibition-era revelry, something goes terribly wrong.
Backstory
The guests are a mixed group of club staff members, entertainers, and guests at a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City. It is the height of the Jazz Age, and social revolution is afoot. This is the age of Prohibition—and of bootleggers and gangsters. Club owner Felix Fontano, the son of a successful bootlegger and crime boss—and a successful businessman himself—is throwing this private party for a group of select friends. It is a night of revelry like many other nights of revelry enjoyed by this group of sophisticates, artists, and hoodlums . . . until things go horribly wrong.
This mystery is divided into two primary segments. During the first portion of the evening (Act One), the partygoers will have the opportunity to eat, drink, dance, and mingle, while enjoying the swanky atmosphere and smooth jazz of Fontano’s club, The Cat’s Meow.
Murder!
At the midpoint of the evening, one of the players makes a terrible discovery: someone has been murdered in the back supply room of the club!
Solving the Mystery
Act Two will begin with the grisly discovery of the victim’s bloody body. In the area around the body, there are signs of the struggle that occurred prior to the death. It will now be up to the guests to figure out what happened.
The guests quickly decide that the best course of action is not to call the police, but rather to conduct an investigation amongst themselves; at this point, all the guests are suspects; a formal police investigation would dredge up unsavory details of their pasts and expose them to public scandal and unwanted personal repercussions, not to mention the serious and immediate legal repercussions of being caught in a bootlegging establishment!
There are 24 primary suspects in this game, however only 13 are required to play the game. The host or hostess will play the role of the Narrator, who keeps the party on track and helps to advance the action. Read the "How To Play" section for more information on how to play an expanded game with more than 24 guests.
* = Optional character
Male Roles
- Felix Fontano, Club Owner. Felix owns The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. He is attractive and vain, the son of famous bootlegger Frank Fontano.
- Raymond Ellison, Artist. Raymond is an old college buddy of Felix’s—an artist and something of a dilettante. He comes from old money.
- Jefferson Mitchell, Stockbroker. Jefferson is a successful stockbroker working on Wall Street.
- Edgar Fitzpatrick, Broadway Producer. Edgar is an up-and-coming Broadway director and producer.
- Roger Romano, Attorney. Roger is a money-hungry, ambulance-chasing attorney.
- Duke Carillo, Track Owner. Duke owns a horseracing track in New Jersey. He’s an old friend of the Fontano family.
- Poppy Keene, Club Manager. Poppy manages the day-to-day affairs of the club with an iron fist.
- Calvin Carpenter, Bartender. Calvin is the bartender at the club. He’s cocky and presumptuous. A scoundrel with the ladies.
- *Ronald Mason, Doctor. Ronald is a physician who has made a lot of money during Prohibition because of his willingness to prescribe medicinal alcohol.
Female Roles
- Edith Fontano, Club Owner’s Wife. Edith is Felix’s wife. Enduring years of his infidelity has left her hardened and cynical.
- June Palmetto, Actress. June is a famous actress, a southern belle in the big city.
- Judy Jordan, Flapper. Judy Jordan is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s young, bubbly, and optimistic.
- Claudia Mitchell, Writer. Claudia is a well-known author and the wife of stockbroker Jefferson Mitchell.
- Gloria Vale, Singer. Gloria is a jazz singer hired to perform this evening.
- *Jacqueline Jacobs, Fashion Designer. Jacqueline is a snobbish fashion designer. She has a boutique catering to young flapper types.
- *Ella Landeau, Flapper. Ella Landeau is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s confident and flirtatious.
- *Mary Marino, Flapper. Bess Bailey is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s lighthearted on the outside but serious underneath.
- *Holly Olmstead, Tennis Champion. Holly Olmstead is a professional tennis player. She’s haughty and competitive.
Male or Female Roles
- Win Wallace, Accountant. Win is the accountant for many of the guests. S/he’s reserved but knowledgeable.
- Elliot Nash, Jazz Pianist. Elliot is a talented jazz pianist who often performs at the club. S/he is cool, calm, and collected.
