(Flexible) Halloween Costume Party Mystery

by Mandy
(USA)

Great site! I have never attended or hosted a murder mystery, but I am planning to host a Halloween party and would like to do an interactive mystery game as entertainment and to encourage guests to mingle.

I have looked at the theme party section and reviewed a few of the games, but I wondered if there are any that might be more flexible with characters. For example, I'd like for people to come dressed in a costume of their choosing and encourage creativity, but somehow incorporate those into the game rather than assigning roles before the party. I'm estimating 25-40 people.

Would it be possible to alter characters/objectives/storylines according to what costumes people choose? Without being too stressful for the host? ;)

Any suggestions are much appreciated! Thank you.

My response:

Thanks for your query. I have to say that my initial reaction to altering characters/objectives or storylines is that it would be a lot of stress - particularly for so many characters.

I don't think any of the games are that flexible with characters. That's mainly because it's tough enough writing a murder mystery game, without making it even more complicated by providing that kind of flexibility.

Although it's for only 22 guests, you might want to look at Halloween Lies. I mention it because while everyone attends in fancy dress, the game itself isn't affected by what the players wear. So they can wear what they like and still enjoy the game.

(And if you need it for more people, there's a couple of extra characters at the Freeform Games site and I know that a 10 player expansion is in the pipeline, but I'm not sure when it's due.)

Click here to learn more about Halloween Lies.