Murder Mystery Games

We've just won Small Business Sunday!

2012-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

We can't believe it here at the office! How stunning is this! Many thanks to @theopaphitis for picking us this week!

Sherlock Herring

2012-01-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

For those who don't always follow what we're up to on twitter and facebook - this week has seen the spawning of Sherlock Herring - Red Herring Game's mascot. He really is the logo made live and he is getting up to all sorts of antics daily.

This week we've been filming for our next You-Tube release and as well as getting all involved in that (as he has a cameo appearance in one scene in order to run a "Spot the fish" competetion) he's also been buying tickets for the theatre, attending book group, buying lunch and generally making his presence known.

You can find him on facebook at facebook.com/SherlockHerring
On twitter at @RHGSherlock
and you'll eventually catch him on You Tube too!

This is a sample of his weeks activities:

First up - getting his eyebrows threaded in advance of his first You Tube premiere. The girl assured him the redness would die down. Somehow we didn't think so.

Next up he decided to buy the tickets for Caxton theatre - we're all off to see "The Last Five Years" in February. Sherlock has been invited by one of the cast, and we've been told he'll get a special wave.

Then it was preparations for the film shoot.

After that - he bought us all lunch in Greggs and managed to cause quite a stir - no one believed that a fish was in the store at first!

Then he popped along to book group on Thursday night. And when we posted this on twitter on friday - #bookfish began to trend... not sure if that had anything to do with Sherlock's photo, but the coincidence is fishy.

I wonder what he'll get up to next week?

Win a bag full of murder mystery goodies!

2012-01-05T05:38:00.001-08:00

2012 sees us setting up a series of competitions. This month it's the turn of the:

" New Year Party Photo" competition.

I'm sure you've all got some cracking photos from your New Year Murder Mystery Celebrations and so this is a "share to win" competition.

The competition rules are simple - post your best murder mystery photo on our facebook page and ask your friends to "like it". We'll take the "likes" as votes and whoever has the most likes by the end of the month will win a prize pack of murder mystery goodies delivered free of charge directly to their door!

Check out our facebook page opposite and post your photo today!

The first person to post a photo will get a chocolate bar through their door!

Our latest You Tube Release! - Multi-room games explained

2011-12-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

RED HERRING GAMES MOVIE PREMIERE!

2011-12-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

We're very excited about our first ever you tube release and have been tweeting, facebooking and generally making a nuisance of ourselves in the social media sphere as we're so thrilled with the first one!

There are more videos to follow covering the basics like how to download games, how to put printed packs together and how to run murder mystery parties - but for the first one we thought we'd showcase the events side of our business.

The video is from our 007 murder mystery - the Quantum of Malice - for those of you who already follow us on Facebook you'll have seen the stills. But the video tells the complete picture!

Take a look:

5 quick tips for dinner party success!

2011-11-26T04:23:00.001-08:00

1) Plan your meal around your crockery!

This is a MUST and so few books tell you about this simple tip! Most of us don’t have 36 dinner plates, so if you’re entertaining 12 friends you can’t produce a three course meal which requires the same serving dishes!

Whenever I sit down to plan a meal I always think about serving plates. The dinner plates are immediately in use for the main course, which leaves bowls and side plates. So… if I decide to use the side plates for the first course, that means dessert must need bowls. If I decide to use soup as a first course, then the dessert must be able to be served on side plates.

Another quick and easy tip is to buy 12 glass tumblers to supplement your crockery. This gives you one extra option for serving courses – as you can do prawn cocktail in glass tumblers just as easily as individual trifles.

2) Plan your meal around your cooker!

You can’t serve a meal that needs the oven at different temperatures, or will use the entire hob for all three courses. It just isn’t practical! So plan a meal which makes the most of your catering facilities. As a golden rule I always try to make at least one course COLD. This means at least one course will be in the fridge, freeing up the hob and oven for the other two. (Yes - I have done all three courses hot – but this means careful timing with the oven as the dessert goes in as the main course comes out.)

3) Plan your meal around your serving skills!

You want to enjoy your party – so don’t cook things which will be a nightmare to dish up quickly. Aim for simplicity or individual portions when you can. This makes it far easier to serve. E.g. individual chicken breasts rather then a whole chicken which you have to carve, individual trifles rather than a whole one which needs to be served (and however good you are ends up looking like a sloppy mess in the bottom of people’s bowls).

4) Pick a tried and trusted menu!

NEVER ever try something for the first time at a dinner party unless you are supremely confident you can pull it off.

I’m a really confident and experienced cook but I will NEVER do something I haven’t tried before when I’m catering for 12!

(If you’ve tasted my hideous offerings before then you’ll know I’ll occasionally try something new when I’m only entertaining another couple – gooseberry delight springs to mind… why I ever thought sickly sweet syrupy gooseberries would go with cold semolina I don’t know… but in my defence it looked good in the book!).

5) Make sure you have contingencies in mind for timing issues!

It’s really hard to cater to time exactly. So make sure you have options in place so that your broccoli doesn’t turn to a limp green mush and your chips don’t char!

This might be turning everything down, or keeping things warm in the oven, or indeed – starting later then you think. I rarely turn on the hob to steam the veg until everyone has arrived.

No one will mind waiting an extra 15 minutes – especially if you have wine to hand. But folk really don’t like gnawing on burnt parsnips (my last failing).

latest review

2011-11-08T00:06:00.001-08:00

Hi Jo, just to say that we all had a great evening at the weekend with An Educational Execution.

A-s we all work in a school it had special significance :) With a few of the names changed we could have been discussing some of the staff for real :)

Also a special thank you (again!) for the help that you gave me with a change of script, this was because someone pulled out of the evening too late for me to find a replacement !

If anyone is visiting your site for the first time I would tell them, don't bother wasting your time looking all over the web, this site has it all and everything is made so easy :) Of course as always you are sooooo helpful :)

By the way if my grammar/spellin-g is poor I blame Mark Morbooks !!!!

Thanks again,
Gerry

Some photos from our recent 007 murder mystery night at the Ashbourne Hotel.

2011-10-23T05:13:00.001-07:00

These photos are courtesy of Go Photo! We have negotiated a discounted rate for our local customers with Chris from Go Photo - so if you live wihtin 50 miles of grimsby UK - get in touch for the special code and you can get your family session for as little as £15.

Competition time!

2011-10-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

After several requests - we've decided to launch our first ever competition.

The prize? -well, we weren't sure what to offer, so we asked some of our twitter followers and @gdcomptontorres said "A Scarf" - and so that's what we're offering!

It's free to enter - just click on the link below to find out more and see if you can win your very own crime scene scarf.

Crime Scene Scarf competition

We're running the competition on our Facebook page - it's the easiest place to leave your guesses! The winner will be named at the end of the month. Good luck!

We've had loads of reviews recently!

2011-10-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

This week has seen a host of new reviews posted by customers on our website. Some of them have even sent in pictures. Take a look at what our customers have said below.

Murder Within Tent: I can't believe nobody has written a review about this plot! Maybe, like me, been meaning to do it, but not got round to it yet.
We had a brilliant weekend - I'm fortunate enough to have a large garden and had 6 tents pitched so that guests could stay overnight. Jo was a great help in accommodating my 'extra' character for a small charge - this meant that I could include everybody in the plot.
There were 15 of us in total, and although quite a few of us had done Murder Mystery's before there were 6 people [including my boss!] that were total novices, but everybody agreed that it was such good fun.
I'm looking to make a large Murder Mystery event an annual event and have the Fete Accompli already booked in for next summer! Julie Levey

Hi... Just wanted to say that we recently used the 'An Italian Job' as part of a fund raising evening. It was a fantastic success!!!

Everyone including the cast who played their roles brilliantly and the guests for the evening had a great time.

The materials provided in the pack were easy to follow, it's an easy to follow recipe for success. It's true that the more preparation you do prior to the evening the more successful the evening.

Wor-d has now traveled far and we are planning to hold more Murder Mystery events in the coming year... using the range of resources available from Red Herring

Many thanks Jo for your help and advice David Harris

We bought the Murder at the Manse game about 3 years ago and did it at our church...it was a huge success...I thought I would never stop laughing. The cast were unbelievable! We even had a gay parishoner playing the part of the Priest...the double entendre of him flirting with a young woman was not missed by a soul! Stanley Gallinger

Death of a Dallas Dynasty : We used this for a fundraiser at our church. The event was very successful. All the guests had an enjoyable evening (as did the cast). We made one small change. Instead of the cast asking each other the questions, we printed up cards and handed them out as the guests arrived. This provided the opportunity for many of the guests to be involved. This is the third time we have used your games. They have all been fun. Thomas Gore

Murder at Merkister Hall: What a fantastic evening we have just had - thank you Jo and team! This was our first ever murder mystery party and I have to admit that we were a little bit apprehensive prior to the evening on how easy it would be for all of our guests to follow and to keep engaged in however the night was a complete success through and through. Engaging, easy to do and just good honest fun!
A few tips from our evening ...
- Play 1930s music - we managed to find The Best of 1930s online - it really adds to the atmosphere
- Give out name badges when your guests arrive and set a forfeit for if and when people forget to call each other by their character name - ours was to go round the table and to give each guest a kiss on the cheek (quite funny when you have 16 people at the table!)
- Light the room with candles only to make it a bit spooky
- Make a chalk outline of a dead body for your guests to walk past on their way in (we used white masking tape on the driveway - certainly got the neighbours talking)
- Highlight with highlighter pen in the character booklet when your guests need to say their individual lines - it certainly helps once the wine has got flowing
- We allocated the inspector to one of our more 'flamboyant' guests which really added to the entertainment (plus helped us to stay on track with the flow of the evening)

Thanks again for a great evening!

Jenny

Many thanks to everyone who's come back on site recently to post a review! We love ALL your feedback!

Tops for dealing with last minute cancellations at a murder mystery party

2011-09-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Flaky guests are always a problem. Sometimes they go down sick, sometimes their cat dies suddenly, sometimes they just can't make it due to snow - but when you've got a murder mystery dinner party booked and they fail to show up - what can you do?

