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Our best advice: Remember that the mystery will never be perfect. Ever. But that's not the point. The point is to simply have fun, whether you're a suspect or a detective.

If you go into this with the idea that you're going to have a GREAT time with each other as prime suspects in a murder mystery, then your guests won't want to miss out on all the fun you're having - they'll naturally want to be a part of it. Think about how much fun Carol Burnett and her gang always had with each other (if you are old enough to know who she is of course). Besides being genuinely funny and clearly enjoying themselves, they made each other laugh. Their audience couldn't help but be pulled into those skits.

Go for the comedy and silliness, back track if you leave out some important piece of evidence and do not say "no" to your guests.

If they want to frisk you, let them.

If they want to follow you to the bathroom, don't stop them.

If they want to present their theory to the crowd, let them and hold your scene until they're finished.

If they want to sit back and watch, don't force them to do anything they don't want to do.

Here are 2 other crowd pleasers (and great photo opportunities): Have your victims dramatically die in a guest's lap. And have your "grieving" suspects throw themselves into a guests arms for comfort. Break down those barriers!

This is your winning combination. Many people may not solve the mystery but they'll have so much fun trying. Watch our little movie to get a nice visual.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN CHECK YOUR SCRIPT AT ANY TIME - SIMPLY LEAVE THE ROOM, FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE AND RETURN TO DO THE SCENE.

- FAQS -

Q. We want to adapt the mystery so no one knows whodunit. Is that easy to do?

A. If you don't want your prime suspects to know whodunit you can add a narrator to your game. Have the narrator read the script as if telling a story. Your suspects will need to act out what he or she says. You'll give them their characters descriptions ahead of time but not the script itself. Some of our games already offer this option* and we're slowly updating all the games so they'll have both a "Know It All Version" and a "Narrator Version". *Diary of a Burning Woman, Next Of Kin, Murder on Maui and Murder at The Midnight Hour.

Q. You say your mysteries are best suited for groups of up to 125. Why aren't they suitable for a group of say, 200?

A. The more people you factor into solving the mystery (that's their "mission"), the louder and more chaotic it becomes. It's much harder for the prime suspects (your cast) to work the room, interact and answer questions, it's harder to get this number of people to focus. Because the idea is to move the action all around the room to draw active participation rather than just performing on a stage with a scripted mystery, more things like clues and motives are missed - there's just no way that many people can see and hear everything they need to to effectively solve the mystery and have fun. And due to the interactive and spontaneous nature of the mystery, the primary suspects can't use body microphones. I know, I've tried more times than I care to mention. Bottom line, based on my many years of experience (since 1983), the audience doesn't have as much fun as I want them too or as much fun as they would have had if they were in a smaller group. It's a lot easier for 100 guests to actively participate and solve a mystery than it is for 200. Add to that your primary suspects probably don't have any improv and acting experience (or very little) and to make them act, improvise and work a crowd of 200 is just too hard on them.

Q. How do you get the crowd to listen to you for the important parts?

A. A microphone (preferably hand held wireless) is essential for cavernous rooms or for crowds larger than 50 or 60.  Don't speak until they quiet down - this works amazingly well. Announce as best you can that you have something to say then wait. You'll find that folks will start "shushing" each other. Don’t hesitate to tell them "this is my moment" - especially if you're the killer trying to confess. Ask them if they want to hear why you committed the crime then wait for them to quiet down before you speak. It's that old trick with comedy: wait until after the laugh to deliver your next line. The guidelines we include with the script includes specific suggestions and ideas.

Q. How much should the actors (primary suspects) stay in the room?

A. The primary suspects, when they don't have a specific action to carry out, should be mingling with the guests and answering their questions.  They should be also directing folks to witness a scripted action and they should help in quieting the crowd down. The characters should definitely leave the room before a murder and they should leave the room when they've lost their place in the script and need to regroup. You can set up specific group meetings for that very purpose if you want.  For example, after the first murder and summation of motives or just when your guests are served the hot portion of their meal are good mini break times.  Again, the guidelines we include with the script includes specific suggestions and ideas.

Q. Should the mystery run while people are eating?

A. We ran our shows that way ALL THE TIME and we had very few complaints from our guests about not being able to enjoy their meal.  Again, I would take a mini break during the main course so they can indeed enjoy their food while it's hot but otherwise, they'll happily eat their salad/first course and dessert in between or during their sleuthing. 

If you have a question you don't see answered here or on our web site, please don't hesitate to contact us.

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