You’re invited to the holiday party of the year! Betty Crosby, wife of famous football star Joseph Crosby, is hosting her annual Christmas Party fundraiser in her home. This year’s theme is Winter Wonderland, and celebrities and society’s elite are vying for an invitation.
Betty’s parties are marked with her “Big Reveal” of her Christmas Tree. Select photographers capture her big moment each year as the doors to the “Christmas Room” swing open and there stands Betty, clad in a designer dress and tiara, placing the star atop the giant tree. This year though, when the doors swing open, the guests find Betty has been murdered!
Who killed her? Why? How? Question the suspects and find the killer, all while giving back this holiday season as you host The Winter Wonderland Murder!
So You’re Attending a Mystery Party…
Mystery parties are a lot of fun. If you have been invited to a mystery for the first time, you’re in for a real treat.
How to play a murder mystery game at a party
There has been a murder or a theft! (*gasp*!) But we all know that – that’s the reason we’re getting together, after all. The suspects, anywhere between 6 and 18, will quickly make themselves known. Perhaps you’re a suspect yourself, but you may just be an ‘investigator’ or ‘sleuth’, questioning the suspects, gathering intel and piecing together the puzzle in order to correctly cast your accusation at the end.
If you’re merely attending as an investigator, this sleuthing is the extent of your role. In preparation for the big event we recommend screening old episodes of Murder She Wrote and Agatha Christie movies. Plan out some questions in advance, like ‘where were you at the time of the murder?’ ‘can anyone verify your whereabouts?’ or ‘did you have anything against the deceased?’. From there as you ask the suspects questions, their answers will lead you to more questions. Regardless of your current experience or comfort level, you will quickly find yourself cross-interrogating suspects to identify holes in their stories.
What Are Angel Ratings?
Are you playing a suspect?
If you are attending the party as a suspect, your role is slightly more complicated – but not by much. Either before the party or as you arrive you’ll receive an information booklet, either printed or via a .PDF file on email.
This guide will tell you about your character and motives, instructions for how to play and more. All the information you will need at the party will be in your guide.
As the party begins you will be questioned by others. You will answer these questions based on the information in your guide. Feel free to bring your guide to the party to refer to. You don’t have to memorize your information – unless you want to, of course! While answering questions you will also be interrogating others.
Guess what! If you’re the killer, you won’t know it. There are a number of reasons for this that are explained further in your guide. Trust us, it’s waaaaaaay better this way.
Regardless of whether you are playing a suspect or attending a mystery party as a sleuth or investigator, you’re going to have a fantastic time, and you’ll be talking about this event for years to come. Just remember to relax and enjoy it! Have fun!
What Do I Wear?
Your host will decide the overall theme of the party if it is costume casual. If your party theme requires a costume of some kind, we have many pinterest boards here with some great ideas for you!
We RARELY specify that a character uses a specific style of dress to make things as easy as possible for you to dress within your comfort level and budget. You may find a vague reference to perhaps your character is known for the cane he uses to get around, or your character loved hats and always wore a different one, but these are few and far between and even then, very generic. We find this makes it easier for you, as a guest, to find a costume no matter where in the world you live, even if it’s from your own closet, and gives you the freedom to be as creative (or uncreative!) as you like!
The host of the annual Winter Wonderland fundraiser, Betty Crosby was a rich socialite who, while vain and self-absorbed, did try to do some good and give back to the community with her yearly fundraiser in her home. Wife of a famous football star, Joseph Crosby, Betty was fashionable and loved being part of society’s elite. She especially loved opening up their home to show off the custom features and designs that she, herself, had overseen. In her tiara and designer dress, Betty was ready for her “Big Reveal” moment, when the doors to the Christmas Room would be opened and her guests and the media would see her atop a ladder, placing the star on the top of the giant Christmas tree. Instead, when the doors opened, the guests found her dead on the tree skirt.