- *Charlie Chambers, Jazz Bassist. Charles is a talented jazz bassist who often performs at the club. He is obsessed with all things jazz.
- *Brett Reeves, Waiter. Brett is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway.
- *Regan Rowan, Waiter. Rosie is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway.
- *Alex Preston, Actor. Alex Preston was once on track to stardom, but alcohol got the better of him/her.
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
Jazz Age Jeopardy is a downloadable kit that contains PDF files that you print at home, as well as other media files. You can also host and play with the PWM app.
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, casino games, 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
- Special handouts for your guests, offering a detailed overview of 1920s costuming and slang
- 7 illustrated clue cards the players can use to solve the mystery
- Voting sheets
- Customizable awards for your guests
- And much more!
With your purchase of Jazz Age Jeopardy, you will also receive the following:
- A separate “Customizable Documents” file that includes all of the invitations and awards in an editable format
- Step-by-step printing instructions
- A lengthy MP3 audio effects clip for use with your party
- Instructions on how to use this clip 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.
Jazz Age Jeapordy –
Headline It was fantastic!
Nickname Jazz Age Jeapordy
Valentine’s Dinner for our Lions Club and guests. We had just over 40 guests and I duplicated some of the non-essential players so that all could ‘get into the act.’
K.Sprecher –
Headline A Little Party Never Killed Nobody! ;)
Nickname K.Sprecher
Theme Highlights We took boxes and made old liquor cases. Was good to go with the prohibition theme!
Such a good company to work with! After realizing we had purchased a package too small for our work holiday party, they were gracious enough to let us switch to a package with more characters! Jazz Age Jeopardy was so much fun! The package is different than other Murder Mystery games I have played before. Usually characters just get to mingle and find out things about characters as they go. In this game there is a Personal Investigator who interrogates each character in front of the large group allowing everyone to find out details in real time. This happens of course after dinner, the murder, and a scavenger hunt for clues!! Our guests had a blast playing and dressing as 1920s characters, and it was fun getting to decorate for too! Would highly recommend this package. Good variety of characters with quality backstories and the murder was fun to solve for!
GameTime –
Headline We had a blast!
Nickname GameTime
It went way better than expected! Everyone got into their role, and we had a blast!
We did the party for my parents 60th birthday party (their birthdays are only a few weeks apart). Our party consisted of 17 people. We all dressed up in 20’s style clothing. We also decorated our house. We even set up a photo shoot backdrop that looked like you were getting a mug shot taken.
One person from our party was brand new to our group so the game actually helped us all get to know her really fast. We had a bar set up, and banquet style food.
The game was just the right length for our evening. We all found the clues and the detective interrogated us. Not sure what else to say other than it was so much fun!
Avid party thrower –
Headline A great success!
Nickname Avid party thrower
Theme Highlights Had feathers, good china and crystal on the table to reflect the night club from the roaring twenties. Also put the fringe hanging from the doorways to separate rooms. Would have used the invitations had I had time. I wore a silver bob wig, fake eyelashes and a sparkling silver top with a boa. My neighbors were the flappers and had dresses with fringe and boas. One neighbor had the old fashioned boiled wool hat, Mary Janes with a fat heal and the long cigarette (she won best costume!). There were also fedoras, suspenders and tuxedos.
We had 16 adults for a dinner party/murder mystery. One of the couples in our neighborhood was moving and since we are known for having theme parties which included them. I decided we could not disappoint and do nothing.
I’ve thrown “How to Host a Murder parties” before, but this was my first time using “Playing with Murder”. I was very impressed. As this was far from my first party throwing experience, I printed just those documents I needed.
Unfortunately, it was a last minute idea to incorporate a theme into the party, but it was a huge success all the same. I printed Act 1 for 16 people after I quickly read through the parts to make sure that I wasn’t leaving out anyone who was pertinent to the murder. (The best part of the entire game was the fact that there were a lot of well thought out descriptions for characters. Usually these games don’t have enough participating parts and I was thrilled that this one did) I put Act 1 in my neighbors mailboxes along with a suggested costume list and a sheet with popular sayings from the 20’s that was provided.