If it's one of ours - give us a call - as we deal with this sort of thing every week. And if we've got 24 hours notice we can usually ease your headaches. But if it's not one of ours... you can hardly ring up Amazon and ask them... so what CAN you do?

1) Firstly - take a look at the game. Is it structured with "extras". Some games have optional characters and if you think you have flaky guests - then assign yourself, or them to these parts, as that way if they're not there, they were optional anyway and the game will work without them. If you've already assigned characters and that isn't an option - look at the list and see if there is anyone similiar to the characters missing and see if you can recast one of your optional guests back into a main role.

2) If you have no optional characters and don't want to know who did it before the guests, then your only real option is to find a substitute. This needen't be another guest. (After all there aren't many people you can invite at short notice without making them feel really "un-special"/ "after thoughts" / "didn't want originallys" but if you have someone who doesn't take offence easily... ask them - it always works better with a person in place.)

If you can't think of an also ran - then try one of these:

Get someone to play two roles. This works really well if you have some comedians in the group - notify them in advance and get them to bring a prop for each character they're playing. Put two seats at the table so they can switch between chairs and get them to play both roles.
Use a puppet. as above - but with a puppet. We know of someone who used an emu once as they had a last minute drop out. Apparently it went down really well.
Just take it in turns to read out questions and answers from the booklet and read out the scripted lines. It doesn't matter who does the reading, so long as the information that character had get's heard.

3) If you don't mind finding out who has committed the crime, then start looking through the game materials.

Firstly - find the solution. Check that the missing guest isn't the murderer! if they are - you really have no option but to recast them.

If they aren't, then look through the missing person's booklet. Do they impart any critical information? Could this be given to someone else? or does it not matter if their answers are lost entirely? If the latter, then simply cut the questions they have for other people out of their booklet / information pack, find the questions for them in the other guests information and stick the questions over the questions related to the missing character. If the former, its more complicated as you'll need to redistribute answers as well. (confused? Ring us. We don't mind helping you out when you get stuck, even if it's not one of our games. Though we obviously don't have all the answers if that's the case!! But we might be able to guide you through how to do it.)

Then use a bit of correction fluid and ensure that whoever usually speaks after them speaks after the person before. And if you can transfer the lines, or create a linking line to ensure a seamless flow - then do that too.

Finally, if your game has scripted dialogue - then use correction fluid and ammend everyone's booklets so someone else reads their lines. Alternatively just ask someone to read those lines as they crop up.

Simple? No. it isn't. Which is why we'd usually suggest option 1 or 2 with any game but our own.

With our own games however - if you get stuck and we have notice - we do all the faffing about so you don't have to.

Game Review - Topped At The Big Top!

2011-09-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

The fun began from the moment the guests started to arrive. All those playing character parts really got into the spirit and as the circus theme gives so much scope for dressing up the costumes were wonderfully imaginative and colourful.

The story line was clear and convincing and the full instructions ensured a thoroughly enjoyable experience. They say that laughter is the best medicine and we were treated to plenty of that without prescription!

The most frequently heard comment as the guests were leaving was - “When’s the next one?”

Angela Hickman

Game Review - Bump Off at the Barbecue

2011-09-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

I hosted this Murder Mystery as a leaving party for a work colleague. We only had one man - who bravely and tremendously successfully was Dame Edna complete with purple wig, false nails and glasses. Women tackled the male parts with false chests, chest wigs and half a cucumber!!!! We had a fantastic evening and everyone kept a wine charm as a memento. We will definitely do another one and I have never had such excellent service from a company - absolutely superb. Thank you. Phenomenal success. Sue Seymour

A musical murder?

2011-08-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

This month sees a new venture for one of our authors. Jo Smedley has joined forces with the local amateur operatic society and between them they've created "The Sound of Murder" a murder mystery muscial!

This should be an experience and if the body count is as high and the sillyness as daft as Jo's usual games, then the audience are in for a thrill.

Do support Curtain Up in their first "world premiere". Tickets will sell fast and further information is available here: http://www.enjoytheatre.co.uk/5.html

New Game releases!

2011-08-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Oh dear - we've been so busy launching new games recently we've forgotton to update the blog! Hey ho...

However - for those who haven't been on the site for a while we've got another two cracking games.

Stiffen Very Carefully (6 player) (8 player) (10 player) (12 player) (Large group version) by Michelle Crowther.

An an "allo allo" inspired murder mystery romp!

Listen very carefully; this is ‘Night Owl’ calling...

It is wartime in occupied France and in the sleepy village of Vieuxvion, café owners Ronné and Ethel Tartine are trying to keep the Germans happy while secretly helping the Résistance.

However, all hell breaks loose when the body of an RAF pilot is found at the café. It looks suspiciously like murder, but who did it and why was the pilot holding a (German?!) sausage?

AND:

A Mysterious Mayan Murder! by Jo Smedley.

Presently only available in the large group version (as the sound recordist is on holiday) but the small group games will be on their way shortly.

For the last 50 years, archeologists and museums have been searching for an as yet undiscovered Mayan city.

Dubbed Site Q by the academic fraternity, artefacts supposedly recovered from the site by local inhabitants have been available on the black market since around 1965. The location of the site, however, has remained a mystery. Until now…

Doug Oles, eminent archeologist and team leader of one of many archeological expeditions to the New World, has discovered a previously unknown city nestling in the hills of the heavily forrested region of the Yucatan peninsula.

Confident of his ability to prove that the site, which he has named as “Nova Corona”, is Site Q, Doug has called a preview dinner and invited celebrities and co-workers to an after dinner lecture in which he hopes to present not only his compelling evidence, but also a sensational new find.

However, at the pre-dinner drinks, tragedy strikes. Doug Oles is reported dead.

The question is, who killed him and why?

Voting?

2011-07-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

Had some feedback from a new customer the other day complaining that a murder mystery they went to (not one of our's I should point out) had no firm solution. Apparently at the end of the night the audience voted as to which solution was more likely to be the correct one!

Is this for-real I asked myself? Apparently so!

Well, what a cop-out (no pun intended). Surely the whole point of a murder mystery is to pit yourself against a murderer? To work out through superior sluething ability WHO committed the crime, WHY and HOW? And to feel proud of yourself when you actually achieve this? I would have thought so! Have you ever heard of Scotland Yard taking a vote as to the best suspect in an enquiry? I certainly haven't!!

And this is why ALL our mysteries have a solution. We don't do "first past the post voting", we don't allow the cast to lie - they have to tell the truth, and it is up to you as detectives to work out who did it.

Each mystery has only ONE correct solution - although there are usually several red herrings (again no pun intended) to throw you off the scent.

So if you've been dissappointed yourselves by a performance similar to what this customer described to me - then check us out at Red Herring Games!

We don't just kill people - we're professional assassins!

East Africa - Our response to the crisis.

2011-07-07T23:18:00.001-07:00

Each month Red Herring Games gives 10% of all money taken through the site to charity.

We often donate to New Tribes Mission, but this month we have sent money towards the Tearfund Africa appeal in response to the critical situation there.

We've all seen the news and know that the drought in East Africa is the worst it's been for 70 years. What shocks me the most is that charities like Save the Children are struggling to raise 40 Million to respond to the crisis, but the euro lottery will give someone 100 Million this week. Is it just me, or are we willing to give more money with a billion to one chance of winning something rather then give money with a 100% chance of saving a life?

Rant over. But do check out the Tearfund appeal. Even if you can only donate a small amount of money - if we all give a £1 then they'll have more money then the lottery this week and there'll be food for everyone!

What makes us different?

2011-07-06T02:50:00.001-07:00

I'm often asked what the difference is between Red Herring Games games and the boxed games you can buy from the high street stores like WHsmiths.

If you just look at contents, then yes, it appears we're the same... but our biggest selling feature ISN'T the quality of our games (surprisingly).

No - the main thing that makes us different from these high street competitors is something you can't actually see by looking at box contents.

The easiest way to illustrate it is by telling you a short story.... So, are you sitting comfortably? then we'll begin...

Person A, we'll call her Mavis for easiness sake, walks into a store. She picks up a boxed game from the shelf. It's for 6-8 players. It has an even mix of male and female and a theme she likes the look of. She reads the back, she reads the sides, she even (rather cheakily when no one's looking) slits open the cellophane wrapper and opens the box to look inside. However... in spite of all her snooping she still has questions.

Are the optional characters still involved in the plot?
Does the murderer find out they killed the person at the start of the game?
Is there a part better suited to her 10 year old?
Is there some dubious content in there that won't be appropriate for her kid's friends?
What happens if one of her guests drops out at the lat moment, can she still play?
Can she use it with a different ratio of male to female?
How long will the evening take?
She's never done one before, so can she speak to anyone to get help?

She walks to the check out assistant and poses some of the questions to her. Sadly all she gets in response is "I'm sorry love, I don't know."

Guess what - WE DO!! We know all our games back to front. We can help with any queries and we are often adjusting them at the last minute for our customers.

Unlike the boxes in the shops we're here every step of the way, and we'll speak to you even before you buy a game! Just get in touch! We're here to help.

New Game Releases!

2011-07-06T02:38:00.001-07:00

This last month has seen two new mystery game authors join our team. The large group versions of their first games are now both active on site and the small group versions of their games will hopefully be live by the end of July (we're just getting the voice overs recorded now).

Both games are packed with wit and I'm sure they'll be hot favourites with our regulars.

The Jolly Rogered - by Tracy Latham

Avast me hearties!

Diamond White, a 17th century galleon belonging to Captain Crooke, has just returned from its adventures, laden with precious treasures.

Celebrations, however, have been sadly cut short. When the Captain’s wife returned to their room at the Ship’s Inn she found her husband had been stabbed through the heart with his very own hook! The hook replaced the Captain’s right hand, lost following an accident involving the ship’s cannon and a drunken bet – but that’s another story!

It would seem that the late Captain was not as respected as he thought, but then his name was rather apt. The big question is, who hooked the crook??

