A host's guide
How to host a Christmas murder mystery party
Friends around your table, snow in the story and a killer among the guests. Here is the whole evening, from the invitations to the accusation before dessert.
Every guest gets a character, a secret and lines to say, on their own phone. Plays on phones · printable too
First
Pick the night and the table
- Guests
- 6 to 14, you included. You host, and you play a suspect too.
- Time
- About two hours of play, around three with dinner.
- When
- It is set on Christmas Eve, so it plays best from late November to New Year.
- Who
- Adults, and safe for teens.
It suits a Christmas party, an office party, a family gathering or New Year's Eve.
Before the party
Give every guest a suspect to play
Before the party, every guest gets an invitation by link. It names the character they will play and what that character wears, so nobody arrives wondering what to do.
- Victor HaleThe partnerWears: Dark suit, festive tie.
- Helena WinterbourneThe wifeWears: Red family sweater with pearls. It is still a party.
- Dr. Ivy FrostThe doctorWears: Smart and practical, with a doctor's bag you never put down.
Six characters carry the story; the other 8 join a larger table. Meet the whole cast.
Dress code. Festive. The Winterbourne family wears red Christmas sweaters.
The afternoon before
Getting ready
Prefer paper? The printable kit is included. About an hour and a half to get ready: for six guests, printing included.
Do I need a printer?
No. The whole evening plays on your guests' phones, and you run it from a tablet or your own phone. Prefer paper? The complete printable kit is included.
What do we need on the night?
A phone for every guest and an internet connection at the table. Each guest opens their own link in the phone's browser. A tablet is handy for the host; a phone does the job too.
Do I need to be good at acting?
No. Every guest's phone tells them what to say and what to ask in each round, so even a shy guest always has a line ready.
Can the host play?
Yes. The host plays one of the six and reads Inspector Garland's lines from the host page. The solution is sealed, so the host guesses along with everyone else.
What if a guest cancels on the day?
Six characters carry the story and the others can be left out one by one. If one of the six cancels, another guest steps into the role, or you read that character's written statement aloud. The evening goes ahead either way.
Is it right for teens?
Yes. It is written for adults and plays well with teens: the one death happens off stage, and nothing graphic is shown or described.
A Christmas Eve murder mystery for 6 to 14 guests
The Last Toast at Hollybrook Lodge
At midnight he was going to open the red box. Before midnight, someone made sure he never would.
Edmund Winterbourne, head of Winterbourne Toys, gathers family and friends at his mountain lodge on Christmas Eve. The snow closes the road. By 9:40 he is dead in his study, and everyone who could have done it is still holding a glass in your living room.