I decorated my table and surrounding doorways. We usually do a pot luck and bring your own poison, so the food part was easy. I printed name tags and made sure they all had them when they arrived. Plus, I made sure that they knew what they had to say and to whom. Make sure they bring their scripts! We mingled over cocktails and apps and made sure everyone said what they had to say that was important. I printed the “quick rules“ for me to follow- setting the stage for the murder.
After dinner I gave them Act 2 in folders and told them to find a quiet place to read. Since the murderer and the victim had more pages- I didn’t want the others to see them reading and figure it out- so I put the pages in folders for them to hide their scripts. I hid the clues in Easter eggs as suggested in two rooms. After giving them their scripts I pulled aside the victim brought him
Into my living room where he laid on the couch, I tipped over things on my tables, threw pillows on the floor and used fake blood on his body (left from Halloween) where he had been stabbed. I then sent the line past him and as they began the hunt for clues he went into my mudroom threw on a coat and a hat and came back as the detective. We sat each person in “the hot seat” one at a time as he asked them questions. We went over the clues and they all filled out a voting sheet. I did do some of the “awards”.
All in all it was loads of fun. Very detailed and if you are new to doing something like this, I’m sure the 119 page manual will be a god-send.
We have a family get together coming up in 2021 and I’ve already told my family we will be Playing With Murder! Costumes and decorations are key! It really sets the stage. Name tags are a must.
Definitely recommend Playing With Murder!
Sykes –
Headline Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Fundraiser
Nickname Sykes
Menu Highlights We had a buffet of salad, roasted potatoes, roast beef and sautéed chicken. We had a large variety of small desserts including murder mystery themed cookies and cupcakes!
Theme Highlights We purchased extra men's hats and women's head bands and pearls to hand out to people not dressed up spread the 20s cheer. We also had a mugshot selfie station which people really enjoyed.
We used the Jazz Age Jeopardy mystery party kit as a fundraiser for our animal rescue group Road Trip Home Animal Rescue. We had 65 people attend the event and everyone loved it! We were able to use the extended version and little creativity to create additional parts to get as many people involved as possible. The evening was big success and we are already planning our Mystery Dinner Theater for next year and will for sure use a Playing with Murder mystery party kit!!
CarolAnn –
Headline Not Even Usable - Huge Disappointment
Nickname CarolAnn
I thought it seemed too good to be true that there were only perfect ratings for this murder mystery and I should have trusted my gut. I was so disgusted with this plot.
This is not my first time doing a murder mystery (it would be my 6th) but this reads like a trashy disgusting novel. The entire plot is not based on the fun noteworthy aspects of the culture-rich 1920’s instead it’s based on 5 people who are all in a mixed up web of sex and lies–everyone else in the murder mystery party doesn’t even need to talk. The other 10-19 characters are unnecessary and some of the character bios are literally copied and pasted with a couple of gender and name changes. This isn’t clever, it isn’t cute, it isn’t funny, it’s just trash. I contacted the company within 24 hours of purchase to tell them that this content was not usable with my group and they wouldn’t even give me a reply or discuss my issue. ZERO customer service. The other reviews are obviously fake or bribed.
Felix –
Headline Awesome game
Nickname Felix
We played this game at Thanksgiving when the whole family got together .
We have a big family so we had the leave out only a few characters. Everyone loved it !!!
Lotta-Marie –
Headline A sixteenth birthday party filled with mystery.
Nickname Lotta-Marie
Theme Highlights Black and white decorations highlighted with hints of purple and gold. We made an ostrich feather centrepiece to sit on the cake.
I hosted the Jazz Age Jeopardy murder mystery party with my friends for my sweet sixteenth. The night went off without a hitch and my friends all loved it (they had put together fabulous costumes for the night)! We set up my house wonderfully and my parents and I painted and put together props, adding up to hours of fun preparation time. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to host a night full of laughter and intrigue.
June Palmetto –
Headline Best birthday party of my life!
Nickname June Palmetto
Menu Highlights We had a potluck! I used signup genius to have people sign up! Favorites included a delicious salad, cheesy brocolli rice casserole, a charcuterie board and a key lime pie!
