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
The Blue Parrot, a 1920s speakeasy murder mystery for 6
Paris, Saturday, October 30, 1926, a speakeasy hidden behind a tea room
Mado Lerouge, the owner of the Blue Parrot, has promised an announcement at half past midnight: what she has done for you. At 12:28, Billie finds her in her dressing room, skull split. The bolts have been drawn since the Raid Drill, the police arrive at three, and one of you six swung the blow.
- 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- 9:30pmThe six guests arrive one by one through the wardrobe door.
- 11:00pmThe sale of the club is signed.
- 12:14amThe Raid Drill: the bell, the bolts, a single lamp.
- 12:28amBillie finds Mado in her dressing room.
- 12:30amSix guests, six secrets. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
Saturday, October 30, 1926, Paris. Behind the tea room “Le Thé des Dames,” a creaking Norman wardrobe opens onto the Blue Parrot, a hidden speakeasy. It is the last night: Mado Lerouge, forty-nine, owner and singer, has locked out every customer. She invited only the six of you.
At 12:14 am, as every Saturday, the bell of the Raid Drill rang, the weekly fake police alert. Bolts drawn, curtains shut, everyone into the tea room, one lamp on the counter. Tonight Mado ordered the bolts to stay drawn until half past midnight, so she could tell you what she has done for you.
At 12:28, Billie went to fetch her. Mado is in her dressing room, her skull split. Inspector Bouchard, her old friend, arrives at three. He wants a name. Otherwise, everyone goes down to the station for running an illegal club.
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.
- Mado Lerougethe victim
- Billie DelmasMado’s understudy, dreams of top billing
- Jesse CallowayAmerican bartender who arrived in April, a revolver at the belt
- Sidney PradelMado’s partner since 1921, keeps the books
- Frankie Vancethe club pianist since 1922
- Merle Hartwellthe American buyer of the club
- Marion Aubrysociety columnist at the “Courrier de Paris”
In this game
For the mood
Pearls, suspenders, a headband or a newsboy cap; six cocktails on the menu, with or without alcohol; jazz and a single lamp.
- Host guide10 pages
- Six character booklets60 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags30 pages
- To print100 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
Halloween
The Golden Pumpkin
October 31, a pumpkin festival in a village in Brittany, France, and its straw maze
- 6 adult players
- about 2 hours of play
- PDF you print at home
- the host plays too
$27.90See the game
Pay and download
Card payment, secured by Stripe. The download links appear as soon as payment is complete.
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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.