New Year’s Eve
Midnight at Grouse Lodge
December 31, a mountain lodge cut off by snow
- 6 adult players
- about 2 hours of play
- PDF you print at home
- the host plays too
$27.90See the game
Valentine’s Day murder mystery game, 6 players, couples or friends
February 14, the townhouse of a matchmaking agency in Nantes, France
Hortense Brévannes, founder of the Maison Brévannes, has promised to read “dossier 14” at midnight, the only match she ever regretted. At 10:58 pm, the night watchman finds her at the foot of the iron staircase in the file room, the mezzanine railing gone. The dossier has vanished, and one of the six compatibility cards handed out tonight has been lying since day one. Who pushed Hortense?
- 6 adult players
- about 2 hours of play
- PDF you print at home
- the host plays too
$27.90paid once, instant PDF download, $4.65 per player
Buy and download, $27.90- 8:00pmThe former clients arrive. Hortense hands everyone a sealed envelope.
- 9:30pm“At midnight, I will read dossier 14, the only match I ever regretted.”
- 10:15pmHortense goes up to the file room on the third floor.
- 10:58pmThe watchman finds Hortense at the foot of the iron staircase. Dossier 14 is gone.
- 11:15pmSix guests, six cards, one that lies. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
Nantes, France, February 14, on the Île Feydeau. As every year, the Maison Brévannes, a matchmaking agency that works “by questionnaire,” opens its townhouse to its former clients: buffet, piano, a photo booth in the front hall and, at midnight, the envelope game. Hortense Brévannes, the founder, has matched hundreds of couples with her forty-question questionnaire. At 8 pm, she handed each of you six a sealed envelope: another guest’s compatibility card.
At 9:30 pm, Hortense raises her glass: “At midnight, I will read dossier 14, the only match I ever regretted.” At 10:15, she goes up to the file room on the third floor to prepare it.
At 10:58 pm, Anatole, the night watchman, finds her lifeless at the foot of the iron staircase: the mezzanine railing has given way. Dossier 14 is gone, and one of the six compatibility cards handed out tonight has been lying since day one. The police arrive at one in the morning, and nobody leaves before then. Six former clients, six good reasons to resent the woman who knew their most private answers.
The cast
Six roles, one victim. This is what each guest may know about the others before the party; the rest is in the booklets.
- Hortense Brévannesthe victim
- Cleo Vasseurplans other people’s weddings, loves schedules and seating charts
- Lenny Aubryhead pastry chef, made the dessert buffet and works in the pantry
- Noor Lefortthe voice of Radio Estuaire, tells listeners on air how the Brévannes questionnaire found a soulmate, Andy’s ex
- Andy Perrotvoices cartoon heroes and TV villains, Noor’s ex
- Jackie Lemairefamily law attorney, objects at every opportunity
- Mel Garnierflorist, supplied the evening’s roses, an incurable romantic
In this game
For the mood
Evening wear with a touch of red, a “Hello, my name is…” name tag, champagne or grape juice, a buffet of petits fours and heart-shaped desserts.
- Host guide13 pages
- Six character booklets36 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags36 pages
- To print85 pages
Plan on ten envelopes: six with the character names, four marked 1, 2, 3 and S. The cards are cut out with scissors.
Preview: the layout of the PDF pages, text hidden.
Six players, no more, no fewer
Who knows the killer?
- no : the host
- no : the other guests
- yes : the killer alone
Every role holds a piece of the story: without one of the six, the case cannot be played. You are one of the six, the host plays like everyone else.
A guest cancels?
If you find a replacement before the start, they take the open role. The host guide has you hand out the booklets on arrival, with fifteen minutes of reading. The six roles stay essential: the game does not work with five. Better to know that before you send the invitations.
No game master
Nobody runs the game from the outside. The host hands out roles without knowing which one is the killer’s, and the host guide does not say.
Clues arrive in envelopes at set times, and the solution waits in envelope S until the vote. Everyone learns the ending at the same moment.
How do you play a murder mystery at home?
Plan on a 15 to 30 minute welcome, then about two hours of play: the host guide times every step. Each act opens a clue envelope, and everyone reads, alone, the next part of their booklet.
- Rules and prologuethe host reads aloud
- Act 1introductions, first accusations
- Act 2searches, private talks, alliances
- Act 3last clues, closing pleas
- Votesecret ballots
- Revealenvelope S, confessions, points
In the host guide
- a ready-to-copy invitation
- an outfit idea for each role
- roles to hand out by each guest’s temperament
- the running order, act by act
More for the same night
More printable mysteries
1920s party
The Blue Parrot
Paris, Saturday, October 30, 1926, a speakeasy hidden behind a tea room
- 6 adult players
- about 2 hours of play
- PDF you print at home
- the host plays too
$27.90See the game
Pay and download
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Questions
A guest cancels: what now?
If you find a replacement before the start, they take the open role: the host guide has you hand out the booklets on arrival, with fifteen minutes of reading. The six roles stay essential, the game does not work with five.
Who plays which role?
The host guide describes the six roles and suggests an outfit for each. The names are unisex: every role works for any gender. Choose by your guests’ temperament: the guide does not say who the killer is.
How long does it take?
About two hours of play, plus arrival and dinner. The host guide times every step, from the opening to the reveal.
What do I print?
The host guide, the six character booklets, the clue cards, the solution, the ballots and the name tags. Letter or A4, black and white is fine. Plan on ten envelopes: six with the character names, four marked 1, 2, 3 and S.
How do I get the game?
The download links appear on screen right after payment. Nothing is shipped: you print at home.
How much is a game?
$27.90 for six players, $4.65 per player. Paid once, no subscription.
Is it for kids?
No. The games are written for adults: a murder, secrets, a few glasses of champagne.