How to Host a Successful Murder Mystery Night
Avoid the Pitfalls When Having a Fancy Dress Costume Party at Home
It’s a party and the point is for people to enjoy themselves, but if the game descends into chaos with some guests playing along and others opting out, it can lead to disappointment.
A well-organised event is more fun, not less, because people can derive enormous satisfaction from participating in the game and solving the crime.
How Much Alcohol to Serve at a Party
Too much drink in the early stages can cause the event to fall apart and so the host should be canny about alcohol. It is usual for guests to bring their own supply of drink, but the host can cleverly slow down the effects by serving delicious, but lower alcohol drinks. Cocktails such as Buck’s Fizz or Bellinis that go heavy on the soft drink mixer and light on the liquor are a great solution. Served ice cold in lovely glasses they will delight guests and distract them from hitting the hard drink they may have brought with them.
Food for a Murder Mystery Night
Serving the food early is another way to stop everyone getting too sloshed too soon, but it’s important not to serve a heavy meal or too much carbohydrate as it could make guests sleepy.
A light finger buffet that can be eaten standing up so guests can still mingle works best.
How Hosts Should Prepare for the Party
The host should not drink at all as running an event such as this requires a lot of concentration.
Unless they can find someone to take charge for them, the host should oversee proceedings and should know the plot inside out. Most games provide a character for the host which enables them to take part in the game while ensuring its smooth running.
Learning Whodunnit
Some murder mystery games are extremely complicated, and become increasingly so with the number of characters involved. The host should learn all of the back stories and parts, so they can nudge guests back on track if they feel that someone may be veering off track.
When the number of guests starts to top ten, 12, or 14, then there is a lot for a host to learn. However, the bigger the party, the more fun it can be and games which have parts for 20, 30 or 40 people can be enormously amusing because there are so many sub-plots.
Danielle, from Glasgow, overcame this problem with an ingenious solution. She explains: ‘I invited 40 people to my first murder mystery party and in the days leading up to it I was panicking trying to learn all the parts and remember the plot. It was like revising for exam.
‘So I decided to mindmap the entire game. It was amazing, on the night of the party I could remember all 40 characters’ back stories, how they all related to each other and everything they had to do. A year on, I can still remember the entire story!’
Hiring Waiting Staff or Caterers
Another good idea is to get some help. Hosts should hire waiting staff or enlist the help of a friend to help with the food and drinks and coats.
Whoever is helping should also have a character however, albeit a minor one, because this can add a great twist to proceedings.
Danielle says: ‘I had an elderly lady come to help me and I asked her to wear all black. When she arrived I gave her a white frilly apron, so she looked like a waitress. However, guests didn’t know that I had also given her a character. She played a small time hitman and so it was especially funny when she started bumping people off in the kitchen!’
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