Want to play host to a murder? Looking for a different way to entertain? Then why not take on the role of the butler, the dotty aunt or even the police inspector as murder, mystery and mayhem unravel around you. Find yourself double-dealing and trying to protect your own dark past while at the same time gleaning the information that will enable you to solve the crime. Your guests will never forget what happens to them ... provided they live to tell the tale!
Murder Mystery Games
The Reading of the Will
The Reading of the Will is a 'sealed room' murder mystery. When the Duke of Felthorpe is found dead in his bath, everything suggests that his death was accidental. The room was locked from the inside and, to gain entry, the door had to be broken down. So surely no one could have got in there and killed him! Everyone taking part plays a character who is here for the reading of the duke's Last Will and Testament. The contents of the will are a surprise to almost all of them. So why did the duke make these last-minute changes? Was he being blackmailed? Was he mad? Should this will be thrown out – and replaced with an earlier one? By the time all is revealed, everyone will have had a great time playing their parts, working out whodunnit and trying to prevent other people accusing them. For 6-8 players.
Cudham Riding Club
Set in timeless rural England, Cudham Riding Club offers all those taking part the chance to belong to the stirrup set for a few hours. Everyone is given a character, and whether you end up playing a Lord, a Lady, a dustman or a horsemeat wholesaler, you will encounter more skulduggery, adultery, coercion and crime than in the entire works of Jilly Cooper, Joanna Trollope and Dick Francis. Lady Amanda Cudham, founder and chairwoman of the club, has died in tragic and mysterious circumstances. Our plot unfolds during a meeting of the club, where members decide who should replace Amanda as chairwoman. Some characters want to become the next chairwoman. Some have guilty secrets to keep hidden. Some have scores to settle. And everyone is keen to get rich, buy and sell a few horses, and place a few bets before the Race of the Season gets underway. For 14-40 players.
The Final Curtain
Tragedy has struck in the normally quiet world of Littledean Theatre. During a performance of the thriller 'The Final Curtain', Vincent Royle, the leading actor, has collapsed to the floor, dead. Amidst the screams and gasps from the audience and cast members the curtain comes down and the investigations begin. It seems that Vincent's death is not by natural causes and Scotland Yard believes it is murder! However, in true theatrical style, the show must go on. Vincent's understudy plays his role the next night and afterwards all the company are called together by the theatre manager, Jay Fitzharing. "The Final Curtain" is a 1920s murder mystery which runs for approximately three hours and welcomes you to the world of
Littledean Theatre where artistic temperaments and theatrical secrets go hand in hand with cigarette holders and feather boas. For 7-14 players.
St. Cakes
On Founder's Day, the teachers and pupils of St. Cakes gather to honour the memory of the blessed Bishop Cakes, who established the school in 930 A.D. Prefects, nerds, bullies and sneaks all do their best to make this a day to remember - and one the headmaster would sooner forget! Everyone taking part is given a team or "house" to belong to. The different houses compete with one another to identify who the murderer is, and are also given a "St. Cakes' challenge" to tackle. This involves the writing of a new school song. At the end, accusations are made, the murderer is identified and the winning song selected. Fancy dress is optional, but strongly recommended! For 40-200 players.
The Last Gasp
It is New Year's Eve, 1899. George Sweet, the 5th Earl of Coddingham, has lead a wicked and dissolute life. His past is finally catching up with him and, eager to keep out of reach of the law, he is planning to flee abroad. Before he goes, he is holding one final party: "The Last Gasp". Invited to it are all the people to whom his appalling behavior has brought the most grief and heartache: his ex-wives, Florence and Dawn, his present wife, Jojo, his ballet dancer son, William, and his long-suffering friend, Bernard. George is determined to use his party to make up for past mistakes. People from the Earl's local village and members of his staff are also at "The Last Gasp": the local vicar is recruiting new members for the church choir, cavalry officer Captain Ratliffe is breaking a few more women's hearts, and Jarvis, the Earl's loyal butler, is making sure no one steals the sherry. The Earl's plans go slightly awry, however, when the police unexpectedly turn up, hoping to arrest someone for murder. Who do they want to arrest? The Earl of Coddingham.... For 14-40 players.
The Auction
At "The Auction" you will play a character in a fascinating plot of mystery, double-dealing, bribery, blackmail and intrigue. You will not just be watching, you will be completely involved in the wheeling and dealing. Can you outbid the opposition, keep your dark secret quiet and unmask the murderer? There is only one way to find out! A week before "The Auction" all of the guests attending will receive the front page of "Yesterday's News" - the antique dealers' magazine. This explains the background to the auction, the unfortunate death of Baroness Audry Von Munchen and the relics found on her last archaeological expedition. There will also be a copy of the guest list with a brief description of everyone attending the auction, including the character you have been given. This might be a lord, lady, the butler, a priest or even a spy! For 12-40 players.
Murder at Farthingay Manor
You are one of 6 people who have been invited to attend a country house weekend in England in August, 1924. The guest do not know their host, Lord Farthing. They do not know each other. So why were they invited? As the plot unfolds, they gradually find out. The characters include a vicar, a nun, a countess and a butler. All, of course, have dark secrets to hide. But who is the murderer? How is the King of Ruritania involved? And how many characters survive till the end? For 6 players.
See Also: Clue, Dinner & A Murder Mystery, Host a Mystery Party, Murder Mystery Evening, Murder Mystery Party, Other Mystery Games
