How to Host a Murder Mystery Party On A Budget
Throwing a murder mystery party can be an exciting way to spend an evening with friends or family, but with any party, it can be challenging to keep things low-cost and under budget. At Foulplay Games, we've hosted murder mystery games at a variety of price points, and we’re here to tell you that you can host a great party regardless of your budget. In this post, we'll explore some tips and tricks to help you plan and execute an entertaining and affordable murder mystery party for your guests.
1. Host Your Murder Mystery Party Virtually
One of the biggest expenses associated with hosting a murder mystery party is purchasing all the decorations, food, and drink for an in-person party. Fortunately, with the increasing availability of virtual and online platforms, hosting a murder mystery party online can save you money in decor, food, and printing costs. All of our murder mystery games can be hosted on platforms like zoom, discord, gather, and more, and include instructions how-to and files formatted for easy digital hosting.
2. DIY Decorations:
Decorations can add charm and character to the party, but they can also really start to add up. Instead of purchasing expensive and new decor, try creating your decorations with inexpensive materials, borrowing from friends, family, or neighbors, or repurposing existing things. You can also check out thrift stores for unique decor items that you can reuse! For example, you can use black tablecloths for many different party themes, inexpensive glassware or serving trays from the thrift store to reuse,or consider purchasing streamers, balloons, and other inexpensive items. This can give your party the vibe you're looking for without hitting your wallet too hard.
3. Keep Your Guest List Small
The size of your guest list will also affect your overall budget. Limiting your guest list can help ease the financial burden of hosting a murder mystery party and many murder mystery parties are priced by size. Keeping your party intimate not only saves you money, but it also makes the game more engaging for everyone involved. Our smaller games start at 25 dollars and our largest games top out at 40 dollars. Whether you host a smaller game or a larger one, you can maximize your value by having suspects double up!
4. BYOB (and food!)
Food and drink can get expensive and as the host, you shouldn’t have to front all of the costs. A great way to reduce costs is to make the party a BYOB (bring your bottle) event. This will save you money on buying drinks, and it's also a fun way to try a wide range of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You can even ask folks to bring snacks and drinks that their characters might bring.
5. Use What You Have
Hosting a murder mystery party does not have to be a costly event. You can even use items that you already have at home to create the right atmosphere. For example, we’ve used painters tape to create a body outline complete with a crime scene, sheets to cover lights and couches, playing cards and poker chips to set up a casino, and made plenty of makeshift bars for a central place to gather. Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration on this.
Hosting a murder mystery party on a budget can be a lot of fun. With a little creativity and some smart shopping, you can throw an amazing party without breaking the bank. By following these tips, you are sure to create an immersive experience that your guests will never forget!
