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
Last Pin Standing, a birthday murder mystery party for 6
A stormy Saturday night, a neighborhood bowling alley booked for a birthday
Rudy Kowalski, owner of the Comet Bowl, has booked two lanes for Max’s birthday and promised a speech where “some of you will cry laughing, some of you won’t.” At 9:41, the pinsetter on lane 8 jams and Rudy goes around the back to fix it. He never shows up for the cake. One of you six killed him, and the machines logged everything.
- 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- 7:30pmRudy closes the Comet Bowl to the public. The party starts.
- 9:30pm“Cake at 10 sharp. Speech. Bring tissues.”
- 9:41pmThe pinsetter on lane 8 jams. Rudy goes around the back.
- 10:13pmVal comes running back, shouting: Rudy is dead.
- 10:30pmSix guests, one machine that logs everything. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
A Saturday night at the Comet Bowl, the neighborhood bowling alley in Bellerive: a comet-shaped neon sign, starry carpet, the smell of fries and lane oil. Rudy Kowalski, the owner and a former regional champion, closed to the public at 7:30 and booked lanes 7 and 8 for the birthday of Max, captain of the Thursday league team. Rental shoes, balls with your names on them, presents stacked on the shoe counter.
At 9:30, Rudy texts the group: “Cake at 10 sharp. Speech. Bring tissues: some of you will cry laughing. Some of you won’t.” At 9:41, the pinsetter on lane 8 jams. Rudy goes around the back to fix it, like he does ten times a night.
At 10, Rudy does not show up for the cake. At 10:13, Val comes running back from behind the lanes, shouting: Rudy is dead behind lane 8, under the pinsetter’s sweep bar. The storm has flooded the roads, and the police won’t get there before 12:30. One of you six killed Rudy Kowalski.
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.
- Rudy Kowalskithe victim
- Max Lambertthe birthday star tonight, Thursday team captain, paper crown always crooked
- Lee Fontainethe league’s sweetheart, surprise winner of the Montvallon tournament
- Val Morenothe Comet Bowl mechanic, talks to the machines and calls them by name
- Pat DelaunayRudy’s ex, part owner of the alley, hates rental shoes
- Ariel Merciertreasurer of the Thursday league, knows the rulebook by heart
- Nicky FerraroMax’s childhood friend, threw the party and baked the cake
In this game
For the mood
Bowling shirts, a gold paper crown for Max, fries, a cake with a bowling-pin candle.
- Host guide10 pages
- Six character booklets36 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags44 pages
- To print90 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.