Hosting a game for kids
In 2007 Freeform Games playtested one of their upcoming games - and they used a group of 12 to 16 year olds to test the game with.
This is the first game that Freeform Games have written specifically with kids in mind (their other games have been written for adults - and then a kid-friendly version has been developed later).
As a result of the playtest, here are a few things that they learned. If you already have kids, you are probably aware of all of this - but if you're not terribly familiar with kids but you know you have kids coming to your party, then this is hopefully of interest.
So here's a list of things to watch out for:
Lots of introductory blub: Some games (including the Freeform Games parties) provide a fair amount of pre-party information, including the invitation, a background newsletter and other things. Don't expect kids to read much more than the invite - and even then, not a lot of that.
A longer introduction may be needed: As a result of kids not wanting to read anything beforehand, you may need a longer introduction. So you may have to take longer to set the scene and go through any rules. That, however, is balanced by the next point.
A shorter running time: If Freeform Games's experience is anything to go by, an all-kid group will blast through plots and secrets and will probably finish in a much shorter time than you might otherwise have expected.
Shyness: Kids can be shy (I know I was) and don't like looking like idiots in front of their peers. So you may find that the first part of a game is filled with answering personal queries privately.
Four years makes a lot of difference: You may find that some older teens are too self-conscious to get fully into the game - while 12 year olds throw themselves into it and quickly get completely immersed. There's also a big difference between a 12 year old and a 16 year old, and they may not mix very well together. (That means that birthday parties might be the best place to run a murder mystery game as all the kids are likely to be more or less the same age.)
Friends: Where possible, cast real-life friends as friends in game.
(For my own part, my daughter Megan was born in 2006, so I have a few years before I can get her playing murder mystery games. I imagine I will have more experience - and more tips! - then.)
Click here for more information about murder mystery games for kids.
Click here for more information about Freeform Games.
This article may be re-published as long as the following paragraph is included at the end of article and as long as you link to the URL:
Article by Steve Hatherley. Find out more about hosting interactive murder mystery games for your friends and family at http://www.great-murder-mystery-games.com.