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Mardi Gras, Masks, Murder!
£49.95
Add intrigue to your next party with this murder mystery game, set at a Mardi Gras party in New Orleans.
Format:
Mystery Party Kit
Setting:
New Orleans Masquerade during Mardi Gras
Time:
90+ Minutes
Ages:
Adult
Players:
A posh Mardi Gras Masquerade turns deadly!
Backstory
The guests play a mixed group of characters who have been invited to a Mardi Gras masquerade hosted by Marshall Inglewood, the Governor of Louisiana. The party will be held at the governor’s posh New Orleans mansion. Everyone is expecting an elegant evening with hor d’oeuvres, drinks, and dancing, but as it turns out, something mysterious is afoot!
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 and mingle at the governor’s mansion.
Murder!
At the midpoint of the evening, a blackout occurs, and one of the players makes a terrible discovery: someone has been murdered in the middle of the party!
Solving the Mystery
Act Two will begin with the grisly discovery of the victim’s body. In the area around the body, there are clues that point to what must have occurred prior to the death. It will now be up to the guests to figure out what happened.
There are 25 primary suspects in this game,however only 9 are required to play the game. The host or hostess will play the role of Tony Cour, the Head Caterer. Read the "How To Play" section for more information on how to play an expanded game with more than 25 guests.
* = Optional character
Male Roles
- The Governor - Marshall Inglewood -
Governor of Louisiana who is hosting a Mardi Gras party. He’s well known in New
Orleans for his constant fundraising and elegant parties. - *The Sheriff - Jacques “Jack” Le
Boeuf - Sheriff Jack is a fixture in New Orleans, as he investigates most
crimes in the city. He’s known for his down home approach. - The Deputy - Jeremy “J” Porter
- Deputy J is a notorious playboy, but is very loyal to the Sheriff’s Office
and his city. - *The New Man - Raymond Downings -
Raymond recently inherited a large estate on the outskirts of the city and just
moved back to town. - The Club Owner - Derek Nordhart
- Derek owns “Fantasy” a very popular club that is known for its exclusive
parties and open dance floor. - *The Good Guy - Harvey Daniels -
Harvey manages the day-to-day affairs for Leon’s construction firm and is known
for his “good ol’boy” attitude. - *The Architect - Leon D’Loupe - Mr.
D’Loupe runs the largest construction firm in town and is largely responsible
for most of the restoration to the city as it recovered from Hurricane Katrina. - *The Preacher - Joseph Grant -
Reverend Joseph is the preacher at the Sacred Heart, a rapidly growing mega
church. - *The Bodyguard- “Jack” - Heather’s
bodyguard, he doesn’t say much. - The Head Chef - Noel Bellenuit
- Chef Noelle is a dramatic, flamboyant and difficult man, but his food is so
good even the most conservative members of high society don’t complain. - *The Chef - Rene Le Boeuf - Rene
served in the war and returned home recently where he got a job as a chef.
Female Roles
- The Voodoo Queen - Dominique
LaBranche - Well known in New Orleans for her many “reading” parlors and
Hoodoo supply stores. Her readings are said to be very accurate. - *The Queen Bee - Blanche Le Boeuf -
The reigning social queen of New Orleans elite society. She is a member of the
prestigious Le Boeuf family and is well known for her iron fist inside a lacy
glove. - *The Lawyer - Gabrielle Le Boeuf -
Miss Gabrielle is known to be sharp as a tack and a terror in the courtroom. She’s
utterly ruthless behind her sweet Southern manners. - The Hippie - Celine “Luna” Schumacher
– Deputy Porter’s date, Luna is a big believer in “green initiatives,” but
appears to legitimately like Deputy J. - The Bouncer - Sarah Corrington
- Bouncer at “Fantasy,” many underestimate her in her high heels, but she’s
broken plenty of bones. - *The Socialite - Eloise Daniels -
Harvey’s mom is a well known socialite who always has a bit of gossip to share. - *The New Girl - Heather Le Bois -
A true practitioner of dark Voodoo, known for her lavish parties and the army of zombi she keeps as servants and bodyguards.
- *The Preacher’s Wife -
Lettie Mae La Terre - Reverend Joseph’s wife, and a member of his
church. There are hints of some sort of scandal in her past. - *The Showgirl - Amelie Belle - Amelie is a rising star on the stages of New Orleans and is famed for her long legs and graceful demeanor.
- *Waitress - Lily Porter - A waitress, she’s sometimes a little vague, but very hard working.
- *Waitress - Jo Ann Duluth - A waitress and member of the Sacred Heart.
