In a murder mystery party every guest plays a suspect, everyone has a secret, and by the last round somebody is pointing across the room. Below you will find our two Christmas murder mysteries for grown-ups, a gentler detective game for younger children, a 1920s New Year’s Eve mystery and a holiday party pack. The two Christmas mysteries suit very different parties, so here is how to choose between them.
For the office, or a family party with kids: Murder at the Merryvale Holiday Party
Murder at the Merryvale Holiday Party is set at the 100th staff holiday party of an old department store, right as the beloved owner is about to name his successor. It is rated PG, with no alcohol, romance, bad language or gore, and it plays standing up with snacks in about 90 minutes. Twelve guests play suspects and everyone else works in small Detective Teams, so a whole department can join in. At $17.99 (instant download from Gumroad) it is our priciest mystery; you are paying for the group features, a notebook for each guest, and permission to run it at work, school, church or a club.
For a grown-up dinner party: Murder at Hollyberry Lodge
Murder at Hollyberry Lodge is a Christmas Eve dinner party for 6 to 12 adults, set at a snowbound mountain lodge and played over drinks, dinner and dessert in 2 to 3 hours. It includes an editable menu card and place cards for the table.
What makes a murder mystery game fair
The most common complaint about party mysteries is that the clues don't really add up, so the host has to announce a culprit nobody could have worked out. Ours are built the other way round. The clue cards all come from one set of facts. Before release we work through every combination of who might come and who might cancel, and confirm that exactly one suspect is left after the last round, that nobody can be ruled out in Round 1, and that several suspects remain after Round 2. Each game includes a proof chart, so the host can show the room how the clues point to the answer.
How a printable murder mystery party works
- Cast and invite. Type the editable invitations and send each guest their own character booklet a week or two ahead.
- Play three rounds. Each round, guests share what their booklet tells them, then read the round's clue cards aloud.
- Accuse and reveal. Everyone writes down who did it, how and why. The host reads the solution aloud.
Hosting younger kids? The Great Cookie Caper is a 30 to 45 minute detective game for ages 6 to 10 with no murder at all. And for a whodunit you can solve alone through December, try The Keeper's Spyglass, a large-print murder mystery advent calendar.
