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 Night Before I Do, a wedding murder mystery for 6
A farmhouse in Provence, Friday night, the eve of Anaïs and Théo’s wedding, a thunderstorm and a seating chart
Odile Vasseur, the wedding planner, is having dinner with the six of you at a farmhouse in Provence, the night before the wedding. At 8:51 pm, the storm knocks out the power. At 9:18 pm, Odile is found dead in the barn that was set up for the reception. The road is washed out until dawn, the police will not arrive before 6 am, 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- 7:30pmDrinks in the farmhouse living room, the storm moving in.
- 8:35pmThe lamb is served at Odile’s table.
- 8:43pmOdile leaves the table to check on the reception barn.
- 8:51pmA power cut plunges the farmhouse into darkness.
- 9:18pmOdile is found dead in the barn.
- 10:10pmSix guests, six secrets. Your move.
The prologue
The opening of the text the host reads aloud. The rest is in the game.
The night before Anaïs and Théo’s wedding, you arrive at the Mas des Quatre-Vents, a farmhouse in the Luberon, for the last dinner before the big day. A long table in the vaulted dining room, seven chairs, and at the head, Odile Vasseur, the wedding planner: “A good seating chart is a small investigation: you put everyone where they have something to learn.”
The storm breaks during cocktails. At 8:43 pm, Odile slips out to check the tarp on the barn where tomorrow night’s reception will be held: “I’ll be back for dessert.” At 8:51 pm, lightning cuts the power. The whole farmhouse goes pitch black.
At 9:18 pm, she is found in the barn. Dead. The road is washed out until 6 am, nobody leaves the farmhouse, and one of you knows what happened.
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.
- Odile Vasseurthe victim
- Maé Fontainethe bride’s witness and childhood best friend
- Shannon Delormethe groom’s witness and childhood friend, keeper of the gift fund
- Ange Rivièrethe bride’s youngest sibling, the life of the party
- Kim Valettethe groom’s parent, the one paying for the wedding
- Rory Brandtthe DJ and emcee of the reception
- Loan Mercierthe caterer for the dinner and the wedding
In this game
For the mood
Dressy outfits, a white tablecloth, candles and a seating chart; a dinner menu, rosé, crickets and a thunderstorm rumbling outside.
- Host guide13 pages
- Six character booklets60 pages
- Clues, solution, ballots and name tags32 pages
- To print105 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.