Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick? Or was it your best friend in the kitchen with a lamp? There’s only one way to find out — host a murder mystery party! Turn your next celebration or friend gathering into a live game of Clue. Prepare the costumes, brush up on your acting skills, and solve the case at your own murder mystery dinner party.
Set the crime scene
The first step to hosting a murder mystery party is choosing your theme and how you want to execute it.
Pick a theme
Having a dedicated theme will make it easier to build your story, define characters, and create costumes. There are many fun ones to choose from, but here are a few of our favorites.
🥃 Speakeasy Slaughter – The roaring 20s are the perfect setting for a night of intrigue filled with flapper dresses, dapper suits, and jazz music.
🎪 Bloodshed Under the Big Top – Create a whimsical whodunnit with a circus theme that gives guests tons of interesting costume options.
🎲 Casino Night of Terror – A casino party is a great way to combine a murder mystery with a night of gambling and fun. This is especially fitting for a fundraiser or corporate event!
🤠 Shootout at the Saloon – Go with a Wild West theme and let your guests donne their favorite western wear and break out their best twangy accents as they solve the crime.
⛺ Camp Massacre – Channel classic 80s horror films with an outdoorsy slasher theme with multiple victims over the course of the night. This theme is great for a Halloween party for adults!
Write your story
Once you know you’re theme, you can begin crafting your mystery. Outline the basic story and characters involved. Decide on names, jobs, character traits, backstories, and relationships between characters. Each character should also have a possible motive for the murder.
After you have your cast and story outlined, it’s time to build the game. Create a script or talking points to give your guests direction. Plant evidence and come up with smaller goals that move the story along. Add twists and red herrings to make sure no one solves the case too quickly!
👉 Need help? You Dunnit has more tips on how to write a murder mystery game for a dinner party.
Bring in the pros
If writing your own murder mystery feels a bit overwhelming, there are lots of resources available to handle it for you. You can buy murder mystery party games in a box to work from, find builder kits online, or even hire a professional murder mystery company near you. Professional companies will handle every aspect for you and can even bring actors to help move the story along.
Line up your suspects
Create the perfect cast of characters for your murder mystery dinner by choosing the right attendees and sending detailed invitations so everyone is ready to play their part.
Invite your fun friends
Murder mystery parties are fully immersive and require a group of people who aren’t afraid to get into character. When creating your guest list, choose friends and family that are outgoing and will be excited to play along. If you do have a few shy folks you want to include, plan ahead to give them easier roles.
Require an RSVP
Plots often revolve around certain characters, so you need to know who will be attending in advance. Send your initial invitations with the date, time, location, and theme 4-6 weeks before the murder mystery party. You should only give them 1-2 weeks to RSVP so you can get the character information assigned and distributed with enough time for them to learn them, practice any accents or unique traits, and get costumes.
Send out character profiles
Once you know for sure who will be attending, it’s time to assign roles and get the character information to the guests. Send these details in another round of invitations, thanking them for coming, reiterating the event details, and setting up the story. Give them a full profile of the character they’ll be playing. You can include some costume suggestions as well.
Create a killer menu
As with any party, you’ll need some food and drinks on hand. When it comes to planning your murder mystery dinner party, you can start with a sit-down meal before the murder or do a buffet of hors d’oeuvres to be perused as they investigate clues and interrogate suspects.
Choose food that’s to die for
Your options are endless when creating your dinner menu. Go gourmet with a three-course meal or create a selection of appetizers and desserts. You can tie the recipes to your specific theme or stick with a general murder motif with things like killer kabobs and bloody cupcakes.
Keep the drinks flowing
Provide some tasty beverage options for your guests as they mingle and collect clues. You can keep it simple with wine and beer or serve delicious cocktails with a spooky vibe or that fit with your party theme.
💁 Hire some help! As the murder mystery host, you’ll have a lot on your plate. It can be helpful to hire a caterer, waitstaff, and bartender to handle the dinner portion so you can focus on moving the story along!
Button up the final details
Ensure a successful and memorable event by creating more special moments and giving your guests confidence in their ability to play their part.
Offer a prize or two
Offer a reward to the person who solves the case first! It doesn’t have to be anything big, perhaps a small monetary prize, a gift card, or even a silly trophy. You could also let guests vote on the best costume or performance for another prize.
Take crime scene photos
Catalog the evidence of your successful murder mystery with some great pictures. As the host, you can be in charge of capturing the memories or let a professional do it. Hire a photographer to set up posed photos with the characters or capture genuine action shots as they move through the party.
📸 Want something more interactive? Rent a photo booth for guests to pose together with their costumes and props.
Give guests some pointers
This may be many of your guests’ first murder mystery party, so it can be helpful to share a few tips. Include these in your invites, post them at the venue, or say them in your opening speech/game setup.
🤐 Ssh, it’s a secret! Guests should keep their characters to themselves and not discuss the details prior to the event so important secrets aren’t revealed too early.
✔️ Say yes, and… The golden rule of improv is to never say no. The best way to keep the plot moving forward is to encourage guests to play along with whatever is thrown at them.
📖 Study up. Make sure your guests know how important it is to know their characters like the back of their hand. They can even bring flashcards to the event if they need to remember key facts.
😁 Have fun! Remind everyone that the point of this whole thing is to have fun. It’s no big deal if the slip-up, break character, or don’t solve the case. Just have a good time!
Regardless of the murder mystery you choose, your guests will have a great time dressing up and mingling with the other characters at your party. So, enjoy the event… and watch your back. Good luck!✨
Looking for a professional murder mystery company for your event? Find that and more on GigSalad!
Heather is the Content Manager and a GigSalad veteran of 15+ years. She loves helping event planners create unforgettable celebrations and talent make a living doing what they love. When not at work, she enjoys reading romance and fantasy books, bingeing TV shows, playing board games, and spending time with friends.