Stiffen Very Carefully - by Michelle Crowther

Listen very carefully; this is ‘Night Owl’ calling...

It is wartime in occupied France and in the sleepy village of Vieuxvion, café owners Ronné and Ethel Tartine are trying to keep the Germans happy while secretly helping the Résistance.

However, all hell breaks loose when the body of an RAF pilot is found at the café. It looks suspiciously like murder, but who did it and why was the pilot holding a (German?!) sausage?

Shaw Hall Caravan Park - What a night!

2011-06-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

18th June saw us at Shaw Hall Caravan Park for an evening of Felons, Flappers and Foul Play.

A great night was had by all, and we even had two sleuthing teams with the correct answer! Well done guys and dolls!

We've got a lot of bookings ahead for 2011, some bookings already pencilled in for 2012 - but don't worry - as we work with different acting groups all over the UK, we can usually accomodate new requests!

This weekend also saw completion of a Mayan themed custom order, which, with a bit of revision will hit the site sometime in July.

Also to come - a pirates murder mystery by new author Tracy Latham. So keep your eyes peeled!

Reviews

2011-06-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

We had several reviews over the weekend. Some even came with pictures! Check out our facebook page for details:

Follow us on facebook

Also we had this from one of our hotel clients:

Red Herring Games has provided top-quality Corporate Entertainment for some of the Oakridge Group's most valuable clients on a number of occasions.

The exceptional Murder-Mystery events she provided have delighted our clients time and time again. I am certain her creativity and personal dedication have largely contributed to their success.

The quality of service and entertainment she provided has strengthened our relationship with our Corporate clients and we will have no hesitation recommending Red Herring Games for many years to come.

Not only that, we have now booked another of their murder mystery events to delight our Leisure guests too! Oakridge Hotels.

Game Review

2011-05-14T01:53:00.000-07:00

I just want you to know that our theatre finished its run of the Sultan's Pyjamas, and it was a success!

We had anywhere from 20-64 people per evening and the guests couldn't get enough. I have had numerous requests to offer more productions such as this one.

I like your style!

Donna

Fundraising? Check out our 3 top tips.

2011-04-14T03:07:00.001-07:00

Sponsorship!

Sponsorship is the key to ANY charity function, be it a small event or a large one. If you can cover your intial costs with sponsorship, then everything raised on the night and through ticket sales will go to your charity.

Get your local press on board and make a mention of every company that sponsors your evening. You might also want to mention them on the banners, advertising posters, tickets,or a logo within the guest hand out or on a poster at the venue.

Although everyone hates begging, if you never ask, you never get.

So put yourself out there a bit. Ask around, offer companies that sponsor you a free ticket as thanks and ALWAYS remember to thank them twice. Once as soon as their sponsorship arrives, and again after the event to tell them how much you raised as a result of their support. Two letters of thanks will make it much more likely that you'll get a positive response next time around, and also they are likely to display your letter to their customers which means your charity get's publicity too.

Raffles

When it comes to running your night - don't forget the additional revenue you can use towards your charity by running a raffle.

Again - sponsorship is the key. Write to your local companies, or ask around friends and family to obtain raffle prizes.

Also... and here's a great tip... sell more than one colour of raffle ticket!

Strange but true... if you have 1 strip then people will buy 1 strip. If you have 3 different coloured strips then people will by 3 strips of tickets, if you have 5 different coloured strips then people will by 5 strips. It doesn't seem to be dependant on the price of the ticket! It's the colour! People feel they have more change of winning if they have a selection of coloured tickets.

So NEVER have just one book of raffle tickets, always have 4-6 books! You can reuse any left overs next time around!

The KISS principle.
(Keep it Simple Stupid! - for those that aren't familiar with the acronym.)

It's easy to be talked into running an event. There are a host of reasons why a "big" event seems like the best plan. But cost it out!!

Don't be flattered into running something!

If you don't need the publicity for your charity - if it's purely a case of raising a bit of money - then think simple. And don't waste a lot of time organising something that will bring in a net profit of less then your time is worth!

You might make more money from simple sponsorship (e.g. sponsored silences) or selling name cards or quiz sheets, and they are far, far simpler to organise then a charity ball!

Where I live there is always a bunch of cryptic quizzes doing the rounds and we all get drawn into them. They promote lively discussion in the staff rooms and at 50p or a £1 a go, you can quickly make £50 with minimal effort.

If you desperately want to run an event - then check out our top murder mystery event tips.

3 quick fundraising ideas

2011-04-14T02:17:00.001-07:00

When people think of using a murder mystery as a fundraising event, most people immediately think of the formal sit down dinner theatre style events hosted by most hotels and restaurants. But in reality - these events just aren't cost effective for fundraising as the overhead costs of hiring the restaurant, paying for the three course meal, the script, the advertising and perhaps the actors as well leaves very little on the ticket price to actually raise funds!

But don't be deterred... there are a number of ways of running a murder mystery event without a restaurant... read on for our 3 top ideas!

1. Multi-room evenings. These evenings might be more costly to purchase a script for (though we do have a free game "Fete Accompli" available for fundraisers), but these games are extremely flexible for venue and are very easy to run by total novices who have an ability to learn a speech.

Our best suggestion here, rather than hiring a venue, is to run an evening on a smaller scale by utlilising your own home, a guest-house or other community venue e.g. a church linked-house, community centre or school. (Fete accompli can even be run on a field with standard fundraising stalls!)

As these style of events don't need a formal sit down dinner, you can improvise on the food. Running bring and share buffets, hosting a take away dinner, cheese and wine night, or just nibbles. Or depending on the night - no meal at all!

These games are more cluedo style than typical dinner theatre and rely on guests visiting different rooms during the evening, interrogating suspects and locating physcial prop clues e.g. knives, frying pans, poisons, guns etc. As well as visiting a crime scene.

They are extremely popular events, and although very time consuming preparation for the host, there are no rehearsals required for the actors which makes them easy to arrange. Some actors even do them "script in hand".

2. Sponsored Mystery marathons!

Rather than hosting one large function, why not arrange several smaller evenings?

Gather a group of willing hosts and have a sponsored murder mystery evening, with 10 guests in each house participating.

The host caters and runs the evening just as you would a standard murder mystery dinner party, but as a group you obtain sponsorship for the "marathon event". Each host arranges their own night, and each guest sponsors the evening by £5-£10 to cover meal costs (or again you can run them as bring and share dinners) and the entire evening's events is sponsored by friends, family and associates. How many super slueths can you pack into one village in one evening? Also, how many murders...

It's a great way to get an entire village involved in murder mystery evenings, without having to hire a hall. It's so original an idea too, the press are sure to be interested and will run an article to help you raise awareness for your charity.

3. Clue based dinner games.

These are becoming increasingly popular with charitable fundraisers as they give all the fun of a murder mystery evening, without the cost or rehearsal time of the fully scripted games.

You need 1 large hall, with catering facilities, and 7 novice actors who don't mind hamming it up and learning a short script that will need all of one or two rehearsals (max).

If you have access to a kitchen and are able to self-cater then the easiest option is use a game like "An Italian Job", and cater in a simple Italian style by purchasing some garlic bread for the first course, Large dishes of lasagne and bags of salad for the main course and boxed desserts e.g. vienetta for dessert. Easy catering, a fraction of the price of asking in an outside caterer and you'll still have a great night!

New game release!

2011-04-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

Murder at Holdit General (large group version) by Tony Brown is now available on the website. (Small group versions to follow once we've had the voices recorded.

The staff at Holdit City General Hospital have been gathered together in the staff canteen. They’ve just been informed that Roger La Brat, the pharmacist, has been found dead in the patient’s day room. What a bitter pill to swallow!

Was it just a nasty accident or was he the victim of foul play? Did anyone have reason to cancel Roger’s prescription? Inspector Iris Chew, newly appointed to the homicide department, will conduct the investigation.

How to make the most of your murder mystery theme

2011-04-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

So, you’ve picked your mystery, you have your theme, but what now?

Well, basically you can make as much or as little effort as you like. However, from experience, the more effort you make to get your guests into the mood, the better the event runs.

Invitations

This extra effort can start way back at the invitation stage. Most murder mystery kits come with printed or printable invitations, but why not do something that little bit different?

Make your own invitations in an appropriate shape e.g. a lip stick with removable lid which reveals in the invitation information written on what would have been the lipstick.

Not that crafty? Then why not simply print or hand write your invitations and stick on themed items e.g. newspaper cuttings, shaped confetti.

Why not send a bloodstained letter? It is a murder mystery after all!

Or (if you are so inclined), why not create a short film or record a tape – just let your imagination run wild!

Menu

From the host’s point of view the easier the menu the better as you will want to enjoy the evening as well. However, take some time to find a menu appropriate to your theme. If your guests are happy to help, why not have them bring dessert, or drinks? It all helps to reduce stress on the day.

And don’t forget, you don’t have to conduct the mystery during a meal. Why not run it during a wine tasting, or a barbecue?

The easiest gimmick to use at a murder mystery is to write out a menu themed to the night, and change all the names of the courses to something like “Dispatchio soup”.

Location, location, location

Which room?

Where you hold the murder mystery sets the stage for the party. Although you could go and hire a medieval castle, or book into a train for a mystery event it is by no means an essential! Often a few minor alterations in your home can add some simple ambience to help get your guests in the mood.

Firstly think about which room you plan to hold the mystery in. Why not swap your dining room for the night and eat somewhere different in the house, e.g. a spare bedroom, or the garden?

Think about whether you should try rearranging your dining room furniture in keeping with the mystery, e.g. for a train event you might like to sit your guests at two tables with an aisle in between. For another you might want to remove the table and chairs altogether and sit on the floor. If your guests come to your house regularly even just moving the table so that it sits the other way around marks out your event as unusual.

Think about belongings that are normally in the room you use. Are they right for the theme you have selected? You might want to remove things which are out of place, e.g. for a mediaeval mystery you might want to remove or cover up the clock – they didn’t have them in those days!