Theme Highlights Everyone dressed up to theme!! I also bought some small decorations for the dollar store including old timing champagne glasses and champagne, of course :)
This was probably the most fun night of my whole life. I got the extended pack a
With 24 characters and held the party in place of a traditional birthday party. Watching people from all different walks of my life from elementary school through current work friends absolutely joyous. This was so well written and FUN. I can’t wait to get another one!!!
Ted & Lori –
Headline Killed It!
Nickname Ted & Lori
Menu Highlights We had a full bar set up for the bartender character to show us his skills! Guests could also help themselves. For appetizers, we served individual shrimp cocktail. Those were very popular and were gone fast. For the main meal we served pasta but honestly, didn't need it with all the food that was brought by our guests. We asked each couple to bring either an appetizer or dessert and they brought plenty! For dessert, we made mini pineapple upside cakes and mini lemon cakes. We had so much pasta leftover that next time we will just stick with the appetizers, finger foods, and desserts.
Theme Highlights We had so much fun decorating for this theme! We printed several signs with different Gatsby themed sayings and displayed them in gold frames in all the rooms. We spray painted several wine bottles with gold and black and decorated with pearls and feathers. We had candles, dimmed lights and jazz music playing in the background. We had string lights around the perimeter of the Jazz room and lots of gold and black balloons floating above. We had a black backdrop with gold fringe on the sides with our Jazz Club golden letters displayed. We also hung gold and black fringe in the doorways between rooms. Tables were covered in black tablecloths with a gold runner down the middle. So much fun!
This was our first attempt at hosting a murder mystery dinner party and it was a huge success! We had 22 players and it was just the right amount. Because of limited parking where we live in town, we had a mature teen volunteer as our chauffeur to pick couples up from the designated parking a block away and it was a hit. He dressed the part, opened car doors for our guests, and escorted them to the door for the party. He also returned them to their cars at the end of the evening. It was great! I also had my Dad volunteer as a blackjack dealer just for a little extra something fun to do. As far as the party itself, we set up a full bar in one room, had a buffet of food set up in our dining room, and our living room was decorated as The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. We chose to make the murder happen upstairs in our media room so that we could hide the clues ahead of time and not have to worry about doing that during the event. It worked out great for us. We had signs posted for at separate bathrooms, one for the Old Sports, and one for the Dollfaces. One of our guests kindly supplied some high-end cigars so we had a cigar bar location. All of our guests came dressed in their best 1920’s outfits which really made it fun. We’ve already been asked by the group about doing another one so we’ve decided to make it an annual event! We had a killer party and look forward to planning the next one!
Ted & Lori at Hill House –
Headline Killed It!
Nickname Ted & Lori at Hill House
Menu Highlights We served pasta and individual shrimp cocktails. For dessert we served mini lemon cakes and mini pineapple upside down cakes. Our guests were also asked to bring either an appetizer or dessert. We ended up with tons of food and didn’t really need the pasta. The shrimp cocktails were very popular and I will definitely serve those again next time.
Theme Highlights To set the mood we had plenty of black and gold decorations and dim lights. Music was played throughout the house.
This was our first experience hosting a murder mystery party. We had a blend of friends from both my work and his, so many of our guests did not know each other. Parking is limited where we live in town so we had a mature teenager dress the part and be the chauffeur to shuttle guests from where they parked to our house and back after the event was over. He did an excellent job playing the part, opening the car doors for them and walking them to our door. It was a huge hit with our guests! Our guests went all out with their costumes which made it so fun! We had a room for a bar which was fully stocked with all kinds of booze and mixers, a room where all the food was laid out, and a room decorated as The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club which had a backdrop for pictures and a blackjack table. We had separate bathrooms for Old Sports and Dollfaces. We had jazz music playing in all rooms using Pandora on Alexas. Also, we set up a cigar bar which was a big hit! For the murder, we hid the clues ahead of time in our upstairs media room and just pulled the victim aside to get in place when it was time for his body to be discovered. The feedback we have received since the party tells us we killed it and made all the time and expense worth it! We have already decided this will be an annual event and are thinking about our next year’s theme!
