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 Last Mask, a masquerade murder mystery for 6
Saint-Verdier, France, Saturday, October 18, 2025, an old opera house reopened for one night, lit only by candles
Étienne Sauvage, the critic everyone fears, has promised to name the Raven at midnight: the anonymous letter writer who got the theater shut down. At 12:02 am, he collapses on stage. At 11 pm, in the Blackout, six masks changed faces. The doors stay locked until 8 am, and 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, $4.65 per player
Buy and download, $27.90- 9:00pmThe masks are drawn and signed for in the register.
- 11:00pmThe Blackout: ninety seconds, and the Swap.
- 11:40pmThe spotlight check: the critic on stage, ten minutes.
- 12:02amÉtienne Sauvage collapses at the Unmasking.
- 12:30amSix masks, six secrets. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
Saturday, October 18, 2025, Saint-Verdier, France. The Mirabel, an old opera house closed for ten years, reopens tomorrow. Tonight is the Ball of Seven: seven guests, seven masks, candles everywhere, and doors that the insurance timer locks from 9:30 pm to 8 am.
At 9 pm, each guest drew a mask from a velvet bag. At 11 pm came the Blackout: ninety seconds of total darkness, and the Swap, an old Mirabel tradition. Whatever changes hands in the Blackout stays in the Blackout until the Unmasking.
At midnight, Étienne Sauvage was to deliver his verdict and name the Raven, the anonymous letter writer of 2015. He stood up on stage, said “The Raven is in this room...”, and collapsed. Lambert, the fire safety guard, tied the bag of masks shut. He wants a name before 8 am.
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.
- Étienne Sauvagethe victim
- Toni Delormeran the Mirabel until 2015, master of ceremonies for the Ball
- Louison Orselpatron of the arts whose foundation paid for the restoration
- Jody Vireuxthe Mirabel star, back on stage tomorrow night
- Maël Garrechead stagehand for thirty years, keeper of the keys
- Sandy Sorelyoung critic, Étienne Sauvage’s godchild
- Elie Marchalmade all seven masks of the Ball by hand
In this game
For the mood
A mask and dark evening wear; candles or flameless tea lights; a glass of port or grape juice; a waltz playing in the background.
- Host guide12 pages
- Six character booklets48 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags36 pages
- To print96 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.