Hemlock Parlor · Writing your own

How to write a murder mystery party

Start from the solution and work backward: pick the victim, the culprit and the moment of the crime, then give every guest a motive and write clues that each rule some suspects out. Check that all the clues together leave exactly one person.

Seven steps

1. Pick a setting and a cast sizeA place your guests can dress for, and exactly as many suspects as guests. Six is the easiest to write.
2. Choose the victim, the culprit and the momentFix the time of the crime to the minute. Everything else hangs on it.
3. Give everyone a motive and a secretEvery suspect needs a reason to hide something, or the murderer stands out.
4. Write what each character sawThree facts per sheet for Round 1. Some should point at other guests.
5. Write the clues as a filterEach clue rules out some suspects. Make sure no two clues on their own leave just one.
6. Check the logicList every suspect and cross them off clue by clue. Exactly one must be left, and no clue may contradict a sheet.
7. Write the solutionOne line per clue explaining what it rules out, plus why each red herring was innocent.

The step most homemade games skip

Checking the logic. A clue that accidentally clears the murderer, or a sheet that contradicts a clue card, ruins the reveal. Write every suspect in a grid and test each clue against it. We do this with a program for every mystery we publish, but a pencil grid works for six suspects.

How long it takes

Writing a fair game for six usually takes several evenings. If the party is this weekend, print one that is already checked.

Questions

Keep reading

• The free 6-player mystery
• Murder mystery party clues
• Murder mystery party script
• How does a murder mystery party work?