How to Host a Holiday Murder Mystery Party
Looking for a fun party idea to spice up this holiday season? Whether you are extending your bubble or are staying home for the holidays, you can still plan an exciting party that everyone will love!
We have been hosting murder mystery parties for over 15 years, including several holiday parties that our friends still talk about to this day! We want you to have the same experience and delight your friends and family with a party they won’t forget! But don’t take just our word for it!
“I had an absolutely wonderful time!!! Getting into character was easy and I had a blast!” -Trish
“The party went over really well, and my friends and I all agreed we'll definitely be playing one of your games again!” -Laurel
“This was so fun!! The story line was interesting and everyone had a great time. It was so organized and made it so easy to host with checklists, time guides, etc. everyone loved how in depth the characters were and the story. Couldn’t recommend it enough!” -Alyssa
So, how can you host a great murder mystery holiday party? It’s simple! Just follow these easy steps:
1. The first step to any successful party is to pick your game, of course! We have several Holiday themed games to choose from! Don’t feel you need to pick this one though. Sometimes it can be fun to shake things up with a space western or even a carnival during the holidays!
Keep in mind what theme your players will appreciate and check the player counts. We recommend choosing a game where you feel you can invite close to the maximum number of players. Our games range from 6 - 10 players, 7 - 15 players, and 15 - 24 Players.
When you are ready, purchase your game!
Once you have your game picked out, you can start preparing to host an incredible party! Our host guide covers everything you need to know, including how to assign characters, tips and tricks for game play, and how to make sure your party runs smoothly so you and your players can have fun!
2. One of the easiest ways to invite your players is to create an RSVP form, either through Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, and other event apps. You can find an example form from us here.
One of your main roles as host is to assign your players their characters for the game.
There are a few ways to do this:
Assign characters at random using your player’s preferred gender pronouns
Ask players to send you their top 3 character choices
Once you have everyone's information, you can begin assigning! You will know your players the best, so go with your gut on whose personality you think will shine through in their roles! Make sure you assign the Major characters first, then Minor characters, then Extra Characters.
Once you have assigned characters, send invites to your players along with their Character Profiles!
3. Playing online? You’ll need to pick your platform! We have three that we recommend: Gather, Zoom, and Discord. Your host guide contains a step-by-step set up guide for each platform!
Gather. Gather is a fun, interactive platform that is basically an online multiplayer game meets conferencing software. Players create their own little 8-bit character avatar, then can move around the map using WASD or the arrow keys, making it very intuitive for gamers! Video chat is based on proximity, so it feels very similar to a real life party where you can walk up to a group and then begin chatting. You can use our pre-made templates or create your own for a customized game experience!
Zoom. The free version allows you to have as many people as you want but limits the meeting to 40 minutes. You can work around this to build game breaks at the 40 minute increments and have people join back after they have a quick bathroom or snack break. If you have a pro Zoom account, you can host unlimited meetings with no time limit. Zoom also has a breakout room feature but only the host can control who moves where. To get around this, you can make everyone a co-host before you set up the party and then each guest should be able to move freely between the breakout rooms on their own. You can also select the option to let people move between breakout rooms. If you use Zoom, be sure to set a password and use the waiting room feature to only allow your players to attend!
Discord. Many gamers are likely familiar with Discord. It is a free program where you can get up multiple channels and have places to play games with various groups or people. You can create channels for separate rooms so players can move from private area to private area, or all gather up in one location. The private chat features also make it easy to share materials with players!
4. Next you will want to organize your materials. Whether playing in person or online, you’ll want to set aside time to make sure you have everything you need. We include checklists in each game for playing in person or online so you can go down the list and make sure you have everything ready!
Be sure to allow yourself enough time to print items and set them up if playing in person. If playing online, you can get everything downloaded and organized into folders so you can send things off to people as soon as the party gets started!
5. Finally, play your game! Yep, it’s that easy! One of the best parts of our games is you can play as the host. That’s right, you too can join in the merriment of deception and murder instead of frantically wondering if the players are having fun--you can play right along with them and know for sure they are having a great time!
If hosting in person, you can have other players arrive early to help you set up for your party. See our Pinterest for ideas on costumes, decorations, food, and other tips to give your party that extra fun touch! Playing online? Encourage players to still dress up and decorate their background, or find fun backgrounds they can use for the theme!
Another tip: while playing, it’s a good idea to keep the run of the show on you to make sure things are moving along. But don’t worry if things aren’t progressing exactly the way they should be--that’s all part of the fun! You may hit a marker sooner than you think, or players will go on their own tangents after they feel they’ve accomplished their goals. People will make the game their own, and that’s okay!
Bonus: Our games make it easy to have built in breaks and natural places where you can include some other holiday games and festivities for your players! Have people play in character while hosting a White Elephant, or play a fun holiday-themed “Name That Tune” with thematic music!
Let us know if you play a game for the holidays and send us your photos!
Need help? Get in touch with us at foulplaycompany@gmail.com!
