Birthday Party

by Colin Green
(Memphis, Tennessee )

I want to have a murder mystery party for my wife’s 31st birthday.

I’m brand new at this and looking for a place to start.

Ideally, I would want her and the guest to all be in on the suprise, but after reading, I’m not sure that is a possibility. I’m open to all different themes and ideas and how to do this.

My response:

I think it's very hard for everyone to be in on the surprise for a murder mystery party.

That may be okay for the turn-based boxed games (the "How to Host a Murder" series), as they require very little preparation in advance.

But for the murder mystery games on this site, generally you want your guests to know what's happening - for several reasons.

First, it helps with costuming. Many people enjoy dressing up for a murder mystery party.

Second, some games have character sheets that need to be read first. This can take 15-20 minutes, so there's an advantage in sending them out in advance.

Third, anticipation is part of the fun!

Fourth, some guests might not enjoy a murder mystery game. (That's hard for me to believe, but it's true.) They might want to chat with their friends rather than play a game. It's worth getting buy-in first.

I hope that helps - and I hope your wife's birthday is a success, whatever you choose to do.

Click here for my suggested approach to choosing a murder mystery game.