Windows – most rooms have windows, but do you want to change your outlook? Why not cover them up and use an appropriate poster or picture instead? For example, for a ship themed mystery you might want to cover up your windows and make your own portholes with seascapes.

And don’t forget, this theming can start before your guests even get to your dining room. You might want to put a sign on your front door, or even create your own portcullis. Believe me, it’s all been done before!

Decoration

Some simple additions to the room used for the dinner party could make all the difference to the ambience.

Firstly look around your own house and try and find things in keeping with the theme which you can arrange around the room. Secondly ask around your friends, you might find some other items to jazz things up a little. Thirdly, go shopping - but don’t buy anything too expensive, or that you will never need again. You may want to buy some themed gifts to give away as prizes at the end of the night, and you could arrange these around the room to help with the ambience until the prize giving takes place.

And don’t forget there has been a murder in the house! You might want to set up the crime scene in one of your rooms (advice for how to do that is here), or at least draw around an outline on the floor.

Music

Try and obtain some ambient music which you can play in the background during the event. Pick music which is themed to the mystery, or if preferred find some soundtracks of ambient noise and play them!

Table setting

It is always a nice touch to set out place markers. We did a blog post not so long ago on making the most of these, so click here to read that!

Some guests might like to keep track of clues presented and may like access to a notepad and pen. You might want to keep a stack of these on the table.

If your game has booklets (ours do but not every murder mystery company is the same) then why not theme the booklets and make your own covers.

Activities

You might want to make use of a few ice breakers during your event, though from experience, the mystery is usually sufficient to get people talking!

Try and find puzzles or ice breakers in keeping with your theme. For example, if on board a ship, why not get them to play quoits? For an art gallery, why not have them play Pictionary? If at a theatre, then what about a round of charades?

Other activities you might want to consider are wine tastings, or nosings. (These could be conducted instead of a meal.) You could get each guest to bring a bottle of red or white wine worth no more than a certain amount, and then together judge the quality and rank them according to your guests’ tastes. Or, perhaps everyone could bring a miniature of a different malt whisky and do the same! Though be warned this is a good method of getting tipsy fast, and no-one might care who did the murder by the end – though you’d be sure to have a good night!

The end of the night

And what about at the end of the night? Everyone has made their guesses and the murder has drawn to a close. Should it stop there? Why not give out prizes for the correct guessers? Not sure what to give out for prizes? How about these:

Useful items like fuses, light bulbs, boxes of matches etc, all gift wrapped of course.
Stationary items, like the ever useful post-it notes
Sweets you haven’t eaten since childhood.
Cheap toys – we never really grow up, you’ll probably find a yo yo will keep your guests amused for hours!

And don’t forget goodie bags! Kids never really grow up, and most of your guests, however mature, will probably love a party bag to take home! Why not find something in keeping with your theme and give out a small memento of the evening.

5 place setting ideas to jazz up your murder mystery dining table!

2011-03-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

You're hosting a murder mystery and you want to create some simple but effective place settings for your guests. There are a number of ways you can do this, but try these for size...

1) Making the most of standard bi-fold cards! You can buy place setting cards from most good stationers or you can make them yourself by simply folding over a piece of card! You could print or type their name onto the card, but how do you make them that little bit special...

- pen and ink - Never discount the simplicity of pen and ink. A good piece of calligraphy can add a lot to a place setting. You can also use pen to colour in shapes, draw cartoon images or simply colour in a printed picture. If you have a gold or silver marker, then a simple sparkling border around the name is elegant all on it's own.

- Glue-ons - Yes, the all time favourite for home-crafting... those glue-on extras! This can be anything from sticking on confetti, glitter and punched out shapes, or if you use a hot glue gun then you can really go to town with bulky bits, crafting jewels, ribbons, bows, or even small novelty daggers and old cluedo pieces.

- punch outs - there are a number of different ways of punching out shapes from card. You can buy special scissors that will cut a fancy edge, and also small punches that will cut any number of shapes. But if all you have access to is a hole-punch then don't despair! Use the large hole it creates to thread through some ribbon, or crime scene tape to give it that extra bit of pizzazz.

- sewing - beware of the point of the needle - but it IS possible to sew card to make all sorts of interesting designs. Just thread up a sharp needle with sparkly thread and away you go! If you aren't sure about sewing thread - then why not just repeatedly punch the card using the needle to create simple but effective pergamot edging.

- embossing - you can buy embossing tools from most crafting shops and use these to emboss your card. But if you don't have anything fancy to hand, why not find an interesting shape in the house and rub the card hard over that. It'll give the surface of the card an embossed feel without the expense of buying any tools. For example, try the inside (unsharpe side) of a nutmeg grater for a great bumpy effect.

2) Small gifts Attach the guest's name to a small gift left in their place setting. The gifts could be anything from a wine charm (always useful at a party) to a specially gift wrapped present. Let your imagination run a bit wild. if you want something murder mystery themed, then check out our range of murder mystery gifts at Red Herring Games. Our mystery mini bookmarks work great as little name label gifts as you can simply clip them to the standard cards and the guests can take them home at the end of the evening.

3) Murdering knives! - you can't beat stabbing things to attract people's attention! Steak knives work the best as they look lethal, but you can use standard knives, letter openers, skewers or cocktail sticks decorated as daggers! Find some oasis, clay, plastercine or alternatively a few vegetables that you can cut up that will hold the weight of the knife e.g. a melon or potato. Cover the oasis or vegetable with a cloth / tissue / wrapping paper / or if clay, mould to a body shape, and stab in the knife. Then simply label the knife with the guest's name. You can do this on a small scale with cocktail sticks decorated as knives and if you like baking, then why not kill some gingerbread men, using red icing sugar as blood!

4) Crackers! Party crackers aren't just for Christmas! They are great all year round. You can make your own, or buy them in from somewhere like GoCrackers! which specialises in personalised crackers all year round and will even label them for you!

5) Small scale crime scenes. This is easy to do, and if you don't don't want to write on your table cloth, then you can always use paper! Simply mark out each place setting with evidence tape (yes we sell that too!) and draw a black dead body outline in the centre of each rectangle. Then write the guest's names in red pen (blood) inside the dead body. Again you may want to cut out little daggers to add to the mini-crime scene effect. Alternatively, why not use our photo evidence markers or evidence bags for name labels.

Whatever you decide to do, don't be boring! Let your imagination run wild and get your guests in the CSI frame of mind before the party even begins!

5 ways to make the most of your crime scene at your murder mystery party!

2011-03-29T06:12:00.001-07:00

You've picked your murder mystery, you've invited your guests... but what about the dead body? Aren't they invited too?

Five top tips to creating your crime scene.

1) Find out all you can about the murder before the party. Some games (like ours) have information on the crime scene in the inspector speeches you can access. (ours are in round 2 and won't give the game away!). Use this information to set up the crime scene in the right place in your house. E.g. If it's in the bathroom then set the crime scene up in the bathroom. If it's in the kitchen, set the crime scene up in the kitchen.

2) Find the murder weapon used, if known, and have it present at the scene. it might be a sword, a skewer, a knife, a dagger, a hammer... whatever. it'll add to the atmosphere.

3) Get some fake blood - but beware of stains! Fake blood is great, but it often stains fabric, so do be careful. If in doubt or if you are worried about your carpet, then why not put the blood onto some clear plastic e.g. cellophane. You can make fake blood easily by adding food die to tomato sauce. Add some red and then a dab of blue to get a nice bloody look. We've always got a bottle of ketchup in our cupboard labelled "Blood". (It comes in handy if you run out of BBQ sauce, but nobody ever wants to eat it!)

4) Make a body outline. Use either chalk or masking tape to mark out a dead body outline on the floor. If it's a pale surface then use black eletrical tape to mark out the body.

5) Tape, signs, tape and more tape! Go wild with the cordon's and evidence markers. Crime scene tape is available from many joke shops and we also stock it too at www.red-herring-games.co.uk so there's no excuse not to have the real thing!

30 years of murder mystery weekends!

2011-03-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Would you believe, murder mystery weekends have been on the go now in the UK for 30 years. And they are still as popular as they were back in the 80's when they first came out!

Red Herring Games haven't been going that long (I'm not that OLD!) But we are proud to say we are already ranked as one of the best murder mystery providers in the UK with thousands of happy customers! We were even featured in Tesco Magasine back in January for our Free fundraising murder mystery game "Fete Accompli" available through our website - a great resource for those people fundraising for "Race for life".

Last weekend saw the first murder mystery at Doncaster Racecourse, custom written to the venue. This week will see the release of the game which kept 187 people puzzled all evening. Our cast on the night were (left to right): Kerry Buckley (playing Ava Flutter), Helen Slater (playing Claire Leader), Helen Kent(Playing Trixie Bett, the wife of the deceased, Evan Bett - not present in the photo for obvious reasons), Nic Adams (playing Ron Furlong), Stephen Bellamy (playing Martin Gale), Shirley Lewis (playing Lotta Wynners) and Matt Storey (our very own Inspector Ray Scorse).

Riddle at the Racecourse is available now from Red Herring Games starting at £49.99.

New Release

2011-03-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Greased(clue based large group game) by Jo Smedley

With rock and roll music and thick shakes, the Doo-Wop diner is the popular place to hang out in Ryedale.

However – things aren’t exactly rocking at the diner this evening when Elvis is found outside, dead in the garbage!

His death comes as a great shock to both the leather clad G-birds and the pink jacketed Fuchsia Girls. However more shocks are to follow when the police arrive and announce that the killer is one of them!

Some recent photos from our Charity Murder Mystery Night

2011-03-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

In total the evening raised just over £900 for the two charities (The M.S. Society and 24+1). The guests had a fantastic evening and many are rebooking already for our next local event at the Ashbourne Hotel in October (And this is before we've even finalised a date!!).

Enjoy the pictures!

