Murder mystery games have been around for decades, gaining
popularity in the 1970s and 80s. What started as simple parlor games played
amongst friends has evolved into fully interactive experiences. Some of the
earliest commercially produced murder... moreMurder mystery games have been around for decades, gaining
popularity in the 1970s and 80s. What started as simple parlor games played
amongst friends has evolved into fully interactive experiences. Some of the
earliest commercially produced murder mystery games came in kits containing
character profiles, clues, and scripts. Players would take on roles, follow the
provided narrative, and try to deduce "whodunnit" over the course of
the evening. These kits helped popularize the genre and introduced murder
mystery parties to a wider audience.
How Murder Mystery Games Work
In a typical modern murder mystery game, 6-12 guests are each assigned a
character from the story. Character profiles provide backgrounds, motives, and
secrets to help players get into their roles. At the start of the game, one
player is secretly designated as the murderer while the others are either
suspects or witnesses. As the night unfolds, clues are discovered and
suspicions arise as characters inter less