Large Group Murder Mystery Games For Dinner Party Fun • Corporate Team Bonding • Fundraisers • Special Events

"We have used the murder mystery in a box, but it's dull compared to your interactive format and comedy."
Kim Nolan, Modesto, CA    [Read More Reviews]

How Our Mystery Games Are Played - Please read before ordering • Mystery Game Themes • Download Game Samples • What's Included • Frequently Asked Questions • Murder Mystery Movie • About Us • Contact Us • BUY NOW

Murder Mystery Games FAQs Page

REVIEW: "The Next of Kin mystery game downloaded very easily and all material was clearly marked. It was very easy to personalize it for my husband's surprise birthday party which was AMAZING. Our guests had so much fun and really got into their characters. I’ve already had someone ask me “when are we going to do another one?” and our preacher’s wife said it was the best birthday party she’d ever been to. Thank you so much for all you did to make my husband’s 50th birthday truly an event to remember! Thanks you for following up, it is rare to have a company that cares that much about its customers." Pam K., North Augusta, SC

• Click here to learn how our murder mystery dinner party games are played. Important to read before you place your order.
• Mystery themes to choose from, prime suspect descriptions and free script samples to download
• What’s included with our murder mystery dinner games
• Number of players/participants
• Length of the mystery game
• Example timeline for your murder mystery dinner party
• Watch one of our murder mysteries dinners in action
• Helpful advice and tips for your mystery event
• Recipes and web sites to help you plan your dinner menu
• Costume, props and historical links page
• Pre-event prep time
• Software needed
• Do you have holiday-themed mystery games?
• What are the benefits of using a murder mystery game as a corporate team bonding experience?
• Are these murder mystery dinner party games appropriate for children and/or church groups?
• Other ways to order (Recommended: Instant download from our secure shopping cart)
• About the writer

REVIEW:  Hi Susan!! We had the mystery party last Saturday night and it was AWESOME!!!!!!! It was for my 21st birthday and we had about 20 people come, completely dressed up and in character and it was HILARIOUS!!!! And we got to do the What Happened to Sam Disney scavenger hunt around campus which was really fun :) It was definitely the best birthday I have ever had and I am not exaggerating!! You are a genius!!! Thank you, Hillary Ford, Flower Mound TX

Number of players/participants

Due to the interactive nature of the mysteries, they are best suited for groups of 20 to about 125 guests. Click here for our reason why.

For the team building version of the games, we recommend up to 12 teams of detectives (a minimum 4 to a maximum of 10 per team) plus your team of 6 to 8 suspects (your cast), depending on the script you choose.

Length of mystery

It will be about 1 1/2 to 2 hours long but you can make it shorter by tightening up the sequence of events or longer by allowing more time between the scenes/action.

For the team building version of the game, please allow approximately 2 to 2½ hours or more (the larger your group, the longer it will take). You need a bit more time for the team mystery games because, in addition to solving the mystery, each team will have a project to complete during the course of the mystery (for multi-tasking and problem solving). We also highly recommend adding time for a team assessment discussion at the conclusion of the mystery. We include our nifty team assessment form with all team building versions of the game.

If you're looking for just a one hour mystery, we can't recommend ours. Here's why: You need time to establish who's who among the primary suspects and you need to give them time to set up their motives for murder. You also need time to set up/drop clues and you need time for the audience (detectives) to questions the suspects, follow leads and find clues. You also need time to have the killer confess. It's very difficult to fit this into one hour and leave your group satisfied and happy.  The mystery will be over before they even have time to settle in to how it works and, if you select a team building version, you definitely will NOT have time to do any of the added teamwork elements we've built into it. See timeline below.

Sample Timeline

Here's a sample timeline (with a dinner*) for your mystery party

*You can certainly do the mystery without serving a dinner or lunch but you should at least provide beverages and snacks or appetizers. You can also perform our mystery during buffet rather than a sit down dinner. You'll have to hold any action until everyone moves through the buffet line(s) but your characters can still mingle with everyone. For groups of 50 or more, we generally recommend a sit-down dinner vs. a buffet because it flows more smoothly. You can also choose to have your lunch or dinner then do the mystery although people's energy levels dip after they eat so do keep that in mind. 

• Upon arrival, the guests (your detectives) receive a program that will be a guideline for the mystery (included).
• The primary suspects start to mingle in character and begin setting up the mystery with clues, arguments, gossip, that sort of thing.
• The guests witness the (1st) murder about 30 to 40 minutes into the mystery.
• Working around your meal plans, if any, the mystery continues to unfold with more dramatic action and more clues that will lead to the mystery's next murder or attempted murder.
  • For the team building version, your teams should work on their team project - which is designed to challenge their multi-tasking abilities among other things -  as they find time during the mystery.
  • We suggest that as the main course is being cleared, the teams should present their short team project.
• As you reach the conclusion, there is a suspect line up so the guests can ask the primary suspects any final questions they may have before they fill out their detective evidence record/solution sheet (which they receive with their programs).
  • For the team building version, each team of detectives will hand in only one solution sheet.
  • For the team building version, before the killer is revealed and after all the solution sheets are collected, each team presents their findings via their team speaker.
• The solution is dramatically revealed around the time dessert is served.
• Awards are presented and the mystery concludes.
  • For the team building version, we recommend you include a debriefing and team assessment discussion here (team assessment form included with purchase of our team mystery games.)

