Midnight at Grouse Lodge, a New Year’s Eve murder mystery for 6
December 31, a mountain lodge cut off by snow
Augustin Valcourbe, the king of supermarket raclette, has promised two announcements after midnight. He drains his family glass on the last stroke of twelve and collapses twelve minutes later. The road is closed, the phones are dead. One of you six poured the poison.
- 6 adult players
- about 2 hours of play
- PDF you print at home
- the host plays too
$27.90paid once, instant PDF download
Buy and download, $27.90- 6:30pmAugustin hands everyone animal-head slippers.
- 8:00pmRaclette. “At midnight, two announcements.”
- 11:45pmHe fetches his amber crystal glass from the study.
- 12:00amHe drains it in one go.
- 12:12amHe collapses in his armchair.
- 12:30amSix guests, six secrets. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
On December 31, late in the afternoon, you arrive at Grouse Lodge, high above the village of Combe-Noire. Augustin Valcourbe, sixty-four, founder of Valcourbe Cheese, the king of supermarket raclette, is waiting for you, pleased with himself as always.
At 7:30 pm, the radio announced that snow had closed the road and that no help would come up before morning. The phones had no signal.
At 8 pm, raclette. Augustin raised his glass: “At midnight, I will make two announcements that will change some of your lives.”
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.
- Augustin Valcourbethe victim
- Camille ValcourbeAugustin’s only family, runs a plant-based fondue bar in town
- Alex Martorethead of finance at Valcourbe Cheese for fifteen years
- Sacha Pélissierchef hired for the night, once ran the village restaurant
- Dominique RivelleAugustin’s doctor for twenty years, vague about the “cures”
- Charlie Brévalfood critic and social media star
- Morgan Taillefermountain guide who looks after the lodge all year
In this game
For the mood
Animal slippers, raclette or fondue, a yule log for act 3.
- 1host guideset-up, rules and running order; it does not say who did it
- 6character bookletsone per player, read act by act, never ahead
- 3clue envelopesone per act, opened when the host guide says so
- 1solutionslipped unread into envelope S
- 6ballots and name tagsfor the final vote and to know who is who
Prints on Letter or A4, black and white is fine. You need ten envelopes: six with the character names, four marked 1, 2, 3 and S.
How do you play a murder mystery at home?
Plan on two hours of play after drinks. The host reads the rules and the prologue, then the evening runs in three acts. 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
Pay and download
Card payment, secured by Stripe. The download links appear as soon as payment is complete.
The payment form did not load. Reload the page; if nothing changes, write to us.
Questions
How many players?
Six, no more, no fewer: every role matters to the case. All six roles work for any gender; the names are unisex.
How long does it take?
About two hours of play, plus arrival and dinner. The host guide gives the length of each act.
What do I print?
The host guide, the six booklets, the clue cards, the solution, the ballots and the name tags. Letter or A4, black and white is fine.
When do I get the game?
Right after payment: the download links appear on screen.
How much is a game?
$27.90, paid once, no subscription.
Is it for kids?
No. The games are written for adults: a murder, secrets, a few glasses of champagne.