JGodin –
Headline A Roaring Good Time!
Nickname JGodin
Could not have imagined a better outcome for this event. I spent a lot of time researching different packages and this one was so well laid out and made me so excited for the party. The plan made the night so easy to run and full of things for guests to do. All of the guests really got into character and loved how the evening progressed.
Popcorn629 –
Headline Party Hit!
Nickname Popcorn629
Menu Highlights I did a Mexican taco bar but it worked out perfect! I labeled the alcohol with some fun names and it was all a hoot!
Theme Highlights Gold and Black was key. Put up some signs and some jazz music.
I threw a surprise birthday party for my husband. It was a lot of planning and coordination. It walks you threw everything though! I didnt think my guests would dress up but with the costume recommendations almost all came dressed up so well! Loved it!
Christine Dickenson –
Headline Fun time solving a crime in the 1920's Jazz Age!
Nickname Christine Dickenson
Menu Highlights Italian Beef, Creamy Noodles, Roasted Vegetables, appetizers, and New York cheesecake for dessert
Theme Highlights Lots of gold, black, and white - jazz age coaster party favors (that we made), wine bottles with ostrich feathers, gold statue awards, etc.
We had so much fun playing Jazz Age Jeopardy!! We enjoyed some illegal Prohibition cocktails, dined together, partied in the Cat’s Meow Jazz club, and then went about solving a horrible murder! Highly recommend this fun murder mystery!
Rachface –
Headline The cat’s meow!
Nickname Rachface
Menu Highlights The script called for a formal dinner, but I decided to have an appetizer potluck. It turned out perfect! I did have a signature cocktail The Bee’s Knees! And I provided dessert!
Theme Highlights I hung curtain lights, made a mug shot poster with Polaroid camera for the suspect board, candles, pearls, 1920’s posters, and I turned the garage into a storage with pretend boxes of booze.
I have been interested in murder mystery party for awhile, a blogger I follow recommended this site! Amazing!!!! The party was last night. I have no experience, but the kit made it so easy to execute! Everyone had so much fun, there was a decent amount of prep, but you choose how elaborate you want the party to be!
Darhas1167 –
Headline So much fun!
Nickname Darhas1167
Theme Highlights Bought props and outfit from amazon Googled 1920s drinks and made receipe cards to follow Googled famous people in 1920 and printed pictures to have guests guess who during intermission
We decided to do this party for halloween for a change of pace. It was such a good night and everyone had a blast! Everyone particupated as their character and looked amazing in their costumes! We have never done anything like this and were worried about how to go about it. The guide included was thorough and was wonderfully set up and easy to follow to help with this. I highly recommed this and will definately be purchasing another in the future as my guests are already talking about the next party!
Sara Fischer –
Headline EPIC PARTY!
Nickname Sara Fischer
Theme Highlights We went all out with decorations - all black gold and silver to match the theme. We removed furniture from our living room and rented high top cocktail tables. We set up a photo booth area to be sure everyone got a picture of themselves in their awesome get-up. Balloons, ostrich feathers, pearl strands, a jazz band silhouette in the front window, lots of sequins and white lights. The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club came to life!!!
I hosted a Jazz Age Jeopardy party for my daughter’s 30th birthday. It was EPIC! We had so much fun; the invitees really got into their characters and costumes. The downloadable party instructions were easy to use, well organized and easy to print. I had more attendees than characters so bought the expansion pack to accommodate. I had a could questions/comments during the planning process so used the customer service email address provided. They were responsive and helpful. I would use and recommend this product over and over!!!
Glampig –
Headline 10/10 would murder again
Nickname Glampig
Menu Highlights Everyone brought their own drinks and mixes to contribute to the cocktail bar. I served martinis of different varieties and used my vintage cocktail set.
Theme Highlights Picked Jazz age playlists, put a lot of black and gold glittery decorations around the room, used Pinterest for a lot of my inspo!
