How to Host a Murder Mystery Party to Die For

So you're thinking about hosting a murder mystery party? We know that it can seem like a daunting task, so let us help you make it a party to die for.

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Start with a Pre-Made Kit

We know, we know - we sound biased. But trust us, a Murders Inc Murder Mystery Party will take all the headache out of planning. Each kit comes with a pre-written story, in-depth characters, detailed instructions, an easy-to-follow timeline, posters, awards, voting cards, and more. We pour hundreds of hours into editing, writing, and designing our stories to give our party hosts memorable mysteries without all the hassle. Now, let's help you choose from one of our many themes and variations. Here are a few things to think about:

1. What theme sounds like the most fun? One of our most common questions is "what theme should I choose" and it comes down to you, your group, and which one sounds like the most fun to play, decorate, and dress for. Check out our themes below, each with a unique world, plot and characters:

   1920s Speakeasy - The Mafia is on the rise and the bootleggers are out. Think glamor, flappers, crime and fun. This is our best-selling theme and comes in plenty of variations for different group sizes as well as PG and All-Female options. Murder at the Masquerade - What could be more fun than a Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball set in New Orleans? Get out your masks and beads for a rowdy celebration with Voodoo, royalty and the seedy underworld. Fun fact - the owner's family is from New Orleans and has a family tomb in St. Cemetery No. 1 (neighbors to none other than Marie Laveau) An Invitation to Midnight Manor - Originally written for Halloween, this theme explores the spookier side of things. When a mysterious stranger moves into a manor with a horrible past, what could possibly go wrong? The Bloody Bazaar - The year is 1937, a full moon hangs in the sky as Madam Colette's Cabinet of Oddities travels back to the sleepy town of Forsaken Falls for the first time in 26 years. This is one of our more challenging themes and filled with an unforgettable cast of characters. The Deadly Inheritance - The wealthy and affluent Wilbur Covington has passed away, bringing together his closest friends to celebrate his life, bury their secrets, and collect their inheritances. Unfortunately for guests, Wilbur isn't the only death before the night is over. The Workplace - There's been a murder! Join Scott Mikelo, self-professed "World's Best Boss" as things start to go horribly wrong in this parody of a popular sitcom. Murder at the North Pole - The snow is falling, the cocoa is hot, the elves have been hard at work and the reindeers have been striving to keep themselves in perfect condition. Too bad Santa Claus has been up to no good... Home for the Holidays - Spend your holidays with the Carol Family, complete with an angsty teenage daughter, a pun-loving dad, a rebellious boyfriend and overbearing in-laws, to give you and your guests a Holiday Party to Die For! Old Western Theme - Coming April 2026!
   

2. Take into account your group. It's important to think about the rating, your guest count and your group's gender breakdown. Be sure to use the "filter" section on the shop page to find which party works best. Each item description will contain everything you need to know about the party to make sure it's the perfect fit for your event.
   

3. Would you like a PDF, Zoom Party, or Box Kit? Murders Incorporated has three different formats to help fit what you need. Here's a breakdown: PDFs are immediate downloads that can be printed right at home. Printed Box Kits are printed, cut, organized, and mailed directly to your front door for the simplest experience. Zoom Parties are designed to be played via video chat. Since it's harder to mix and mingle, these parties are scripted so that guests take turns. Each party contains organized folders to send directly to guests and minimize your work as host.

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Dive into the Instructions

Now that you have your party, it's time to open it up and see what's inside.

1. Instructions. The easy-to-follow instructions break down everything you need from "tips and tricks" to "how to murder someone". They also include a timeline (which will be your step-by-step guide during the party), and a master character list that will help you assign your friends to their new mysterious personas. Tip: Don't want to know who the murderer is? No problem! Just skip "The Conclusion/Reveal"
   

2. Character Cards. Speaking of assigning your friends to their characters, get ready to grant some new identities. On each character card, you'll find: Biography - Some details and background Things to Share - What the character is excited about Secrets to Hide - The skeletons in their closets Important Relationships - Who they'll be tied to throughout the event Prop Suggestions - Costume and attire "Make a Scene" - An optional side quest to stir up extra drama Each Character Card is designed to give your guests enough information to understand who they're playing while leaving space to decide how they want to play them. In our opinion, this is where the magic happens. Watch as your guests create unscripted drama, form alliances, and throw accusations at one another. Having the freedom to adopt a new persona is what makes these events unforgettable.
   

3. Evidence. For most stories, there will be three murders before the event is finished. After each murder, there will be an evidence reveal. The murderer is ultimately uncovered by piecing the evidence together and learning secrets. Pieces of evidence can include letters, text messages, emails, business cards, receipts, tweets, rituals, prophecies, and more. As the host, you'll present these clues after each murder, reading each piece aloud before placing them in a central location for everyone to view at their leisure.
   

4. Action Cards. These cards are optional and designed to add extra excitement to your party. They can be placed in a central location for guests to draw at random. They include activities, consequences and commands like Take a Mugshot Photo, Theme-Specific Trivia Questions, Steal a Piece of Evidence or Reveal a Secret.

5. Extras Package. Some fun extras like Wine/Soda Labels, Party Posters, and Voting Cards. They are optional to print but can add to the event.