Recent Review

2011-03-17T04:16:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent game and myself and my family had a brillant night. The game is written with great humour and the characters are really entertaining.
If you have never hosted a murder mystery night I recommend that you give it a go. It's hours of fun and a great way to celerbrate any occassion.
I'm addicted and have been back in touch with the ever so helpful Jo and ordered another game for my boyfriends birthday and can not wait to dress up and have fun with our friends. - Claire Worboyes

Charity Murder Mystery in Grimsby 11th March

2011-02-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

11th March 2011 sees Red Herring Games running a murder mystery back in our home town of Grimsby for two worth causes, the M.S. Society and 24+1 a local charity set up to support families with premature children.

The event will be held at the Humber Royal Hotel on the 11th March at 19.00. Tickets cost £29.95 and include a three course meal, coffee / tea and mints, two murders and live music!

More info for the curious below:

What’s it all about?
It’s the roaring twenties! Everyone has money, and life is free and easy.

It is a dynamic age. Motor cars, movies, radio and all manner of modern appliances and inventions are hitting the streets and amongst it all, the Flappers are parading their redefinition of womanhood, with bobbed hair, ever shortening skirts and a release from the traditional corsets.

In America, Prohibition is still in full swing and while it makes alcohol a difficult commodity to attain, it certainly isn’t impossible.

The Macaroni brothers are one of Chicago’s main families responsible for importing the contraband. They own Swingers, arguably the most popular speakeasy in all Chicago. From bodyguards to sassy jazz singers, alcohol to fine dining, this hip club has everything.

And tonight – it even has a murder. Bugs Macaroni, the big boss himself, is dead.

The only problem is – who killed him?

What is covered in the ticket price?

The ticket covers:

- a three course meal, Tomato and Basil soup, chicken in white wine sauce or Triple stuffed squash for veggies, Chocolate pudding of some description… they’ll all be renamed on the night to something themed though… plus tea + coffee and mints.
- live entertainment in the form of a murder mystery AND a jazz duo – pianist and singer
- certificates and prizes for the super sleuths!
- prize for best fancy dress
- a charitable donation

What should I know?

You don’t need to know anything about prohibition or any other historical facts!

You don’t need to have been to a murder mystery before. It’s all self explanatory on the night.

Most importantly : you won’t be asked to do any acting! (phew)

You should be aware there may be some loud bangs during the night and also some theatrical blood…

What will I have to do?

During the evening the guests don’t have to get involved by “acting” themselves. Nor is it essential to come in costume, though we are offering a prize for best fancy dress and quite a few are intending to come as Mobsters and Mols.

Instead the actors will deliver a series of “acted scenes” which will give you some of the information you need to solve the murder. However they won’t give away everything… instead it will be up to the guests to interrogate the cast as they come around the tables to find out all they know. We give you 5 questions to get you started, but after that you can ask anything and everything!

What else is there?

We’re also hosting a raffle on the night with some great prizes from Pennells, The Deep, Oasis Health Club, Parkway Cinemas, SMEIT, Crystal Pyramid, Utility Warehouse, Office Friends, Red Herring Games, Amazon and Lees Furnishers to name a few…

And, for those in costume, there will be an event photographer there on the night who will be able to take your picture –he’ll be donating some money to charity for every photograph purchased.

What charities are being supported?

We’re supporting the MS Society and also 24+1 which is a local charity for families with premature babies.

Where do I buy tickets?

Tickets are available directly from ourselves on 01472 873021. Or if you want an overnight stay, the Humber Royal are offering a package deal available directly through them for the murder mystery, bed and breakfast.

Tickets are available to purchase singly or in groups. For those customers who are coming in teams of 8 or 10 (that’s a whole table) we’re throwing in a bottle of wine with the ticket price.

Charity Murder Mystery - 11th March 2011 in Grimsby.

2011-02-17T09:45:00.001-08:00

For all those looking at buying tickets... further information about the planned evening!

What’s it all about?

It’s the roaring twenties! Everyone has money, and life is free and easy.

It is a dynamic age. Motor cars, movies, radio and all manner of modern appliances and inventions are hitting the streets and amongst it all, the Flappers are parading their redefinition of womanhood, with bobbed hair, ever shortening skirts and a release from the traditional corsets.

In America, Prohibition is still in full swing and while it makes alcohol a difficult commodity to attain, it certainly isn’t impossible.

The Macaroni brothers are one of Chicago’s main families responsible for importing the contraband. They own Swingers, arguably the most popular speakeasy in all Chicago. From bodyguards to sassy jazz singers, alcohol to fine dining, this hip club has everything.

And tonight – it even has a murder. Bugs Macaroni, the big boss himself, is dead.

The only problem is – who killed him?

What is covered in the ticket price?

The ticket covers:

A three course meal, Tomato and Basil soup, chicken in white wine sauce or Triple stuffed squash for veggies, Chocolate pudding of some description… they’ll all be renamed on the night to something themed though… plus tea + coffee and mints.

Live entertainment in the form of a murder mystery AND a jazz duo – pianist and singer

Certificates and prizes for the super sleuths!

Prize for best fancy dress

A charitable donation

What should I know?

You don’t need to know anything about prohibition or any other historical facts!

You don’t need to have been to a murder mystery before. It’s all self explanatory on the night.

Most importantly : you won’t be asked to do any acting! (phew)

You should be aware there may be some loud bangs during the night and also some theatrical blood…

What will I have to do?

During the evening the guests don’t have to get involved by “acting” themselves. Nor is it essential to come in costume, though we are offering a prize for best fancy dress and quite a few are intending to come as Mobsters and Mols.

Instead the actors will deliver a series of “acted scenes” which will give you some of the information you need to solve the murder. However they won’t give away everything… instead it will be up to the guests to interrogate the cast as they come around the tables to find out all they know. We give you 5 questions to get you started, but after that you can ask anything and everything!

What else is there?

We’re also hosting a raffle on the night with some great prizes from Pennells, The Deep, Oasis Health Club, Parkway Cinemas, SMEIT, Crystal Pyramid, Utility Warehouse, Office Friends, Red Herring Games and Lees Furnishers to name a few…

And, for those in costume, there will be an event photographer there on the night who will be able to take your picture –he’ll be donating some money to charity for every photograph purchased.

What charities are being supported?

We’re supporting the MS Society and also 24+1 which is a local charity for families with premature babies.

Where do I buy tickets?

Tickets are available directly from ourselves tel: 01472 873021. Or if you want an overnight stay, the Humber Royal are offering a package deal available directly through them for the murder mystery, bed and breakfast.

Tickets are available to purchase singly or in groups. For those customers who are coming in teams of 8 or 10 (that’s a whole table) we’re throwing in a bottle of wine with the ticket price.

There's other companies, and then there's us!

2011-02-17T04:13:00.000-08:00

Some murder mystery companies put on events that are… how shall we put it… dull. They, for example, announce a murder mystery like this:

COUGH. Ladies and gentlemen I’m sorry to inform you, there’s been a death.

Very droll.

Some murder mystery companies run events with only one death which occurs before the night even begins – boring!

Some murder mystery companies are so concerned that you aren’t going to find enough to entertain you in their murder mystery evening that they ask the guests to write a limerick and award a prize for the best one at the end of the night. What an amusing idea… not.

WE are different. WE announce a death as if it's just been discovered... SCREAMING! WE usually have two deaths in an evening, and for the charity event coming up shortly within Grimsby the body count is even higher with THREE deaths.

During the night we kill someone you’ve got to know and love and we NEVER get you to write a poxy limerick, as if, our event was that bad, we’d just have to shoot ourselves.

Looking to book a murder mystery evening? Then why not contact the professionals!

New Game Release:

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Triumphs, Trophies and Tragedies at the DAFTA Awards!Another Cast based large group game by Jo Smedley - perfect for an awards night mystery!

Every year, actors and actresses, directors, producers, scriptwriters, stuntspersons and numerous film technicians eagerly and hopefully await their Drama, Arts, Film, and Television Academy (DAFTA) nominations and subsequent invitation to the DAFTA Awards Festival. This year has been no exception.

The tables are set, the candles lit, the audience is in place and all are waiting, hoping to be the one called up on stage to receive the prestigious DAFTA award and gain recognition of their achievements in the film industry.

At long last, the master of ceremonies takes to the stage. First up are the nominations for Best Actress. However, before the show truly “gets on the road”, disaster strikes! Award nominee Iona Fortune is discovered…dead!

The only question is this: which one of tonight’s guests actually committed the crime?

Halloween is coming...

2010-10-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

There is a Halloween dilemma which faces a lot of murder mystery customers.

Namely - which murder mystery should you buy? Which game is suitable for teenagers? Which murder mystery will be fun for the adults too? Which murder mystery will allow them to have an uneven number of guests? Which part should their poorly reading 8 year old take? Which company is trustworthy and has the experience needed to make sure your evening goes with a bang?

Many of the people facing these dilemmas have come to us at Red Herring Games: the only company that guarantees a “spooktacular” night in or your money back.

As there are only 10 days until Halloween – we are one of the few companies who can still help those who plan Halloween parties and still haven’t actually done any planning!

Just get in touch with is for a personal service.

Game Release!

2010-10-20T03:29:00.001-07:00

Midwynter Murders! - by Lissa Gibbons

Welcome to St. Frideswide’s in Midwynter Magna, a gem of a 13th century church set in a small village in the heart of the pretty Cotswolds’ countryside.

Everyone is excitedly preparing for the church’s 750th anniversary. Serious fund-raising is underway and representatives of the local community and church are attending the opening night of the festivities at St. Frideswide’s Church Hall. All the important people from the village are there. Unfortunately, so is a murderer!

Midwynter Magna may seem to be the kind of traditional village where everyone wants to live, but it’s also a village where people don’t seem to live as long as they would like. In fact they seem to be dying rather suddenly.

Tragically, the Rev. Neil Down is poisoned in the middle of his opening address and when D.I. Barney Bee arrives to investigate, he finds that a multiplicity of motives abounds among the guests. Before the night is over, another body is found at the foot of the tower stairs.

The challenge for the remaining guests is to discover the identity of the murderer before anyone else dies.

Game Release!