Pre-event prep time

Anything and everything that can be downloaded is included with this game. You can prep the mystery in an hour or two. You’ll need to print programs and other such documents, shop for small items (like a fake knife or other possible murder weapon) and organize the props (clues, etc.) and supplies but it’s all very simple to do.

In the mystery games where the suspects will know whodunit, we do recommend however that you give your primary suspects about 2 weeks to get familiar with the mystery and to prepare their character. It takes at least one read through to get everyone (the suspects) straight. We also recommend that you all watch our little murder mystery movie to get a "visual".  (By the way, that's your game designer, Susan Haley, lifting her skirts as Savannah Sugarbaker).   Set a time to get together, perhaps add some food and drink to the "rehearsal", and just TALK through the script. Don't have everyone read it word for word - it won't help anyone really understand what's happening and it's pretty boring. We've always found that if you all talk through the action/sequence as your character, it helps loosen things up, people start finding the humor in their character and they get a better understanding of the whole picture. It's informal and relaxed - two things you need to alleviate some of the actors' nervousness. More helpful hints.

Holiday Themed Mystery Games

Valentine's Day: The Mafia Murders, Murder at the Midnight Hour

St. Patrick's Day: A Deadly Incentive

Mardi Gras: The Dead Man's Chest

Halloween: Thirst For Blood

Christmas/December Holiday Theme: Diary Of A Burning Woman

New Year's Eve: Murder at the Midnight Hour

Other Ways To Order Our Murder Mystery Games

We recommend you order and instantly download your game via our secure shopping cart but here are other ways to order:

1. Call us. Toll free: 800-293-3302 (US and Canada); Local phone: 510-235-0118 (in California).
2. Order via fax.
3. Mail your order to: Haley Productions, 3401 Rheem Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 USA. Order form.

We’ll email your order if you place it via phone, fax or mail.

Nervous about downloading? Please know I'm here to help you; all you need to do is ask. Call or email me if you have any trouble along the way or if you have questions. There are NO dumb questions or if there are then I've already asked them. - Susan (game designer and owner)

Why don't we offer a shipping option?
Your time is worth money. Here are the cost-saving benefits of downloading your game:

If we offered your game on CD-ROM it would have the exact same game files you will download
(or that we'll email to you if you need us to).

• Downloading is absolutely free while shipping your game on CD has added shipping and handling costs plus sales tax.
• Downloading is fast - no waiting. Obviously shipping your game will take a few days to get to you.
• Downloading helps the environment by eliminating the need for plastic cases and CDs as well as eliminates the emissions made by the various vehicles it takes to deliver your game.
• Downloading and printing from your own computer saves you time: no driving to your local print shop, explaining what you want done, driving back to home, driving again to pick up the finished product or waiting around for the finished product.
• Printing on your own printer saves you money: Average cost per black and white page: 1 to 3 cents; average cost per color page: 5 to 7 cents. It costs an average of 5 to 8 cents for each black and white copy at a print shop and an average of 75 to 90 cents per color page. Paper runs about 2 cents a piece on average.

Please remember, we're here to help. If you have any trouble with your download, contact us. We'll email your game files and help in any way we can.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us before buying!

Software Programs You Need

If you have ANY trouble with ANYTHING, just email Haley Productions. We will help - promise!

1) WinZip or similar program for PC users or Unstuffit or similar program for Mac users. Your game documents will be contained in a .zip file (think of it as a container or folder). Winzip (or Unstuffit) opens that container so you can get to the game documents.

If you don't have zip software already installed on your computer, download free software here:

• FOR WINDOWS USERS, use the FREE ZipGenius - http://www.download.com/ZipGenius/3000-2250_4-10179818.html
• FOR MAC USERS, you should have compression utility software on the latest versions of your computer. If not try the FREE MacZip: http://download.cnet.com/MacZip/3000-2250_4-10025248.html?tag=mncol;2

2) Microsoft Word or similar word processing software (like Microsoft Works).

Don't have ANY word processing software on your computer? Try the free OpenOffice software. This is a free software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and more. It can also read and write files from other common office software packages (like Word).

3) Some games require the most current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you have ANY trouble opening ANYTHING, just email Haley Productions. We will help. Really, we will.

About the Mystery Game Designer

Susan Haley, is originally from Massachusetts where she started her company back in 1987. In 1993, she relocated to Northern California with her two very large Maine Coon cats, Sherlock and Watson. She still goes back to Cape Cod to visit her family but California has become her home, especially since May of 2001 when she married her husband Bill, a San Francisco Bay Area photographer (he photographed Susan here).  From the time she was a very young girl, Susan has always loved acting and creative writing. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and has a BA in Theater Arts with a minor in Business Communications from Salem State College in Salem, Mass., "where the witches are".  To Susan, there's nothing like doing a job about which you're absolutely passionate. Her passion these days?  Creating inspiring and creative do-it-yourself murder mystery games for fun and for team building, kids' games and scavenger hunts (also for fun and for team building). LinkedIn Profile

?? Nervous About Downloading Your Game ???
Please know I'm here to help you; all you need to do is ask. Call or email me if you have any trouble along the way or if you have questions. There are NO dumb questions or if there are then I've already asked them. - Susan (game designer and owner)

We accept:

We also accept money orders and checks by mail.  Other ways to order.

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