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The Details

Murders Inc brings the game, you make it a party. We've had hosts rent venues across the world, we've performed in mansions, speakeasies, clubs and theatres. The vast majority of these parties happen right at home or at a smaller party venue. As host, you can put as much or as little into this as you'd like! From our experience, here are some variables to consider:

1. Venue - The good news is that these events can be as big or as small as you'd like. A Murders Inc party takes up as much space as any normal party would. From our experience, you'll want to consider a few different area placements. Check-In: For our events, we assign characters on the spot, so we like to have a table with a list of characters that we cross off as we go, character cards, and nametags (if applicable). If your characters have been assigned ahead of time, which we always recommend if this is a group of friends vs strangers, you may just want a spot where you can cross off names as people arrive. This way, you know the best time to start the party. Monologues: The introduction and conclusion will be read as monologues. You can set up a stage or location for this, but it isn't a necessity. You'll just want to make sure all eyes are on you when you begin (or whoever you delegate this to) so that the rules and scene are understood. Evidence: After each murder, you'll read the evidence aloud and then place it in a central location so that guests can go back and review everything if they'd like. We find that clearing off a table works great for this, just be sure to let guests know where it is as you go. Murders: Each victim will dramatically act out their own death, but this doesn't take much space. You can either direct victims to "die" in a certain location, or you can allow them to "die" in a location of their choosing. The most important part is to call attention to the scene as the death is ocurring so that guests may watch the hilarity ensue. We've heard from countless reviewers that the murders can be the most fun part!
   

2. Food & Drink - Our suggestion would be to have some sort of finger food and some cocktails/mocktails that fit in with the theme. Some of our very first parties were potluck style, which was a great way to keep down costs and get everyone involved. Want to make this a Murder Mystery Dinner Party? Let us tell you about our favorite way to fit a dinner into the event! During each party, one victim is murdered by poisoning (you can find this information in your "timeline" section of the instructions). Let the victim know that they'll be poisoned and to act it out at the end of dinner. This is a fun way to break for food, but still keep everyone in character while the storyline plays on. Check out our Pinterest Page or Blog for more ideas on drinks & food ideas - there are so many options that can make your theme feel even more immersive.
   

3. Decor - This is another great place for our Pinterest Page to shine! We've saved some of our favorites, but don't be shy to create your own boards and have fun with it. Decor is one of the things that can throw your guests directly into the theme of your choice.
   

4. Photos - Trust us, you'll want some sort of photo station. We personally use a photobooth at our events, but with the age of smartphones, a simple mugshot photo backdrop and a few props can capture memories all night long. Some of our favorite guest photos come from Polaroids, and we suggest getting a mugshot photo of each guest as well as a group photo.

   
   
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

5. Personal Touches - As the host, you have all the power here - and the possibilities are endless! You could add personalized touches like gift bags, a SnapChat filter, an event hashtag, theme-specific favors, a poker table, up lighting, sound effects, or even a separate show (burlesque, magic, a band, karaoke, etcetera). Here's the best part: you can add as little or as much as you'd like. With thousands of five-star reviews, Murders Inc is here to provide you with an unforgettable framework while you add your own flair.

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It's Party Time!

You've planned the party, invited your guests, and now it's show time. Here are some things to remember:

1. Have fun: We know, party planning can be stressful. Decor, guest list, organization - it can be a lot of work to bring everything together. Take a deep breath, message us with questions, and know that this is going to be fun.

1. Be in Character: One of our most important pieces of advice - the host sets the vibe. If you're having fun and in character, your guests will be too. We promise. We get questions all the time from people who are afraid their guests won't get into it, we've even hosted parties with party hosts in-training who are worried about the same thing. If you listen to anything, please listen to this - in all the parties we've hosted, in the 20k+ parties we've sold, this just isn't an issue. It will amaze you how much people want to have fun and act silly, as long as they're given the space and opportunity to do so. If they feel like this is an event where it's safe to let loose, they will, and it's amazing to see how much people come out of their shells. This is what makes the night absolutely magical - so encourage it!

   
   

2. Keep your Timeline close: Once the event is up and running, you'll want to keep the instructions and timeline close. When we host, we usually have a secret spot where we keep our materials that's easily accessible so we can and reference things as needed.
   

3. Have your Evidence Ready: We sort all of the evidence into manila folders before the event starts so that it's easy to grab the evidence after each murder.
   

4. Mingle with your guests: Remind them that there are awards for best acted out death, best guess, and most in character. In our experience, guests love winning awards, so a simple reminder can turn up the drama.
   

5. Take Pictures: Or assign someone else to, some stories even have a photographer character built in.
   

6. Have Fun (again): We know, we said it twice. But, it's true! After all of the parties that we've hosted, we know that it's natural to get nervous before hosting an event. Once you're in it, however, all of those nerves wash away and it's so much fun watching people make the characters their own. It's been over seven years since our first party, and we still refer to friends as their character names from the party that night. This event is designed to result in lots of laughs, inside jokes, new friendships, and the desire to keep talking about it for a long time to come.

Post Pictures, Share your Reviews, and Recover! You earned it, take a day off and relax. Post pictures to your social media and please tag us @murdersincorporated for a feature. If you have a moment to leave a review it's always greatly appreciated.

Please reach out to us with any questions at info@murdersincorporated.com and we look forward to helping you throw a party to die for 🔪