2010-10-20T03:24:00.001-07:00

A Criminal Christmas Caper!- by Jo Smedley

The Belfrey Hotel, situated in the popular holiday destination of Torquay, on the English Riviera, is a magnificent building, retaining many of its original features (in other words, it’s in disrepair).

This grand (large and drafty) building offers a unique respite from the bustling tourist scene (the hotel is difficult to find), and is run by Mr. and Mrs. Bookin, who retain a small staff (understaffed) and strive for a family atmosphere (in other words, there’s lots of arguing).

This evening, the Bookin’s have welcomed local residents (as they have no guests) for a traditional Christmas meal. Unfortunately, at the start of the festivities, the man supposed to be playing Santa for the evening is discovered dead in his room. Ruling out food poisoning, it can only mean one thing: Santa has been murdered!

With the hotel in anarchy and the Bookin’s close to losing control, it leaves the guests with only one option; they must uncover the killer themselves as quickly as possible or run the risk of a, frankly quite worrying, overnight stay!

Game Release!

2010-10-20T03:22:00.002-07:00

The Brandy Butter Murders! - by Jo Smedley

It's the Brandy Butter Company's annual Christmas night out.

The staff are decked out in their christmas finery, and rumour has it there is a secret about the entertainment planned for the end of the night.

With Christmas decorations festooning the walls and Christmas music playing through the sound system, everyone is set to enjoy themselves - however, things do not go to plan.

The party spirit abruptly tumbles when a phone call comes in from the night watchman at the factory. Jack Frost, one of the less popular managing directors has been found... dead. And not just dead, but drowned in a vat of the company's brandy!

Undeterred the staff try to make the best of the evening by joining in with the police investigation, but then, out of the blue another manager dies!

The question is: who is the murderer?

Game Release!

2010-10-20T03:22:00.001-07:00

Montague Viper's: Death of Mr Big Nose! by Paul Fairhall
12 players
10 players
8 players
6 players

Some people said he had it coming. One might even say he couldn’t help himself. It was yet another day full of arguments, threats and scuffles and finally, the inevitable has happened. Big Nose is dead. Dead as a parrot.

But how did he die? And why? Well, let’s solve that bit now. He was utterly obnoxious, prone to violent outbursts and nobody liked him, not even his wife. And he did have a very big nose…

As for the rest, well, perhaps you can help the Roman centurion, Nosius Parkus, to solve that little conundrum. And if you’re successful and discover the offender, feel free to nail ‘im up!

Customer feedback

2010-07-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Red Herring Games,

I thought you might like to hear a little about our hilarious evening on Saturday.......It could not have gone better and was a total success. Everyone really threw themselves into it and we had a ball! Thank-you so much. Considering that the author told me that she did not watch the soaps you did a great job customising our game to include characters from Eastenders!
It really was brilliant and I cannot thank you (or recommend you) enough.

Juliet Jones

Cusotmer feedback

2010-07-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

Our customer services team recieved this email this morning:

Dear Red Herring Games,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the extraordinary effort you put into the collation and distribution process for "Twisted at the Transylvanian". I received the package on Wednesday, 21 July and was thrilled to sift through the pieces. You have made this new endeavor feel quite simple and the pre-planning for the event has already begun. Our dinner is scheduled for 21 October; I shall let you know how it all turned out.

Thanks again
N

Another satisfied customer. :-)

What is the difference between Red Herring Games and the games you buy in the shops?

2010-07-22T06:13:00.001-07:00

Well - the simplist answer I can give is - why don't you ask the shop?

Why do I say that?

Well - because I know that the shops won't be able to tell you!

Not only do they probably not even know what is IN the box set, what it's about, what it's content rating might be, and what you get inside - but even if they DO open the box, they wouldn't be able to answer any of your questions about how the game actually plays, who you should cast in what role, what kind of things you should buy as table favours, whether there is anything explicit mentioned in any of the character backgrounds that wouldn't suit your maiden aunt etc.

When you buy a game from us, it isn't just the game you are buying - it's the on-going customer support - something we at Red Herring Games take VERY seriously.

An example.

You've bought a box set from a book store. It says 6-8 players. The last two are optional and are told at the start of the game, or it's readily apparent to them and everyone else that they are optional as it says "Speak after Jacques Custard if he is present" (er... that's a big give away, as if you can play if he isn't there, then clearly he can't have done it!)

So you decide only to play with 6 people.

However at the last moment one of your guests rings in poorly. They can't come. Now what do you do? Well, the only option you have is for someone to play two parts. You decide to take the second part too.

Your new role tells you at the start of the book that you are the murderer.

Right.. well that's just ruined your entire evening. Not only are you now playing two roles, but you also know exactly WHO has committed the crime!

What would happen with a game from Red Herring Games.

First off - all our optional players are NEVER told. They are fully integrated into the game with scripted lines, questions for the other suspects and the other suspects have questions for them.

So you decide to run the game with 8. You also want 3 men and 5 women and you don't want people to have to cross dress or play a man's part.

No problem. We can do that too! We'll revise your game to 3 men and 5 women.

However - one of your females drops out at the last minute. You give us a call. We revise your entire game free of charge to eliminate the 8th person bringing your game down to 7 people. You have to reprint the booklets, but at least everyone can still take part and you STILL don't know who did it.

You begin playing. You don't know who the murderer is, neither does anyone else. It could be any one of you... by process of elimination and deductive reasoning when it comes to guessing who did it - you are SURE it's you - but you decide to throw everyone else off and finger someone else and give your reasons. Everyone else follows your lead. You all write down your answers (so that people can't say you changed your mind or cheated) and then listen to the solution - and is WAS you! You win!

Yes, boxed sets might work out marginally cheaper in the shops - but we don't aim to be the cheapest. (Why would anyone do that?) We aim to be the BEST!

Besides where else would you get 3 hours entertainment for under £2 a head?

Game Release

2010-05-27T03:23:00.001-07:00

Murder At Tiffany's!

New York. A bustling metropolis. Centre of high finance, business, shopping, media, culture, art, fashion and entertainment.

And in the middle of it all is Tiffany’s Restaurant; a small bistro with an Italian flair and award winning pastries.

Frequented by the high society, Tiffany’s is THE place to be seen in the big city.

Unfortunately for Robin Banks it is also THE place to be seen dead. For Robin Banks is murdered and one of the regulars at Tiffany’s is the killer.

The question is, can you find out who it is before anyone else dies?

New Release!

2010-05-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

An Educational Execution by Jo Smedley
12 players
10 players
8 players
6 players

It’s the annual staff party for the Kendrick Mansfield Primary School.

A night for the staff to let down their hair, drink to excess, dance and sing karaoke without worrying about keeping up appearances in front of parents or their pupils.

The stated party start-time has passed, which means everyone is now arriving the usual five to ten minutes late and the room is getting steadily fuller, more noisy and the drink is beginning to flow.

However just before the final guest arrives, the unpopular deputy head, Ed Hunter is discovered dead in the hall outside. There was no denying he had lost friends and been a bad influence on people, but clearly he had offended one person too many.

His killer could only have been one of the guests at the party – but the question is, who hated him enough?

Find out more from Inspector Trinnians himself here:

Inspector Trinnians reveals all

Going Ga-ga

2010-05-19T02:26:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks Red Herring Games has sold over 700 metres of crime scene tape to wannabe Lady Gaga fancy dressers. Whether it's for hairdressing exams or just for some very risque parties, there is no denying our crime scene tape is the popular choice!

Why buy it from us? Well, several reasons.

One - our tape isn't "prank" quality - which means it is thicker, wider, more sturdy and less see-through than the joke shop style tape you usually buy on ebay.

Two - our tape comes in as long a length as you need. For ease we've listed it in our ebay shop in 16 metre lengths, as this is usually enough for one fancy dress party, but we can sell it in as long or as short a length as you want - just ask.

Three - speedy dispatch. We post all our tape within 24 hours by first class mail, which means UK customers have the tape within 2 days. (Post office dependant).

We have to admit it came as quite a surprise that the tape was being used for Lady Gaga costume designs, but we aim to please and so here below are some ideas for the costume:

On the video Lady Gaga is seen wearing tape wrapped around her body and head. There are two things to note about the costume - one - she wore it for a video shoot - not for a party, so she didn't need to think about going to the toilet when she wrapped it around her, and two - she used custom printed tape in much wider rolls then standard crime scene tape which means it covered her... sensitive areas.

How would you go about dressing up as Lady Gaga with our crime scene tape?

Firstly what we'd suggest is protecting your dignity!

Cut the tape so that you have a few shorter (body circumferencing)lengths and taping two or three strips together into one larger strip that you can use to cover your own sensitive areas, namely the bra region and and the bottom.

So that you don't need to worry about it falling off at an inopportune time, we'd suggest using staples or safety pins to fasten these wider strips to your bra and pants.

Once you have the sensitive areas covered - then you can wind the tape where ever you like! Take care not to actually wind it around your legs as she does in the video, as at parties you will be drinking and you WILL need to use the facilities and the last thing you want is to have to unwind your tape before you can go to the loo!

If you want some "cross the body" looks like she has - then we'd suggest cutting the tape and using something like velcro sticky dots to stick it to your pants so you can still take them on and off easily. The tape is not sticky itself, but it does stick very well with sellotape or to labels so sticky back velcro will work really well. If you don't want to bother with velcro - then just cut it and use sticky tape to keep reattaching the lengths together between your legs where no one can see.

Use hair grips if you can't get the tape to stay where you want in your hair - it's quite shiny and might slip out if you move your head around a lot when dancing.

If it's just for a short photoshoot - then don't bother with cutting it at all and just wind it around for the look you need!

You can find our ebay shop here: Red Herring Games - Ebay shop

New Release!

2010-05-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

The Dangerous Despair of B-List Superheroes by Mark and Kathy Pitchford
12 players
10 players
8 players
6 players

Not all superheroes are born with special powers to allow them to save the world. Superman and Wonderwoman don’t know how lucky they are. What would Superman have been with a little less Kryptonite? Moderately Impressive Man? Faster than a speeding tricycle?

