14 Murder Mystery Games for a Whodunnit Dinner Party
Was your childhood filled with memories of finding out who killed Colonel Mustard with a candlestick in the billiard room? If the answer is yes, then you’ve probably dreamed of hosting a murdery mystery dinner party, which is basically your own real-life version of Clue with costumes, mystery, and characters (but sans the real-life murder).
To host a murder mystery at home, you can start with a game that you’ll either find online or buy as a box, then it’s time to get creative. Jeannine Rose, founder of entertaining blog Sweet Humble Home, recommends making the dinner party an immersive experience. “Incorporate all of the sounds, scents, and experiences of a murder mystery setting. Try ambient lighting, spooky sounds, creaking floorboards, lit candles, and fog,” says Rose.
She also recommends serving a menu that corresponds with your murder mystery game. Rose explains, “If the theme of your murder mystery takes place on a cruise ship, serve seafood. If your theme is set during prohibition, focus on the Sidecar, a cocktail that was hugely popular at speakeasies during prohibition.”
Ready to start planning your murder mystery persona? Here are 14 murder mystery games to get your imagination going.
Free Murder Mystery Games
1. Way Out West
There’s something about old saloons that make them the quintessential setting for a drama to unfold, including your murder mystery dinner party. This Wild West game has everyone from the city slicker to the ranch hand, and it’s free for up to 10 people to play.
2. Jazz Age Jeopardy
Who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up in 1920s fashion, particularly when it’s combined with solving a murder? This free online murder mystery game is set in a Jazz Age jazz club with bootleggers, entertainers, and artists all in attendance.
3. Murder, She Wrote
If you’re surrounded by enthusiastic Angela Lansbury fans, then download this free printable that allows you each to follow along with an episode of the show while trying to solve the murder. All you’ll need is a Peacock Premium subscription to watch.
4. Case of the Unfortunate Acrobat
An 1885 circus goes all wrong in this free murder mystery download. A trapeze artist falls to her death midair — but was it an accident? You’ll get access to letters, witness statements, and more as you try to find out what really happened under the big top.