Happy Birthday RJ is an interactive murder mystery party game by Freeform Games for 12 to 16 people, including the co-ordinator.

Set in the world of the oil soap operas (along the lines of the Dallas and Dynasty television shows), Happy Birthday RJ concerns RJ Harrington’s 30^th birthday and coming-of-age party. It’s a world of glamour – of big money, big hair and big shoulder pads. And with the dysfunctional Harrington family and their scheming friends and neighbours, it’s a birthday party that anyone is unlikely to forget.

Luckily for everyone, the local deputy sheriff is also attending the party (he’s a close friend of Bobby Harrington, RJ’s brother). That’s just as well, as Happy Birthday RJ includes a horse theft, a murder before the game and a murder during the game! And that doesn’t include anything that the players might want to get up to!

The full cast of Happy Birthday RJ includes:

• RJ Harrington: the birthday boy himself
• Dixie Green: RJ’s long-time girlfriend
• Jack Harrington: RJ’s father and oil tycoon
• Crystal Harrington: Jack’s wife
• Bobby Harrington: RJ’s half-brother
• Lucille Harrington: RJ’s half-sister
• Ali Fields: a lawyer
• Billy Joe Butler: the neighbour
• Sue Helen Butler: Billy Joe’s wife
• Sam Bond: a family friend
• Rick Harper: an old school friend
• Deedee Taylor: Dixie’s best friend
• Dolly Douglas: close friend of Lucille
• Drew Morrison: the town doctor
• Randy Coltrane: the deputy sheriff
• Plus the person organising the evening.

Like other interactive murder mystery games, the final outcome of Happy Birthday RJ is up to the players themselves. They each have their own character with their own desires and objectives – and it’s up to them to interact with the other guests and try to achieve their goals (not everyone will succeed, of course!).

Happy Birthday RJ suits a buffet meal or finger food (rather than a sit-down meal) so that everyone can talk quietly with each other.  Of course, you’ll need a birthday cake!

Like Death on the Gambia and other interactive murder mystery games, the person hosting Happy Birthday RJ must print everything out and "run" the game. They’ll know who the murderer is, so they won’t be able to participate in the same way as their guest. (Instead they will be able to enjoy watching their guests scheming and double-crossing each other as they try to achieve their goals.)

Happy Birthday RJ is available from Freeform Games and costs £20.

For more information, click here to download the free introductory pdf file which includes more details - including background, a full cast list, invitations and how to pay. (The file is 95KB, so may take a few moments to download.)

You will be taken to the Freeform Games LLP website - just follow the instructions to purchase Happy Birthday RJ. You will then be emailed the location of the main Happy Birthday RJ pdf files and password (to unlock it) almost immediately. Just download the game, print it out and have a great murder mystery!

By the way, if you don't want to buy the game over the Internet, the introductory pdf file provides details of paying by post.