No, some superheroes don’t make the news because they are blessed with special powers which are almost useless. Worse still, others acquire powers which are a downright nuisance.

Tonight is one of those few occasions when such individuals can truly be themselves. They have gathered together to share their secrets over a meal, conjoined by the special bond of just being different.

But now even that has been brought to an unfortunate end by the untimely death of Bill Cody, a building contractor who has been found dead in the hotel where their gathering is taking place. Perhaps our heroes can show their mettle by solving the riddle of his death …

Find out more from Superbman himself here:

Superbman reveals all

What are you doing this evening?

2010-05-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Statistics report that the average Briton is watching TV a staggering day and a quarter EVERY WEEK!

This equates to more than a seventh of their life flushed away, and if you allow for sleep time, that is 26% of their waking life!

Are you happy with the thought that at the end of your life you will be able to look back and remember the years you spent in front of the wealth and health removal tool!

You have two choices, as you die, look back at your life with regret at all of those things you never did, or joy at what you have achieved.

Why not ring the changes this weekend and host your own murder mystery party for your friends?

Interact! - Don't just watch interactive television!

Customer Review - The Curse of the Sultan's Pyjamas

2010-04-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

We ran this game twice for 2 different groups with 32 guests each time as well as the cast and a couple of waitresses. (I think it would have worked with up to about 40 or even 50 guests if we'd had a larger room.) It went down very well both times. All the instructions and scripts were very clear and it didn't take a long time to prepare. The cast really enjoyed getting in role and everybody had such fun that we keep being asked when we're going to do another one. Red Herring were very helpful in shifting the gender of some of the characters to suit the people we had who wanted to be in the cast.
One tip - it really is worth asking the cast read all the clues beforehand, so that they can answer questions guests put to them and make the most of the rivalry between the different characters. Lissa Gibbons

How NOT to run a school investigation unit

2010-03-30T01:46:00.001-07:00

We are often asked whether we will get involved in school forensic work. The quick answer is "Yes" we are happy to help, and have written games to order in the past to specifically work on key elements in the forensic science curriculum.

Fortunately we have a little more experience then these guys:

School condemned after pupils left in tears by mock shooting

We never reccomend a murder in children under 13, and would only undertake a dead body scenario in those over 13 if requested and usually have the body "dead on arrival" so that the event is never witnessed by the pupils!

With close associations with a number of schools, you can trust Red Herring Games to put together a crime scene investigation which will suit your school, and ensure you don't make the headlines!

Red Herring Games dot com

2010-03-19T07:25:00.001-07:00

Just to let everyone know, and to avoid confusion - we now have two sites. For those countries who trade in dollars rather than pounds sterling, please visit www.red-herring-games.com where all the prices will be defaulted to dollars.

The sites do look a little different, but trust us, the same products are available on both sites, and we will ship internationally from both website addresses.

Recent review - The Sultan's Pyjamas

2010-03-18T12:42:00.001-07:00

Organised this night with great trepidation but it went fantastically well! To add to the fun the Cleaner was a man dressed as a woman (hysterical) and the Inspector had a really dodgy french accent! Everyone really hammed it up and the result was hilarious. I was really nervous about hosting a Murder Mystery but after last night's results, would definitely do it again (I can't believe I said that!). The pack had absolutely everything you need and leaves nothing to chance - A big thank you to Jo for the personal touch too. Will definitely be using my Voucher to organise another night!

Ideal gifts for those murder mystery lovers out there.

2010-03-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to find a gift for a murder mystery fan. There are only so many books and DVDs available to fill birthdays, and just occaisionally wouldn't it be nice to be able to give something that little bit different than the latest edition of Cluedo, or the latest murder mystery game on the market?

We thought so - which is why, in 2010 we have been scouring the world wide web for gifts for CSI fans, Agatha Christie wannabes and sleuths of all ages.

So why not take a peak at what we can offer you?

Firstly - how about this for a novelty pad? Does message taking kill you? Wouldn't you rather leave a poison pen letter for your boss? Now you have the chance with "Dead Write" a 300 page sticky pad complete with blood stained pen! When you've scribbled your hit list - you can even stab the pen back into the victim for a bit of catharsis. At £9.45 each - it's great value for a bit of useful fun.

Not sure about that? Then how about this:

Your friend would certainly get the life guard's attention on the beach this summer with a crime scene towel to mark their place in the sun! This 100% cotton towel is another bargain retailing at £9.99.

Need something just that little bit different. Then check out our bond style salt and pepper guns.
These are nearly full size replicas, so there is plenty of seasoning to go around without needing to reload before you shoot salt and pepper at all of your guests. A fun addition to any table, we just loved these guns and they are now available to others at £14.99.

If the noteblock isn't enough for your office then why not take out your frustration on "Dead Fred". This funky red victim just loves to hold your pen while you aren't around, and he doesn't bleed over the carpet. Cost - £7.50

Then again - perhaps your murder mystery maniac friend is still engrossed in the latest books - in which case - "Dead Mark" might be just the ticket. Why not squash him into the next book you buy your friend for that little personal and slightly unusual extra gift. Cost £7.50

If they like a coffee while they read - perhaps they'd prefer this little chap. "Splat stan" - a great coaster, and a companion to any living space - this orange victim will keep your varnish stain free for £7.50.

But if they have a sweet tooth - then what about this. We've saved the best until last... or have we?
Crime Scene Candy - the ultimate in liquid treats for your CSI fanatic. Will they dare to test the samples - or not??? £3.00 for the pack of three.

Murder mystery party gifts are coming!

2010-03-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Prizes and novelty gifts are sometimes hard to find in the crime scene line, which is why we, at Red Herring Games, are going to take the trouble out of sourcing them and will be providing gifts to die for very soon.

Products are already being sourced and we hope the killer gifts will be on-site sometime in April.

Keep your eyes peeled!

We can do almost anything!

2010-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Our customer service is second to none at Red Herring Games and our authors share our "can do" attitude.

Which is why, when we had a request two weeks ago for a murder mystery which could be played as a conference call team building event to encourage cross Atlantic working we didn't just say "It's never been done." - we said "We'll see what we can do!"

In the last two weeks one of our authors has been putting together a game in an entirely new format, a game which will encourage communcation prior to the conference call itself and one which can be conducted realistically, as the murder has been set in the past (only be a couple of weeks) meaning that all the suspects have a possible opportunity to kill the deceased, even if one suspect is sitting in Toronto and the other in London!

The game is now with the editors and voice over specialist who are just putting the final touches to what is very likely to be a "first" in murder mystery games.

So if you think you need something totally different - then give us a call. We'd be only too happy to help.

New release

2010-01-28T23:34:00.001-08:00

The Chinese Take-out Large group mystery game By Paul Fairhall.
It’s a Chinatown. It’s late. The fluorescent lights are on, the smell of oriental cooking wafts down the street as restaurants and fast food outlets get ready for the evening meal rush.

Shop owners are shutting down for the night and all is calm, or at least it was until Ding Aling ran into the street screaming!

Ting Aling, husband of Ding, is dead! Found lying amidst a mound of washing powder in his own prospering laundry, ‘Washem Kwik’.

Local business owners and associates of Ting Aling have all been called together to a local Chinese restaurant in a bid to uncover the truth of this Chinese puzzle.

How did Ting Aling die? And why?

Small group versions to follow shortly.

Recieved from a customer just this morning.

2010-01-15T13:51:00.001-08:00

"Just downloaded your free game to see what they are like before I take the plunge and pay for one... Wow! Wasn't expecting it to be so good. It's easily as good - if not better - than the boxed games we have bought in the past (and I much prefer the 'green' option of no packaging!)"

New Game Release

2010-01-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

An Award Night Fright! (Clue based murder mystery for large groups) By Joanne Smedley

Each year, actors and actresses, directors, scriptwriters and producers wait eagerly for their Silver Screen nominations and subsequent invitation to the Silver Screen Awards Festival. This year has been no exception.

With the ceremony about to take place, the nominees gather around candlelit tables, each one hoping for their big moment on the stage as the winners are announced.

Finally the compere takes to the stage and provides a light hearted opening number. Tensions are high. Who will win the awards? Who will rise to fame…

First up are the nominations for Best Director. However – it looks like nothing is going to “go all right on the night”. Award Nominee Steven Speilsman is dead!

The press is having a field day and there is no doubt in their mind that his death is the result of foul play – murder to be exact!

The only question is: which one of tonight’s Award nominees actually committed the crime?

This murder mystery is written to include 5 award presentations for your guests and is a great choice for a staff reward night.

New Game Release

2009-12-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

Death at the Double D Ranch - large group version by Kathy Roberson
It’s the old Wild West and local ranch owner, Dray Duncan, is holding his annual Barn Party Barbeque.

Just as the guests are arriving, poor Dray is found dead in the bunkhouse. Things look mighty confusin’; sumthin’ don’t add up. Did he die from natural causes or could this be a case of homicide at the hoedown?

Help Sheriff Remington and the rest of his posse figure out what really happened!

Small group dinner party versions will be released in January - watch this space.

Review

2009-12-29T10:06:00.001-08:00

We had a great evening last night playing this mystery, everyone made the effort to dress up accordingly, the room was dressed also which added to the atmosphere :)

Red Herring games made it so easy for me to host as all information was on the site, helpful hints and tips were included with the game !

If you are looking for a murder mystery evening.. go no further than Red Herring games... they make it easy and Jo is soooooooooo helpful :)

It was a great evening especially as I correctly named the murderer !! :)

Gerry McGuire London

The Surgical Strike - Doctors and Nurses murder mystery is a big hit!

2009-12-03T08:30:00.001-08:00

Two recent reviews for The Surgical Strike:

To say we had fun............-......an understatement!-!! Thank you to Jo who answered questions and queries so quickly.

Look forward to the next time!!! Deborah

Thanks for a great night! It really was a dinner party "plus". Everyone really enjoyed themselves and I look forward to the next one. Mark

A recent email from one of our customers...

