Setting up an appropriate mystery

by Luke

I'm looking at possible fund raising ideas for our local charity and thought that perhaps a Murder Mystery event would be a lot of fun. I've never done one before and really have very little idea about the various types and ways they can work.

What I'm wondering is how much effort it is to make one from scratch and where I might find the best information on doing so, or whether it would be a whole lot easier to simply purchase one. I guess ideally we would be looking at 20 plus guests, hopefully a whole load more, and I would like something fairly challenging for an adult audience. I don't think too many people would be up for so much 'acting' as such but I do have a few people in mind who would love that aspect. Can I have a plot/theme where the majority of the guests simply have to solve the case, and a small crew in amongst them as 'actors' for the mystery?

I'd like to do it myself as it's a potential fund raising event, spending out on an organiser may contradict that point, if indeed I could find one.

We're based in a Scottish country mansion type location if that helps with any potential advice you may have. Indeed any advice at all would be utterly fabulous!

My response:

It's far, far easier just to buy a game than to write one yourself. Writing can take many, many hours - and even then you may find that you've missed something. The games for sale have been tested before going on sale.

The kind of game you suggest is the kind of game that Mysteries on the Net do - click here for more information.

And here I've written a number of general tips for hosting murder mystery games.