The allure of a murder mystery party? It’s all about the drama. Guests get to dress up and pretend to be someone else in an alternate world for a few hours. The easiest way to organize a murder mystery is to hire someone who does it for a living. So we asked two such professionals how to go about using their services. Here’s how to host an unforgettable night with loved ones. While the company typically offers a “Ghost Ship Party,” where an in-character representative runs the party at your home, they also host online mysteries using the same concept. “Four of our five mysteries are available for online play: Murder in the West Wing (6 players), Mafia (7 players), Western (10 players), and That Show About Love (10 players),” says Zwickel. Ghost Ship Murder Mysteries has the host fill out a quick survey so they pick the cast appropriately for you. “Then we send out a character list and individual character secrets so guests can come (to the Zoom) in costume if they so choose, and the murderer can prepare their lies,” says Zwickel. As the host, make sure your cast members review their bios and the suspect list prior to the big event. “Some games will give the players tasks to contact each other in character before the game,” says Blossman. “This builds pre-game excitement.” If you try out the virtual Ghost Ship experience, participants will be accompanied by a Ghost Ship representative, who will serve as a minor character and guide the party. This allows the host to play along with everyone else. Depending on the virtual experience you’re using, you’ll have different steps to follow prior to accusing someone of being the murderer. But they ultimately involve discussing evidence-style information with other participants. For a My Mystery Party experience, every murder game has a forensic report to review and discuss prior to participants revealing who they think the murderer is. For a My Mystery Party, the host will have everyone write their answers on a piece of paper. “When the host says 3, 2, 1, they flash their answers on their screens,” says Blossman. “They do it all at once so they don’t get to change their answers.” Once the real murderer is revealed, stick around to rehash your experience with the other players—and maybe apologize for wrongfully accusing your sweet Aunt Martha of committing a brutal homicide. RELATED: 13 Genius Ideas for an Effortless Outdoor Party