- Waitress - Jaquelyn D’Argent - A waitress, she is a new staff member.
- *The Bartender - Crystal La Terre - Crystal’s cocktails are legendary in New Orleans and so is her quick mouth and bad temper.
Male or Female Role
- Host/Head Caterer - Tony Cour - Tony runs one of the most successful restaurant/catering businesses in New Orleans. (Played by the Host/Hostess)
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
Mardi Gras, Masks, Murder! is a 155-page downloadable PDF file that you print at home. It includes the following features: An introduction that explains the basic principles of running a mystery-party and provides specific tips on props, menu items, sound effects, and special tips to help make your party exciting, memorable and easy to run Step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for your party A detailed party guidebook that will walk you through the event in a simple, easy-to-understand format Instructions on how to run the party for a large group Nametags and character sheets for each player - the character sheets include tips on costuming and role-playing, as well special goals and gossip unique to each character Fully customizable invitations, complete with RSVP cards and guest lists 14 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 Mardi Gras, Masks, Murder! 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 Two mp3 audio effects for use with your party Instructions on how to use these audio clips to best effectFollow 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.
Cortney –
Headline Such a good time, would recommend.
Nickname Cortney
We had an event with some friends over dinner, and it was so much fun! It was great to see everyone get into character and we’re definitely hoping to do another this year!!
1st time murder mystery host –
Headline SO. MUCH. FUN.
Nickname 1st time murder mystery host
Menu Highlights Shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, hot crab dip, mini muffuletta sandwiches, Hurricanes and bourbon tasting to drink!
We had the best time with our murder mystery party! It was the first time we had participate a murder mystery, and none of our guest had ever done one before either. It took some prep, but I loved every part of the planning and party process, and this kit helped so much! We will be hosting an annual Playing with Murder party now!
murder_hostest –
Headline Pretty fun!
Nickname murder_hostest
Menu Highlights Just a bunch of frozen appetizers from trader joe's. And lots of drinks - dark and stormys.
Theme Highlights Mardi gras beads, masks, string lights, balloon arch in purple, yellow, green
My first time hosting a murder mystery party, and it went well! This was for a group of graduate students (23-30), it was a great way to get to know our classmates instead of the typical icebreakers or house parties. I had three friends help and we all played the role of Tony (the host) since we had 24 people attending. It was helpful to have the four of us all “in” on the story to help with questions from the guests and setting the scene.
The instructions could be clearer and took some time to read through and understand what we needed to do during the party, particularly during the murder scene.
Make sure you assign the key roles to people you know can pull it off. The scavenger hunt was too easy for our guests but we had a fairly small space. I was nervous everyone knew who the murderer was too quickly but we were lucky that our guests all got into their characters and really elaborated on their talking points which created more complexity.
CJClass –
Headline Fun night at the library!!
Nickname CJClass
We hosted this party at the library on Valentine’s Day, it was a lot of fun. There were 22 people who participated. This packet was really easy to use and it’s great that it includes the sound bites they help create an even more immersive experience. I will definitely be using these packages for more events.
Michelle –
Headline Amazing
Nickname Michelle
Menu Highlights We served chicken gumbo with red beans and rice
Theme Highlights Candles, feathers and masks
Our party was amazing! Everyone had so much fun and wants to do it again. The script and rules were very easy to follow.
Mebike –
Headline So much fun!!!!!
Nickname Mebike
Theme Highlights We used feathers and masks and beads as most of the decorations.
We hosted this as a dinner party for some friends! It was amazing. Everyone had so much fun and wants to do it again!!
The Revolution Group parties –
Headline Fun, fun, fun
Nickname The Revolution Group parties
Menu Highlights We made Hurricane jello shots n cocktails. Big hit.
We did the Murder Mystery Mardi Gras, Masks & Murder. It was alot of fun.
We kept flickering the lights to simulate the power outages and everyone was getting into their characters. Definitely want to purchase another murder mystery.
Patti –
Headline A million laughs and a memorable night!
Nickname Patti
Menu Highlights Beer cheese dip with andouille sausage, clam chowder, oven roasted shrimp, jambalaya and a purple Mardi Gras punch.
Theme Highlights I decorated with the typical Mardi Gras colors, including table coverings, center pieces, and chocolates with gold, green and purple wrappers (peanut butter cups, Andes Mints and Hershey kisses. I shopped a lot of the clearance sections of Hobby Lobby, Michaels and TJ Maxx. I made most of the clues as described in the game from items from the Dollar Tree and craft stores for a very minimal cost. Having real clues to search for added to the excitement of the game. Searching at your local 2nd hand stores may help, too!
