Murder Mystery Party Hosting Tips & Tricks
- katbezner
- Aug 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Groovy Baby,
The fun continues at the Bison household with a Murder Mystery Party!
For a $20 game we purchased from Amazon—and as first-time players, our expectations were fairly low—we were so pleasantly surprised with how fun this game was! This very well may become an annual tradition for our friend group. Shoutout to our wonderful friends for pulling out ALL the stops on their costumes and getting into character.
The Game We Played:
What is included in the game kit:
Party Planner Booklet with Rules, Tips, and Recommendations
Ten Unique Character Booklets
Includes background stories, personality details, & of course, a few suspenseful secrets
Character Name Tags
Party Invites and Envelopes
Eight Secret Clues
Online Video Content: You play five videos throughout the game; the last one reveals the murderer!
My Lady K spin on the Game:
I re-vamped the invitations that we mailed to our guests just for that extra touch (yes, I know you are not surprised) To properly prepare your friends or family, I would recommend sending the invites out plenty early so that they can scope out their costumes.
My Top 5 Murder Mystery Hosting Tips:
#1 Consider your group size + players
The specific murder mystery game we played was made for 10 people. When planning the party, take time to consider your group size when assigning parts. Our group was pretty familiar with one another, and I think that helped lead to a successful evening and fun for all. The better you know one another, the more hilarious acting and getting into character becomes!
#2 Serve the meal first - then really jump into the game
Don’t stress about food! Prepare food that coordinates with the game, OR simply order takeout. With the theme of the game being 1960s England at Sir Michael Jagged’s home, I ran with the idea of a more “formal dinner.” I would highly recommend serving dinner first and then really diving into the game. Your guests can still get into character through dinner, but it makes it easier versus following a schedule of course 1—acting out—course 2—acting out, and so on.
#3 Pick a good “game master” who can explain the rules + keep players on track
Our game kit included a “Party Planner” booklet, which was very helpful! We reviewed that for tips and tricks for hosting this game. My husband was our game master, and that was helpful and necessary for keeping us all on track and explaining the rules of the game. Pick a person who would be a good “game master” as you play the game.
The game instructions indicate the game is played in approximately 2 hours - we were having so much fun, it took nearly 4.
#4 Have pens and paper available for your guests
We did not remember to have those resources available, and it would have been helpful to take notes throughout the evening.
#5 Have a designated photographer in the group to take photos for the evening!
Candid shots or videos are hilarious keepsakes to remember the evening. We took some Polaroid photos, which was super fun, but I wish I had done a better job of taking more pictures on my phone.
Our Murder Mystery Menu:
What we served:
Salad & Bread
This Sundried Tomato and Cheese Sourdough Bread recipe is fabulous - https://heartbeetkitchen.com/sundried-tomato-cheddar-sourdough-bread/
Buttermilk Baked Chicken
(recipe shared on the blog 2 weeks ago) - Buttermilk Baked Chicken + Cooking Conversions Chart (ladykcreative.com)
The key is turning the chicken during the baking process and covering it with the buttermilk/cream of mushroom sauce during the last 10 minutes of baking
Potato Casserole - stay tuned; I will share this recipe soon
Green Beans
Creme Brulee - this is so much easier than it sounds! A butane torch makes it perfectly carmelized
Heavy Cream, Egg Yolks, Sugar, & Vanilla
Remember - heavy cream + vanilla together
Then, egg yolks + sugar together
Combine everything before baking
Lady K’s One Thing:
Our Favorite Items to Make Creme Brulee
Homemade Vanilla - check out this blog post to make your own! Homemade Vanilla Extract (ladykcreative.com)
Butane Torch https://a.co/d/2eU7GaA
Crate and Barrel Ramekin dishes https://bit.ly/3M0Sz9n
Both the butane torch and ramekin dishes were on our wedding registry, and we love them!
Stay cool and have a wonderful week! This blog brings me joy and is my cup filler. Thank you for reading along and allowing me to share my little passions with you.
Life is good,
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