Read the included Host Guide with detailed instructions on how to play. It also includes the character information for your chosen game.

Provide your guests with their character name and description in advance. This helps encourage players to dress up and arrive ready to play!

Welcome your guests and give each person their character booklet as they arrive. They should not open them until directed by you. It can be nice to let guests arrive and mingle before officially starting the game. Each character packet includes a brief description of the character and information that they can read and share while mingling, as well as secret information for their eyes only. 

Each guest should also pick a “Who Did It Slip” and be informed that they should keep it secret. This slip tells each guest whether or not they are the murderer. If they are not the murderer, it also includes a number, which denotes the order in which guests should read their final statements. NOTE: Each character booklet has an “innocent” and “guilty” version for every character. If a guest chooses a “who did it slips” that reveals them as innocent, they should read the innocent answers each round. If they are the murderer, they should read the “guilty” answers each round. 

Start by playing or reading the Introduction Narration provided with your materials. 

Next, have each character read the “INTRODUCE YOURSELF AT THE START OF THE GAME” section in their character packet. 

When you are ready to officially start the game, it is played in three Acts. For each of the three acts you will follow these steps in order:

Reveal the Evidence: Listen to the narration of the evidence or read it aloud from the “Evidence Booklet” for the Act you are starting. If you are starting the game, then you would start with the narration of the Act One; Evidence.

Questioning: Once everyone has listened to the Detective and heard the evidence for that act, it’s time for each guest to ask another guest one question from the “Question Menu” for the current Act. Choose one person to start with a question, then when the answer has been revealed it’s time to pass the question sheet to another guest to ask a new question from the menu. If a particular character is missing from the cast, there is no need to ask their question from the menu. This round of questioning should continue until all present characters have been asked and answered a question.

Once all questions from the Question Menu for the Act have been asked and answered it’s time to either pause again or continue to the next act.

Now it’s time to end the game and reveal the murderer. Follow the steps below.

Accusations: Each guest should make their own accusation as to who they think the murderer is. It’s fun to include reasoning as to why they think that character is the murderer, but this is optional.

Final Statements: Each guest should look at their “Who Did It Slip” to review the number in which they are assigned to read their final statement. Then in order of lowest to highest (starting with 1) guests should read their final statements section in the character booklet. Any guest that has a number 1-19 should read the “Innocent” statement. The person who has the “Murderer” slip should read THE MURDERER statement LAST.

Who Wins? The winner(s) are those who guess the murderer correctly!