Murder mystery party game you can print: how to host one at home
Published 2 October 2026
A murder mystery party is a game in which every guest plays a character, and one of those characters is the culprit. The guests ask questions, share what they know and, at the end, accuse someone. You need a host who stays out of the playing, a printer and an evening.
How an evening works
- Invite the guests. Send a printed or written invitation. Tell them the setting and, if you like, what to wear.
- Hand out the characters. Each guest gets a character booklet: background, secret and goal, and what to say, ask and share in each round. The culprit's role is sealed so nobody knows.
- Play four rounds. In each round guests talk, ask questions and share what the booklet allows. Clue cards come out between the rounds.
- Accuse. Each guest fills in an accusation sheet.
- Reveal. The host reads the solution and the culprit's confession, and gives out the awards.
How to prepare as host
- Count your guests first. Games for 6 to 12 players mean you choose the pack by the size of your group, not the other way round.
- Print everything in one go and sort the booklets by number, the clue cards by round.
- Plan the dinner break. The adult games run about two and a half hours, and the Christmas one includes a break for dinner.
- Do not play a character yourself. The host runs the clock, reads the clue cards and answers questions.
- Check the culprit's role card is sealed before you hand out the roles.
Four games, four settings
Christmas murder mystery game for 6 to 12 players: Wrenmoor Hall: a Christmas Eve mystery for 6 to 12 guests. Hartley Wrenmoor is dead in the Clock Room, the snow has closed the road, and one of the guests did it. About 2.5 hours with a dinner break.
New Year's Eve murder mystery game for 6 to 12 players: Starlight Ballroom: a New Year's Eve mystery for 6 to 12 guests, set in the Starlight Ballroom, with the owner dead five minutes before midnight.
1920s murder mystery game for 6 to 12 players: the Gilded Flamingo: a 1927 jazz club mystery for 6 to 12 guests. It works any time of year as a speakeasy party, a birthday or a dinner.
Kids detective party game for ages 8 to 12: The Case of the Vanished Birthday Cake: a detective game for ages 8 to 12 and 6 to 10 players, with a timed run of about 75 minutes. Nothing scary: there is no crime and no villain, and a prize cake has vanished from a locked cake room at the village fair.
What is in the adult games
- a host guide with a timed run of the evening;
- invitations with blank lines and 12 name tags;
- 12 character booklets with background, secret, goal and what to say, ask and share in each of 4 rounds;
- clue cards sorted by round, plus a map, a receipt and other papers to pass round;
- guest lists and accusation sheets printed for 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 players;
- 12 sealed role cards;
- the solution, a reveal script and the culprit's confession, plus 12 award cards.
Each mystery has exactly one answer, and the clues were checked at every group size from 6 to 12 players: one guest fits all the evidence, every round rules someone out, and nothing contradicts. The adult games are PG-13, with no gore, and drinks are welcome. Guests 11 and 12 are optional extras you can leave out.
Each game is a zip of PDF files (33 for the adult games, US Letter) that you download after paying and print at home; on A4, choose "fit to page". Nothing is posted. They are for your own household, so please do not share or resell them.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do I need for a murder mystery party?
The adult games are written for 6 to 12 players, and the kids game for 6 to 10.
Do guests need to know the game?
No. Each guest reads their own booklet, and the host guide explains the rounds.
How long does it take?
The adult games run about 2.5 hours, and the Christmas game includes a dinner break. The kids game runs about 75 minutes.
Can children play the adult games?
They are written as PG-13. For children aged 8 to 12 there is a separate detective game.