murder mystery dinner party?

Question

I want to host a murder mystery dinner party for 8 to 10 people. Any suggestions on which are the best kits and/ or themes?

Answer 1

The BEST kit is the
How To Host A Murder series
They have a lot of choices depending on what style you want to do, great suggestions, menus and everything you need in the kit.
I've got three of them and they are always a huge hit!
They sell them in the toy section on Amazon. com, and here are a couple of other sites where you can read summaries of each game.
One tip though: the first time you do one, make sure you DON'T include yourself as one of the characters. It's better if you run the game and manage the food, etc. your first time. We did the one that is set in an English Manor, so I dressed up as a French Maid and my date came as the butler to help me.
The other tip I have to be sure you stress to your guests that if they say they will come that they don't flake out on you. IT WON'T WORK with less than 8 people (also a good reason not to assign yourself a character at first, as you may have to fill in for someone who doesn't show up!)!
You will have a great time! Good luck!
P.S. you get GREAT pictures if you encourage everyone to dress up like the part you assign them!

Answer 2

In game stores you can purchase "host a murder mystery party" it includes all you need for the game. It also includes food suggestions. I have done them a couple of times. If you have the right mix of friends who will really get into it. It is alot of fun. Good luck,

Answer 3

had the pleasure to attend a murder mystery dinner party several weeks ago hosted at the home of friends. My only previous experience with murder mystery theater was in a large restaurant where actors played all the parts and diners tried to solve the mystery. The problem was that it was impossible to hear much of the dialogue, let alone many of the clues, amidst the restaurant confusion. I can say, without any hesitation, that I enjoyed the "home" variety much better.

The Kit

The way most murder mystery dinners usually work is that the host of the party purchases a kit. The kit includes a story about a murder that occurs either during the course of the dinner or before the party even begins. There are a specific number of characters in the story to match the size of your group, with background information, costume instructions and a package of clues for each one.

The more outrageously your guests dress up, the greater the potential for an entertaining evening.

Also included in the kit may be invitations to the party, a guide to running the mystery (with party tips) for the host, and even prizes for the person who guesses the murderer. You must insist that your guests RSVP for this party, since all characters must be played. You wouldn't want the murderer to be a "no show."

Murder mystery kits can be purchased "off-the-shelf" or custom designed for your group. Since our dinner was held on Cinco de Mayo, our hosts selected a plot that was set at a Mexican resort hotel. The characters in this story could be played with enough quirkiness to be amusing with parts such as a bar dancer, gardener, bartender and assorted wait staff. The murder of the hotel owner had taken place prior to the party so our mission was to share information in order to deduce which of us was the murderer. The menu consisted of Mexican food and drinks, with lots of sangria, margaritas, tequila and Corona.

Visit this list (link below) of online resources to select a murder mystery for your next dinner party.

The Activities

When you send out your invitations to the party, you will include the character description, costume suggestions and background for the story to your guests. Over the course of the evening everyone will receive additional clues to their own character and the murder which they will need to reveal to the rest of the guests. With some kits the host knows who the murderer is. In others, such as the one we played, no one knows a thing until it is revealed during the dinner.

At our party we received the clues in between each course and spent about fifteen minutes per scene revealing the necessary information to one another with each person attempting to act in character. I would estimate that the typical murder mystery could be completed within 2 1/2 hours, although if you linger over cocktails and appetizers or dessert and coffee the night can go on as long as you wish.

The Keys to a Successful Murder Mystery

Our group knows one another well enough that any deviation from normal character was potentially amusing. Several members of the group went full tilt with their costumes and really got into their parts. Costumes were not difficult or expensive, drawing on everyday items to complete our ensembles. I think we all agreed that it was a fun evening, and a different experience.

In order for a dinner party like this to be successful, your guests need to be willing to be "on stage" a bit. Anyone who is shy in front of groups might feel that participating is difficult, especially if you're hosting it for a large group. I think our comfort with one another may have also assisted the quieter members of the group in feeling relaxed enough to play a part.

Planning the Menu and Decorations

I recommend basing the number of courses for your meal on the number of scenes in your murder mystery.

You'll have that information when you receive your kit. That way the mystery can be played out in between each of your courses as we did, and discussed while you eat each course. However, some of these kits are designed for cocktail parties and the guests are expected to walk around and interact throughout the evening. You'll need to see what the specific requirements are for your kit when you purchase it. If you have a definite idea of how you would like your dinner to run, I recommend asking around to find the mystery that suits your plan.

Many of these plots take place in a specific country or time period. That makes decorating and menu planning for the dinner fairly simple if you stick to the theme. For example, some of the plots I've seen are set in Paris, the Old West and Rome.

Answer 4

Well I dont know the exact name for it, but you should look it up on the internet, but the funnest ones are the ones where you actually have to think, and you have to read stuff off papers and stuff.
The best theme would be something old hollywoodish, and nothing too scary.

Answer 5

I catered for one of those once....it was fun....wish I could remember the brand of the game, but the menu called for veal scallopini, chicken marsala, and pasta...was set in the 20's gangster style

Answer 6

try searching around on internet or party stores

Answer 7

Try "www.dinnerandamurder.com". Sounds like great fun!

Answer 8

Do a dragon theme, very scary! lol (love of lasgana) NO KIDDING!
i love hindi...fBB

Answer 9

I sure don't know, but that sounds like a blast!

Answer 10

i love them, i have friends that have them every few months, but im sry i have no idea where you can get them, teehee