This party was part of an annual get away with family. We had age ranges from 10-82. It was a hit! Everyone got into their characters, dressed up and enjoyed the whole event! There were 21 of us so we could have used a bigger space, but we made it work. The whole game was easy to follow, even for the younger kids. Being the facilitator, you really need to read the instructions carefully and often! We will definitely do another party again next year.
Christine Dickenson –
Headline Mardi Gras Celebration
Nickname Christine Dickenson
Menu Highlights • Shrimp Etouffe, Creole Jambalaya, Cajun Cornbread, Gumbo, Large Fresh Garden Salad, Chicken Creole Deviled Egg, Spicy Crab Dip, Fried Dill Pickles, Crab Cakes, two King Cakes and Hurricanes
Theme Highlights Spray painted wine bottles with gold glitter paint and hot blued mardi gras sequined masks to them - added beads around the top and filled with mardi gras sprigs
We just hosted a “Mardi Gras, Masks, Murder!” party last night. We had 18 attendees and it was a hit! Everyone got into character and made the evening so enjoyable!
Donna –
Headline Fantastic!! Can’t wait to do another one!
Nickname Donna
I bought the game for a friends 60th birthday party and it was fabulous! We all had a fantastic time! It was so easy to follow and so great getting into character! The guest ranged in ages 22-60 and everyone really enjoyed themselves!!
ARPridge –
Headline A Great Way to Mix up New Years Eve
Nickname ARPridge
We decided to try something new for New Years Eve and did the Mardi Gras Murder Mystery. It was a lot of fun, and everyone had a good time getting into character. (A little alcohol also helps!) It was a fun way to spend the evening, and everyone is already planning what we should do for our next one!
Crystal Castle aka Tony Cour –
My Mardi Gras Murder Mystery birthday celebration was a hit! Everyone even the skeptics had an amazing time! Hey me if the biggest highlights was the Voodoo Queen Dominique LaBlanche!
AMBRAw –
Headline Fun fun fun
Nickname AMBRAw
It was a fantastic party as usual and because we are close to Christmas the majority of the people decided to dress up Christmas style. I love the games of playing with murder, I think I’ve played pretty much all of them. Everybody were super happy during the night and as all the game here it was super easy to understand also for time comer, there were around 8 people that has never played before
Gigi –
Headline Fun
Nickname Gigi
The party was a hit with our friends and the prep work and characters were fun. The only negative feedback we got, and agreed with, was that the clues were not connecting. They seemed random and putting together the end result with the murderer(s) was difficult, unless you got very deep into a couple of the characters.
Lois Cochrane and Judy Heathcoe –
Headline Rene spent his 18th birthday as a Zombie!
Nickname Lois Cochrane and Judy Heathcoe
Video https://youtu.be/8FYS9BaQ9sU
When Rene turned 18, he wanted a party like no other. He wanted a murder mystery party. We are from New Orleans so it was easy to transport our guests back in time to Post Katrina New Orleans. Our friends and family fell into their parts as soon as they put on their masks and the party became more like a play. The well planned theme worked out so well with instructions every step of the way and there was no fumbling even though some things were modified to fit our situation. The whole evening was more fun than folks had had in a while and people are still talking about it. I hope for the opportunity to do it again.
Flyingfrog75 –
Headline Teen boy 16th birthday party.
Nickname Flyingfrog75
My son and his friends are in drama. Gave everyone their charaters sheets 2 weeks before. They were all so excited. They came dressed up and in character upon arrival. They stayed in character the whole time, played up all the gossip etc. They really strethed the game out for a few hours because they were so into it! Best birthday ever!!
Flyingfrog75 –
Headline 16th birthday party for son
Nickname Flyingfrog75
This was my son’s 16th birthday party. He and his friends are in drama and had a field day with this. I let the kids pick their characters a few weeks before the party. I gave everyine their character info and act 1 sheets 2 weeks before so they could prepare. All kids came dressed and ready as their characters. It took about 4.5 hours to complete because they were having so much fun with all the side objectives and gossip. This was such a sucess that now the drama booster club wants me to host another as a fund raiser. I highly recommend this mystery. We’ll be trying another soon.
Laura Spence –
Headline Jim's 60th Mardi Gras masquerade
Nickname Laura Spence
It was fantastic, everyone and I mean everyone came in costume, some used their accents everyone had a great time and already asking when is the next one. So much fun was had.
Laurie Jay –
Headline Mardi Gras Masks & Murder
Nickname Laurie Jay
So much fun!!! We had 12 people and I was worried it would be difficult to follow but it was PERFECT!! Everyone loved it & I really went all out w/props, etc. this time which really added to the party. Definitely will do another one from your company again!