I threw the Jazz Age Jeopardy mystery party for a group of about 12 friends. It was SUCH a fun party and I have been told by lots of the guests that it was one of the best parties they have been to. One guest even said it was more fun than his trip the Vegas the week before! My guests went all out for the party and the package helped them really get into character. The package was really well-organized and easy to follow as the host. The clues gave the party an extra twist that made it even more fun. 10/10 recommend.
Rhoni02 –
Headline Amazing 1920’s Gatsby Themed Engagement Party
Nickname Rhoni02
Theme Highlights We had it in a friend’s basement. I used Art Deco decorations on the walls. I only used black, white, and gold to decorate. There were balloons covering the ceiling. I got 1920’s Photobooth props, cigarette holders and boss for the ladies, and some fedoras and suspenders for the guys.
This was an engagement party. I surprised the guests of honor with the game. It went great! Everyone had an amazing time. By the end of the game people were dying to know who did it! The guests really go into their roles.
Jazz Age Jeopardy –
Headline Great time!!!
Nickname Jazz Age Jeopardy
Menu Highlights Party was held at an Italian restaurant.
Theme Highlights Roaring 20s theme
Video https://youtu.be/sZ_OxRaJR1Y
I hosted a 55th birthday celebration themed “Jazz Age Jeopardy.” My guest had so much fun dressing in character and figuring out who the murderer was.
*Potential spoilers in video*
Chan’s sister –
Headline Thrilling challenge!
Nickname Chan’s sister
This was absolutely flawless! Everything I could have thought of was in the packet! It was my sister’s 40th birthday party. Her friends were all in. If I had one critique, it would be the ability to send each individual character to the perspective guest. I had to scan each one in and save it separately since it came in the document with most of the “how to” manual. Also, it may have been something I missed. Either way, it was worth it!
Al Chaplin –
Headline Overpriced given how much i had to change and add!
Nickname Al Chaplin
Menu Highlights Expensive
I ran this for my 30th birthday. I had 26 guests, and thought the expanded version meant more characters, but it didnt. It just said to make more people investigators, but offered no extra story lines or suspects (i had to add my own) and no other characters for people to play.
i had to write a lot of characters, altered about 70%, and the printables that came with the mystery were asthetically awful! I made my own invites and nametags.
It was just so overpriced that i feel cheated.
Siah –
Headline With the structure of the game, the guests shone.
Nickname Siah
Menu Highlights Popeye's candy cigarettes are CRUCIAL.
We had the Jazz Age Jeaporady party and it was very successful! The guests all were very enthusiastic about their characters and roles and they truly had a chance to shine! With about 25 people we all really enjoyed our night. I would definitely recommend. Playing With Murder does a great job of preparing everything and setting an exciting scene.
NielsonLady –
Headline What a roaring night!
Nickname NielsonLady
Menu Highlights I had Red Velvet cupcakes as a dessert and someone mentioned that it was thematic because it was like "the blood of the victim".... this wasn't my intention, but still a cool coincidence.
Theme Highlights I spray painted some glass liquor bottled and decorated them with fake beaded necklaces. Great way to recycle whilst driving with the theme
I included a murder mystery with my birthday party and I had sent everyone their character sheets 5 days before. Everyone had a blast and I was constantly being told we should do another one by everyone as they left 🙂 There’s a voting sheet at the end that I didn’t end up utilising, nominating characters and putting it to a “hands up” vote was sufficient enough.
Hilary –
Headline Great fun for older teens.
Nickname Hilary
Menu Highlights We did cocktail platters with meatballs, chicken skewers, vegetarian crudites with dip, vegetarian pizzas cut in squares, mini hamburgers and cupcakes.
Theme Highlights We redecorated our garage into a speakeasy, using draping, lamp lighting and fairy lights. Making sure there was enough seating as well as enough dancing or standing room. I used internet inspiration for a pile of booze boxes as a decor element. We hung a picture frame in front of a wall to create a photo booth. Our food table was decorated more in a Gatsby theme, with white feathers and gold accents. The kids were all very well dressed in their 1920/30s outfits.
