Mistakes People Make When They Do a Boxed Murder Mystery Game

Several companies offer murder mystery parties designed for about a dozen people. Some of them expand to larger events, but for the purposes of this post, we will focus on parties of about a dozen people.

Some of these parties are available online, and you can print out the information or email it to guests. Other companies send you a box that, in addition to the instructions, may include invitations and other ideas to enhance the event.

But occasionally, something goes wrong and it is usually because it is the first time the host or hostess has attempted to put on such an event.

So let’s say that you have finally talked your friends into joining you in a murder mystery game that comes in a box or that you downloaded online. Congratulations! You already made your first mistake.

You invited people who had to be “talked into it.” You want people to attend your event who are excited about it and can’t wait to do it. It is better to have enthusiastic people who want to participate instead of having to drag your friends to the event who feel they are doing it as an obligation.

In creating your guest list, remember the people at your event do not have to know each other. (I actually prefer to have a stranger or two at these events because it gives the party better energy.) So, for example, instead of just making it a party for your neighbors, invite a live wire from work or your sister-in-law who is a hoot. The best parties are full of live wires or extroverts who like to have a great time, not people who were dragged to the event because they are related to you or live next door. Chances are, if somebody is quiet and shy in real life, they will not change for your event.
You didn’t give yourself and your guests enough time to prepare for the event. This is supposed to be fun, not a chore. And nothing ruins the fun of an event faster than the host running around like a chicken with her head cut off because she didn’t give herself enough time. The longer you have to prepare your home (if that is where the event will be held), the better.

Although this is not always possible, you should send out “save the date” notices about six weeks before the event. Casting the event (deciding who will play which part) should be done three prior to the event.

Another reason to have plenty of lead time to prepare for the murder mystery event is that most of these parties are costumed events. You want to give your guests the maximum amount of time to prepare (especially if you are doing a Roaring 20s party or something similar that might involve store-bought rental outfits). You don’t want to add stress to your guests by not giving them enough time to shop (You might also include where the best local costume shops are located in the invitation.)
You didn’t emphasize in the invitation – and at the event – that cell phones during the event are for emergencies only. Remember, you are asking people to be “in character.” That means you are asking them to leave their real identities outside. If somebody is on their phone, they are not in character, and that will reduce the interaction among guests.
You took on the emcee role simply because you are the host. Just because you are hosting the event, you do not have to be the emcee who gives clues and runs the mystery. After all, you must also handle hosting the event, putting out horsdouvres, etc. Anybody who is playing a character can also be the emcee (even a character who might be the killer.) Choose one of your friends who is extroverted and has a great sense of humor.
You didn’t have a Plan B if a major character’s car didn’t start. Add two characters of your own (one male and one female) and make them sidekicks to major characters. For example, most of these parties have a detective or policeman investigating the crime. Create a Watson for Sherlock Holmes. Watson can get all the information he needs from Sherlock at the party, so you don’t have to create a lot of information to give him in advance. Tell these sidekicks weeks before the event that they are your safety net – let them know that you may need them to play a different role if a major character does not show up.
You picked a date without checking the sports calendar. If it is on a Saturday night during the fall, make sure you check the college football schedule – many of those games are played on Saturday nights. The NFL plays on Saturdays during the playoffs so make sure you don’t conflict with a big game. (Don’t just check your favorite team’s schedule; check all the game schedules. One of your guests may be a big fan of a different team.) You also want to make sure baseball playoffs or important hockey games are not scheduled.
You tried to do everything yourself. Engage one of your friends to be a co-host and have her help you plan the event. Not only will it reduce your stress by reducing the amount of work you have to do, but two people working on a project together can bounce ideas off each other to create a better event. The co-host can also bounce ideas off of you about casting the event.
You didn’t tell guests they should come dressed as their character. As silly as this seems, sometimes people think they can just show up in street clothes. Yes, some people will grumble about putting on a “costume.”But from years of experience doing murder mystery parties, I know that costume events are more fun than regular parties. If they don’t want to dress up, they will not be good participants in the event anyway, so you should choose somebody else.
You forgot about the music, or you chose the wrong music. The right music can make the event. If you are doing a Roaring 20s party, you must have Roaring 20s music. If the event’s theme doesn’t lend itself to something specific like Roaring 20s music, choose music that can be played in the background throughout the event. You want music that is upbeat and fun, whatever it is.
You didn’t turn off the television set. If you followed my earlier advice and did not plan the event for a big sports event, then there should be no need for television. The whole reason for having a murder mystery party is to have fun and get people to converse with each other. That is where the magic comes from in murder mystery parties – the guests are the entertainment! Don’t distract them by having the television on.
Your technology was not set up and ready to go. Some mystery games use more technology than others. Some mystery parties can be done on Zoom, and some can give out the clues via phone. If that is the case for your event, make sure you have double-checked the technology and that it is ready to go.
You didn’t have a printout of everybody’s information. It is almost inevitable that somebody will forget the information that was sent to them in advance. They left it at the house by mistake, the dog ate it, whatever. You should have a complete set of everything that the company gave you to distribute to guests in case they did not take the information to the event.

While it may seem like there are a lot of pitfalls after going over this list, in reality, murder mystery parties rarely fail to be an enjoyable evening. Remember the game of make-believe we all played as children? Nobody gave us lines to recite – we just made it up as we went along.

That’s why more people are doing murder mystery events – they get people off their phones and away from the television and give them a fun reason to interact with others. So don’t be afraid to jump out there and have a murder mystery party! Trust me, it will be a blast!

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