Five Things You Need for a Murder Mystery

The Game

• Of most importance for a murder mystery party is the game. You can purchase game sets from various retailers. The games often come with character profiles, plot scripts, clues, and dinner recipes. Every murder mystery set has some sort of theme that can revolve around everything from zombie thrillers to classic 1950s noir. Some sets even come with possible invitations to send to your friends, letting them know of the night's events and some information on the character you have chosen for them.

Costumes and Props

• While not extremely important, costumes and props can add a bit of realism and fun to the game. Since certain games have a theme that allows for costumes, certain players might find it easier to get in character if they are dressed for the part. In your invitations you should be mentioning what kind of dress the theme calls for and encourage your guests to dress for the parts. Props are also important as they can serve as clues for your guests.

The Right People

• When you are sending out your invitations make sure you are sending them out to people you think would actually enjoy the experience. People who would not like this type of party may end up ruining it for everyone else. This is also a very important step as you need to think about who will be playing what part. Your guests do not get to choose their character so you must think carefully about who best fits which character. Your game sets should have small character bios that will help in your decision.

Invitations

• Your invitations will set the mood for the night and will allow every guest to get ready. In specific, the invites will tell the guest what is going on and what their character is like. It should give a slight back story on how their character is related to the rest and any possible motive for murder. As many scenarios tend to be highly themed this will also let them know what is to be considered "proper dress" for the night.

Food

• Most game scenarios involve the characters meeting for dinner. Many games come with recipes for you to prepare. Try them out before you prepare them for your guests and adjust them according to your group's tastes. If you do not want to shoulder all of the burden, arrange for some guests to prepare some food to bring to the dinner.