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 Golden Pumpkin, a Halloween murder mystery for 6
October 31, a pumpkin festival in a village in Brittany, France, and its straw maze
Hervé Le Gall, mayor of Kerbelec, has promised an announcement at 11 pm that the village will never forget. At 10:43, a dull thud comes through the speakers of the village hall. Fifteen minutes later, the committee finds him dead at the heart of the straw maze. Only the six of you knew the gate code.
- 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- 6:30pmHervé Le Gall, mayor and druid, opens the 31st Pumpkin Festival.
- 10:25pm“At 11, an announcement Kerbelec will never forget.”
- 10:35pmHe leaves to light the lanterns, the Golden Pumpkin under his arm.
- 10:43pmA dull thud through the speakers in the hall.
- 10:58pmThe committee finds him dead at the heart of the maze.
- 11:30pmSix costumes, six secrets. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
On October 31, in Kerbelec, a small village in Brittany, France, it is the 31st Pumpkin Festival: pumpkin soup, the giant pumpkin weigh-off, a costume contest and, behind the village hall, a maze of straw bales. Hervé Le Gall, sixty-six, mayor for twenty years, runs it dressed as a druid, as he does every year.
At 10:25 pm, on stage: “At 10:40, I light the lanterns in the clearing. At 11, the Golden Pumpkin at the center of the maze, and an announcement Kerbelec will never forget.” The maze is closed to the public: only the six members of the festival committee have the gate code.
At 10:58 pm, the committee finds him face down in the straw, the Golden Pumpkin beside him. A tree has come down across the road: the police will not get there before dawn. Until then, you stay together, in the village hall.
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.
- Hervé Le Gallthe victim
- Sam Prigentthe scarecrow, grows Gargantua, a 908-pound giant pumpkin
- Gwenn Kerjeanthe vampire, deputy mayor, presents the contest
- Joss Le Flochthe skeleton, festival DJ, rents out the sound system
- Céleste Le Bozecthe witch, runs the café on the church square and the festival bar
- Yannick Cadoretthe werewolf, lends the field for the maze
- Aël Guillouthe mummy, reporter for the local paper
In this game
For the mood
Halloween costumes, pumpkin soup, hard or sweet cider, candles in carved pumpkins.
- Host guide9 pages
- Six character booklets48 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags34 pages
- To print91 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
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
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.