The party was for my daughter’s 16th birthday. The kids got their character sheets with their invitations and were very excited to get dressed up and be in character. My daughter didn’t want one of her friends to be the murder victim, so I enlisted the help of some good family friends, which worked perfectly because the murder victim has another character after the murder, which helped me as the hostess of the party. They could encourage the kids in their solving of the murder. What I did change though, from the prescribed script, was to rewrite the murderer’s act two sheet, so that they did not know they were the murderer while everyone was analysing the clues and throwing accusations around. I felt if they knew, they would let it slip. So I gave them a generic act two sheet, with their specific knowledge; and I wrote a “Final Speech” sheet which the murderer read out after everyone voted and the murder was solved. It was a script which explained their motive, just like the final reveal in the murder books and movies. The kids had an awesome time, loved being in character. I loved doing the speakeasy decor and my daughter loved being able to solve the murder without having any inside information.
BRosch –
Headline Mystery and Intrigue!
Nickname BRosch
Menu Highlights I am originally from Utica, NY which definitely had some italian mafia influence so we had Chicken Riggies and Utica Greens with Blood Punch
Theme Highlights We were outdoors with a roofed patio with amber christmas lights lining everything! Black, white and gold decor. Lots of fringe and suspenders.
We celebrated my daughters 16th birthday with Jazz Age Jeopardy. We currently live in Panama so I spent several days translating the material. In the end – it was so much fun. It’s something the people here had never heard of but they jumped right in and had a blast. I have actually had requests to host another one in the future. We ended the night with fireworks and a 1920’s themed cake. Awesome party and so much fun!
Mrs.BMW –
Headline 5 star night
Nickname Mrs.BMW
Menu Highlights We had everyone come dressed for the 1920s but didnt tell them about the murder mystery so it was very exciting.
Theme Highlights We had food music and theme appropriate drinks
We did this in January and everyone is still talking about the party. Dress and plan the menu to match the theme and it’s a 5 star night.
Momof7 –
Headline A “Roaring” good time was had by all!
Nickname Momof7
Menu Highlights Chicken Alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread and New York cheesecake.
Theme Highlights Jazz music and videos playing on the tv )you tube), colored light bulbs in all of the lamps, black cloths covering tables and food bar with pearls, clear wine bottles with ostrich feathers and candles. Gangster, flapper girls and jazz band cut outs on the walls. (Made by projecting images onto black butcher paper). Gold fringe curtain separated the “stock room” where the murder occurred. Lots of empty boxes and bottles stacked in the corner.
Great party package! The downloadable information was extremely helpful in planning and executing a fun party. We used all of the tips included for costumes and decorations and added a few of our own. My favorite was our roaring 20’s cut outs that were hung on the walls throughout the house. Everyone did their “homework” and came to the party ready to play their character. So much fun watching everyone get into their part and use the provided “20’s vocabulary” cheat sheet. Great time had by all for my daughter’s 30th birthday party!
Kathy –
Headline A great time for all ages!
Nickname Kathy
Menu Highlights Chicken in cajun sauce & red beans and rice.
Theme Highlights Mardi Gras colored balloons and other decorations. Masks for all guests. Boas for the ladies. We also had someone dressed in a Mardi Gras parade costume.
The party was a Mardi Gras party for senior citizens. They found it fun and exciting. I was impressed at how easy everything was to download and set up.
LD –
Headline Teens Had A BLAST!
Nickname LD
Menu Highlights They are teens we did pizza rolls, chips, cookies, and soda!
Theme Highlights I had a few teens dress up but the biggest thing was that I recreated all the clues so they were physical items instead of just pictures. That seemed to help a lot.
My event was for teens ages 13 to 18. I was nervous at first that they wouldn’t get into character with their roles but when I set out the sign up sheet they all took the choosing of a character very seriously. We had 21 characters out of the 23. The teens LOVED this event! They said they wanted to do more parties like this one where they get to have an active role in what’s happening. The biggest issue was that some of the necessary information was not given out because the teen playing that character was shy and didn’t really speak. So finding ways to have information presented other than just hoping the actors give it out, would make this party a perfect 10!