Read This Before Purchasing a Murder Mystery Kit

Browsing through Etsy or a Google search, the options can feel overwhelming. There are so many offerings and modalities to weigh before you decide to pull the trigger on a murder mystery kit. I’ve put together a list of considerations and my advice (as a murder mystery party host six years running) for you to think through before clicking purchase on your cart.

Your Goals and Resources

 If you’re looking to have a few friends over, crack open a few drinks, and dive into some puzzles together, you may find that a murder mystery game best suits your needs. You can purchase these in stores and online — they may include a game board, like Clue, or other materials and puzzles similar to an escape room game. These games stipulate no advance planning and are perfect for a less involved hosting experience. They may be for smaller groups, around 1-10 players.

For a murder mystery game option, check out the "Office Retreat" party game from Lamplit Mysteries, linked below.

If your goal is to create a party atmosphere with costumes, characters sent in advance, food/dinner being served, or more otherwise elaborate plans, you’re likely looking for a murder mystery party kit. These are typically created for larger groups, around 8-20+ guests, and may need more space and preparations than a murder mystery game would require.

Lamplit Mysteries offers two party packs for you to choose from, "1990s Cult" and "1920s Circus," both linked below.

Difficulty and Age

Consider how many people you'd like to invite and what level of difficulty your attendees would enjoy. Party packs or mystery games will also specify if they are for an adults-only or child-friendly crowd.

If it’s your first party, you could consider starting at Easy or Medium, depending on the amount of strategy you think your guests would prefer. Once you’ve gotten a good handle on your hosting and the abilities of your friends, you could level up to a Hard or Expert difficulty. Each company or author may qualify difficulties differently. At Lamplit Mysteries, for example, “Medium” difficulty means that even once all the clues have been discovered and puzzles have been solved, guests must employ logic to narrow down to the correct murderer. In addition, the clues are puzzles that may not be immediately obvious what information they reveal.

Number of Characters/Size

Typically, murder mystery party packs will range from 8-20+ characters. A murder mystery game will usually service a smaller group. Often, there will be a few “primary” characters that are particularly suspicious or have a lot of insight to provide other guests, and the rest of the characters will be smaller or even optional characters. The Lamplit Mysteries stories aim to give each character information that is helpful to the mystery, so no one feels like their character is negligible to the mystery (think, "no small parts, only small actors" ;) ).

What’s Included

Different murder mystery party packs will include helpful items, such as a preparation guide, host materials, food and drink ideas, and decoration suggestions. Lamplit Mysteries materials include detailed host documents to guide you through each step of the planning process, including understanding the mystery background itself so you can assist your guests on the night of, if needed.

A game kit likely won't include such detailed host materials, but would have provided puzzles and/or clues, character descriptions, and game instructions to help you along.

Does the Host Play?

For some murder mystery party packs, it’s suggested that the host not play a character. In this case you, the host, would know the solution to the mystery and could offer hints, act as a guide for the evening, and be available to answer “out of character” questions for guests. This is typically only recommended for murder mystery party packs (not the game kits as mentioned above) that are especially intricate and/or challenging. I personally prefer to host mysteries that are more rigorous and/or elaborate, so I opt to host without playing a character myself so I can provide assistance when necessary.

Is It AI Generated?

Some murder mystery party packs that you find on Etsy or online may be AI generated or have AI generated elements to them. Whether or not this is a deal breaker for you is a personal decision, but it may impact the playability, thoughtfulness, and creativity of mystery and other materials.

Theme

Once you’ve gotten a good idea of the items above, you can get to my favorite part - choosing the theme. A given listing will often include the general theme and time period the mystery takes place in and may have a written description of the setting background as well. Some themes may cater to a classier environment and dress code, while others would lean more towards costumes and over-the-top fun. Pick something you’re excited about!

If you would like to purchase a Lamplit Mysteries party pack and don’t see a theme you're looking for, feel free to reach out and offer a suggestion. My inbox is always open!

Now you’ve thought through each element of your murder mystery evening and can purchase a party or game kit. When you get to planning, feel free to check out my Murder Mystery Party Planning Timeline blog post for my advice.

Thanks for reading!

Anna <33