“There has been a murder!” The detective cried, stroking his mustache as he addressed his captive audience. “And one – or maybe two – of you did it. It is your job to unravel this mystery and determine which of you is the culprit.” With those words, the game was afoot. And my obsession with dramatic, colorful, and hilarious murder mystery games deepened.
You’ve probably heard of murder mystery games before, whether through a friend or because you’ve watched season six, episode ten of The Office (The killer is always the person you most medium suspect!). For those unfamiliar with them, however, here’s a quick rundown: The games – of which there are many – come in a box which contains a list of six to eight suspects (to be played by your guests), scripts, secret clues, and some sort of audio (this could be a tape, CD, or link to a video online depending upon when the game was made) that will guide you through the mystery. As the murder mystery party host, you are responsible for casting your invitees as characters in the mystery and, with help from the recording, leading them through the investigation. The game includes easy-to-understand instructions, so it isn’t too challenging to figure out how to play once you’ve surveyed the materials. On the night of the party, you can decorate your home according to the theme of the mystery (some are set in the 1920’s, others in ancient China, others still on a country vineyard) and dress up according to your character’s costume suggestions. Finally, you and your guests will act out your roles as you slowly but surely discover the culprit. Most of the games last between two and three hours total. And this type of activity may be the perfect way to cure your quarantine boredom.
Over winter break, to celebrate my birthday, I chose to purchase one of these mystery games (University Games’ “Death by Chocolate”) to play with my family and close friends. And it was a blast. Dressed in a black, sequined, flapper-inspired dress and wearing deep purple eye shadow, I portrayed an avant-garde French artist, while other roles in the mystery included a psychologist parodying Sigmund Freud, a British romantic novelist, a famed ventriloquist, and a hot-headed American boxer. Throughout the evening, we read through the scripts (adding our own dramatic flair and improvisation) and uncovered secret clues, laughing and gasping along the way. By the end of the night, we had almost all guessed the murderer incorrectly (evidently on our way to become star detectives) and “ohhhhhhed” simultaneously when the detective in the accompanying video explained the mystery’s solution. I can’t think of a better way to have spent my birthday given the circumstances.
Despite the light emerging at the end of the COVID tunnel, we still have several months before things can return to a state of semi-normalcy. Like me, I’m sure many of you have binged through every show on Netflix, read every book in your library, and busted out board games from your childhood. If you’re a bit sick and tired of the same-old-same-old, give a murder mystery a try. It’s something different and exciting, but also something safe to do during COVID (my friends and boyfriend were easily able to Zoom in and participate virtually along with my family). So, break out your deerstalker cap and magnifying glass and get solving – it’ll surely be an evening to die for (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist!).