Featured Murder Mystery Party: A Murder Mystery Birthday Party to Remember
Over a decade ago, our co-founder Maddy hosted her first murder mystery party for her 18th birthday, so we love it when other folks decide to host their own murder mystery birthday parties! New and seasoned hosts alike always tell us how much fun they had with their friends and that they want to do it again for another birthday!
First-time Foulplayer, Sarah, hosted her first murder mystery party for her birthday recently. Sarah chose our space western murder mystery game, WANDERSTAR, and we were awestruck by the creativity and fun she brought to her party. Check out our interview with Sarah below for tips and tricks on how to host your own murder mystery birthday party!
Why did you decide to host a murder mystery party? Was it your first time? Why did you decide to use Foulplay Games?
When planning my birthday party, I wanted to try something new! I was really excited to participate and host a game that everyone could take part in. I'd never done a murder mystery party before, so when researching different games online, I came across Foulplay Games on TikTok. I really enjoyed their video explaining the differences between the types of murder mystery games, and loved their super creative party themes! The WANDERSTAR game was perfect for us - a super creative and fun theme with just the right amount of people.
How did the game go overall?
It went really well! At first I was nervous about the logistics of the game --planning the timing of the murder, presenting all of the evidence, and explaining the game in a way that made sense. But my guests were just as excited about the game as I was and made the whole party go off without a hitch!
It is totally understandable for first-time hosts to get a little nervous before their first game! To tell you the truth, we still get nervous sometimes before hosting murder mystery parties, and we’ve hosted A LOT--so we understand how hosts are feeling! A great group of supportive friends really helps take away some of the pre-party jitters, and we make sure our games include everything you need to guide you in hosting a successful murder mystery game for the first time!
Were there any extra touches you added or fun memories or stories to share?
I ended up making custom posters with logos for the Lone Rock Port and Doublestar Cantina that showcased different characters and added to the decor of our party. They were a hit with our guests too--everyone wanted to find the poster that mentioned their character! It was a super fun way to build up the atmosphere and immerse all the participants into the game.
The wanted posters were so clever--we would love to do similar for our hosted WANDERSTAR games at comic conventions. We also loved the fun costumes and the perfect mix of space and western themes to really capture the setting!
Any suggestions, recommendations, or tips for folks wanting to host their own murder mystery game?
Don't be nervous! Each of your participants agreed to be at the murder mystery party because they're excited and think it will be fun--even if they are a bit shy. In the end, don't overthink the planning of the game too much; it will be fun no matter what!
As mentioned above, we have hosted WANDERSTAR dozens of times, and we were completely blown away by the ideas from Sarah’s party. We love learning and being inspired by the creativity of our Foulplayers! Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your wonderful murder mystery party with our Foulplay community and Happy Birthday!
