When you host a murder mystery you have a huge choice of options to how you want your event to run such as the number of guests, theme, the complexity of the story, etc. The following instructions will give you an idea of what you might require for yours.
Plan your family murder mystery in advance
When you host a murder mystery, ensure that you start your preparations well in advance. It sounds obvious but make s list of tasks that you have to do such as printing things off or checking if all the clues are logical.
If you get a printed kit you should definitely have a good check everything is in order. You won’t want any unwanted surprises on the day and have to wing it. One of the primary steps for the game is to assign your guests a character. Have a good read through the character descriptions provided and if at all possible try to fit the guests to the characters. Be sure to send the invitations out several weeks earlier than the event date where possible to give your dates sufficient time to find a suitable outfit for the occasion.
Host a whodunit
Alternatively, why not host the whodunit as a surprise event? This can also work with the right preparation. You will obviously need to arrange a selection of disguises and costumes yourself for this scenario. For that personal touch, you could create the invitations yourself. Just a little bit of inventiveness will make all the difference for your guests.
Think about your venue
Where you hold the party can be very important and involve some forethought during the preparation. Often some minor alterations in your home can help add some simple ambience to get your guests in character. A little decoration can make all the difference. Another way of setting the mood or scene is via the use of suitable music so be sure to create a playlist based on the theme. A popular way of elevating the theme is with food so maybe try and match some snacks with the game’s location/time in history.
Create a booklet
By the time the day comes, you will need to have all the materials organised and stored somewhere safe, a decorated room and some background music. A straightforward set of instructions for the guests should also be provided to all the guests in the form of a booklet.
These instructions should be on hand throughout the game should any player need to consult a specific rule.
As you give them the booklet, ensure you tell them what’s inside, a general run-through of the game and anything else important they’ll need to know.
You may want to introduce your guests to everyone as they arrive. Name badges are a good way to help people remember each other’s names although sometimes the costumes themselves are a major clue. When everyone has arrived, give everyone enough time to read the information before the game starts.
As host, it is your job to ensure everyone is comfortable with what they’re being asked to and understand what’s going on. If you notice someone hasn’t asked any questions address your questions at them and gauge whether they know what the game involves. Sometimes people are too nervous to ask so try and put people at ease.