Amanda –
Headline Let the Good Times Roll!
Nickname Amanda
We picked this Mardi Gras themed kit for our second murder mystery party. I sent out character information a month in advance and set up a Facebook event to communicate with all the attendees and keep up the excitement and anticipation. We served Gumbo, Debris Po’boys and red beans and rice finished with banana cream pie. We transformed our dining room into the study and even found a desk online for $5 to add to the room. Everyone had a blast!
Sharon –
Headline Mardi Gras Party of all parties
Nickname Sharon
Wonderful time had by ALL! What a fun night! Everyone can in costume to match their character presented! By the end of the night the accusations were flying around to everyone in attendance. We had a traditional meal. We had jambalaya bourbon chicken, gumbo, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, macaroni and cheese, muffelatta sandwiches, corn bread, king cake, Binets and pralines. Yummy! Many of the guests were first timers and every one yes everyone is waiting for me to order plan and host the next party!
Sherri –
Headline Mardi Gras masks murder
Nickname Sherri
I am overwhelmed by all the material. The clues don’t seem to go with the "murder". I don’t think we will be using it. Waste of money.
Amanda –
Headline Luisa's 40th Mardi Gras, Masks & Murder Bash
Nickname Amanda
It was a surprise 40th Birthday Party. It was amazing! The creators of the party gave me everything i needed to pull this off. Everyone came dressed to the nines and never wavered from their characters. I want to buy another one. Definitely worth the time & effort.
JBowron –
Headline Mardi Gras
Nickname JBowron
We had a great New Years Party, We had 15 guest take part in the Murder Mystery, it took us about 2 1/2 hours to play out . We chose to have the guests take part in a hunt for clues, The clues were rhymes, they had to figure out leading to the next clue. Voting for best dressed, best actor, and best character was a lot of fun.
A great time was had by all.
LeAnn Parsons –
Headline Mardi Gras Murder Mystery
Nickname LeAnn Parsons
My book club got together for a night of fun. There were 12 of us and we had a hoot! Everyone was great about keeping in character and mingling. Wr went all out with decorations and did a scavenger hunt to find clues in second act. We had themed drinks, food and appetizers. Everyone was greeted with champagne and their packet which had name tag, top secret notepad, money, magnifying glass and extra masks and beads. After the first act we had supper and stayed on character. The hardest part was understanding how to decifer who the killer is by clues. Otherwise, we had a blast and would do another party in a minute.
Sarah –
Headline What a Blast!
Nickname Sarah
We had did the Mardi Gras themed murder mystery for Mardi Gras (not usually something celebrated in Canada!) It went so well! Everyone who came went all out with their costumes and character roles! So many laughs!
Only one guest was able to figure out the correct solution to the murder, but everyone had a very interesting theory about why they thought someone else had done it.
I really can’t say enough about how much fun this was to plan and host. Am already considering doing another one, but giving myself much more time to plan and make decorations
Lucas –
Headline Mardi Gras Study Break
Nickname Lucas
We got together to celebrate multiple birthdays and celebrate finishing some exams for college classes. It was super fun and relaxing. We ended up having only 9, but still all the required characters. I was the only one who had done a murder mystery before, and everyone else walked out wanting to do another. Mardi Gras Masks Murder provided everything we needed to have a very fun and enjoyable party.
Renee –
Headline Mardi Gras 18th Birthday party
Nickname Renee
The participants were mostly 17 year old drama students which meant they stayed in character the whole night and loved the idea. In order to encourage them to mingle (some didn’t know many people very well) they only wore their character’s first name. Being busy teenagers, about half didn’t really read / remember their character descriptions so that made it difficult to share information and solve the mystery. We held off on the murder scene until well into the party, concerned that Act 2 would be quick. As it turned out they spent hours trying to solve the mystery so it didn’t matter! They all loved it and are now wanting to host one of their own.
Natalie Garry –
Headline Madi Gras Murder Mystery
Nickname Natalie Garry
We had 8 couples attend.
I had to rewrite too much of the clues and ideas for items. Did not like using “paper pictures”.
Made up our own.
Nonetheless the couples dressed up and really got into characters and very much enjoyed themselves.
Tooo many pages to the “party book “
Would have like to only dieload and print some Not all of the 149 pages!!!
Dianna Z –
Headline Mardi Gras, Masks, Murder Mystery Dinner Pary
Nickname Dianna Z
A very special birthday that was tons of fun. Guest went all out with their costumes and everyone stayed in character all through the party. It was a large group, but worked very well.