2009-11-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say we ran the Medieval Mystery party at the weekend, and had a great time ... and I think the children enjoyed it too!

I dressed as Merlin (complete with long white beard) and my wife in a medieval dress, and we had eight children taking part.

We did make a couple of alterations to the running of the party - born out of not having a very large kitchen - so instead of the tasting and then hunt the poison bottle, we got hold of a variety of scented mini-bubble baths, and made labels which we covered, and got the kids to smell these. Most of the scents were fruits, so we had "Guinevere's Cherry Sauce" or "King Arthur's Orange Syrup", but one was a very pungent aniseed/liquorice scent which we labelled as the poison, and that worked very well.

(You may well have such a game in one or more of the other party sets, but thought I would mention it anyway)

Also, rather than following a tangle of string through the room, we simply led them to the back of the house (where there was a note about how to get to Merlin's cave, "if Merlin's cave you wish to find, you can only reach if you travel blind") and my wife gave each child a blindfold, while I turned down the lights, rearranged some furniture, turned on a fan and some sound effects, and hung some ribbon strands from a doorway, which my wife then lead them through holding hands, to a riot of giggles and shrieks!

The crossword, Merlin's spell and the dragon footprint hunt were great fun too - we got the children to sit down and solve the clues in a group, then just one of them would go to find the next clue - especially fun when they had to sneak back into "Merlin's Cave" to find a footprint under his hoover without waking the snoring wizard!!

Another game which worked well as an introduction game, was Merlin greeted the children, and got them to sit around him, and they each drew a name description from a bag (e.g. "Brave", "Strong", "Fearless" for the Knights, "Tender", "Kind", "Beautiful" for the Ladies/Princesses), which was then written on to a name label so I could remember who they were - one shy boy was very proud to be known as "Joel the Brave" for the evening! This did mean I had to disappear shortly after the scale crossword, before they revealed the poison bottle, but that was easy enough, and amusing to hear when they read the label and suddenly noticed "Merlin's not here anymore!"

I will put up a review for the website later this week, but just wanted to thank you personally first.

Printed murder mystery games - not boxes!

2009-10-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

Due to popular demand we are now able to offer an in-house printing service to our customers.

Unlike other on-line retailers we are able to offer an assembly service alongside the printing so that the games are "ready to go" when you recieve them.

For more information about our printed murder mystery games please see below:

We sell printed murder mystery games NOT boxed murder mystery games!

And why are they NOT boxed? Oh... lots of reasons...

But with our printed games rest assured you get our usual gaurantee, and our fabulous on-going customer support too!

New Release!

2009-10-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Another one bites the dust by Paul Fairhall
12 players
10 players
8 players
6 players

It is the evening of the MVT Music Awards, held at the prestigious Saveloy Hotel in London.

As in all previous years, the MVT awards ceremony has attracted the most popular bands and artists who are all vying to win awards and gain as much publicity as possible.

Tipped for a number of awards is Freddy Neptune. After a wait of nearly three years, his latest album, Duck Soup, has been nominated for an unprecedented 7 awards.

Just before the evening is due to begin, there is a scream and Cilla Queen, one of Freddy’s long-term fans, runs into the room and announces to all that Freddy is dead!

But how did he die? And why? And who is responsible?

Find out more from Inspector Gordon Flash himself here:

Inspector Gordon Flash reveals all

New Release!

2009-10-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Twisted at the Transylvanian - large group game by Kathy Roberson. (Small group versions to follow soon.)

The Transylvanian, a popular nightclub in town, is holding its yearly anniversary party. Mike Hobb, the club owner has sent out invitations to only a handful of friends and social elite to attend the gala event and have a howling good time. Unfortunately, poor Mike will never get to enjoy the party as he has been found dead at the bottom of the wine cellar stairs! Was his death due to natural causes…. or was it murder?

Some things might prove to be a bit “twisted” at the Transylvanian… Help Detective I.C. Moore and the other guests figure out what really happened.

New Release!

2009-10-19T03:56:00.001-07:00

The Christmas Conundrum by Paul Fairhall
12 players
10 players
8 players
6 players

Jacob Barley, a prominent Victorian businessman and partner of Ebenezer Stooge, has been murdered by an assailant unknown! Unable to go to either Heaven or Hell until his murder is solved, he is now stalking Limbo, where he meets a ghost policeman from the future, Detective Chief Inspector Striving Gorse, and tells him of his murder.

Between them, they work out a list of possible suspects and persuade the Powers That Be to allow Inspector Gorse to assume living form once more for the period of one night only so that he may try and solve the murder. Invitations are sent out to all the suspects asking them to attend the reading of Jacob’s will as it would be in their best interests to do so…

Find out more from DCI Striving Gorse himself here:

Striving Gorse reveals all

New Release!

2009-10-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

Another one bites the dust! Large group version.

It is the evening of the MVT Music Awards, held at the prestigious Saveloy Hotel in London.

As in all previous years, the MVT awards ceremony has attracted the most popular bands and artists who are all vying to win awards and gain as much publicity as possible.

Tipped for a number of awards is Freddy Neptune. After a wait of nearly three years, his latest album, Duck Soup, has been nominated for an unprecedented 7 awards.

Just before the evening is due to begin, there is a scream and Cilla Queen, one of Freddy’s long-term fans, runs into the room and announces to all that Freddy is dead!

But how did he die? And why? And who is responsible?

New Release!

2009-10-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Christmas Conundrum

Fundraising Fun raised £606 for the M.S. Society

2009-10-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

We're still recieving emails of congratulation and thanks from the guests who attended the James Bond spoof "The Spy Who Killed Me" we ran for the M.S. Society on the 2nd October. There were three people who guessed the correct murderer, means and motive, and in total the evening raised £606 for the M.S. Society.

A few pictures from the evening are below.

In the press.

2009-09-23T05:22:00.001-07:00

Following the Compass FM interview yesterday, the Grimsby Telegraph have now also run a repeat article in the what's on section today about our Charity 007 Mystery night. You can find the details below:

The Game's Bond

Review - Murder on the Disorientated Express

2009-09-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the wonderful job you did modifying "Murder on the Disorientated Express" to construct the perfect game for our "Dinner on the Nile". One of our guests said it was so perfect and so much fun, and the characters so well suited the guests that he would never be able to play such a game again! I look forward to trying another game with you again.

New in store!

2009-09-21T01:38:00.001-07:00

Mayday, Mayday... Murder! 12 player, 10 player, 8 player and 6 player version

Wealthy author and New Orleans resident, Louisiana Williams is throwing her annual Mardi Gras party.

The beads will fly and the booze will flow, but in the midst of all the revelry, poor Louisiana is found dead in the bathtub.

Help Inspector Claude Cluesnot and the rest of the colourful “krewe” try to decide who is the true masquerader in this Mardi Gras murder!

Listen to the teaser here: Dr I.C. Moore reveals all.

New in store!

2009-09-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Mardi Gras Masquerade Murder! 12 player, 10 player, 8 player and 6 player version

Wealthy author and New Orleans resident, Louisiana Williams is throwing her annual Mardi Gras party.

The beads will fly and the booze will flow, but in the midst of all the revelry, poor Louisiana is found dead in the bathtub.

Help Inspector Claude Cluesnot and the rest of the colourful “krewe” try to decide who is the true masquerader in this Mardi Gras murder!

Listen to the teaser here: Inspector Claude Cluesnot reveals all.

New in store!

2009-09-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween Hotel Horror!

Set attractively in the Transylvanian hills of Romania, Dunnem Inn is a grand and elegant hotel with stunning medieval architecture

Sited centrally for the most important cultural attractions, Dunnem Inn is the perfect choice for tourists wishing to make the most of their stay in Romania.

With regular coach tours departing from the hotel every day and themed murder mystery evenings every weekend, Dunnem Inn aims to make any visit to Romania both comfortable and unforgettable.

Guests are always encouraged to join in with the festivities of Halloween during their stay at Dunnem Inn and this evening is no exception. Surrounded by ghosts, vampires, witches and zombies, the staff hope to engage you in a lively Halloween themed murder mystery.

The problem is, tonight it’s a REAL body they discover; that of Seymour Vistas, one of the visiting guests.

Tickets are available on-line for our Charity Murder Mystery - the SPY WHO KILLED ME!

2009-09-10T05:30:00.001-07:00

In a bid to keep up with technology - tickets are also available to purchase on-line for the SPY WHO KILLED ME - charity fundraising murder mystery running in aid of M.S.

Please come along and give your support to the event.

We are also offering advertising places to companies that sponsor the event at the cost of £25 for a 1/4 page advertisment and £10 for a line of thanks. Any company interested - please email us directly.

Tickets can be purchased here: On-line ticket sales

This event is a great night out for family, friends and associates. We are also able to offer exclusive groups for groups of 45 for businesses wishing to use the event as client entertainment.

Where did Murder Mystery Games originate?

2009-08-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

It is an interesting topic of study and, although we don't have all the answers, one of our writers has done some research into it and has posted her research here:

Joanne Smedley talks about the origin of murder mystery games

New in store!

2009-08-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Mardi Gras Masquerade Murder! - Large group version by Kathy Roberson

Wealthy author and New Orleans resident, Louisiana Williams is throwing her annual Mardi Gras party.

The beads will fly and the booze will flow, but in the midst of all the revelry, poor Louisiana is found dead in the bathtub.

Help Inspector Claude Cluesnot and the rest of the colourful “krewe” try to decide who is the true masquerader in this Mardi Gras murder!

6-12 player dinner party versions to follow soon.

Photo Call - The Spy Who Killed Me! - Charity Murder Mystery

2009-08-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

A quick photo call by the local press for " A Spy Who Killed Me!"

Left to right: Back row: Jeanine Ridher (M), Sara Beasley (Diane Otherday), Joanne Smedley (Author), Jonathan Parrot (Boris Blastimov), Front Row: Gary Swan (Franco Scaryminger), Ann (Emma's Mother), Matt Storey (Des truct), Helen Kent (Lettica Bomb).

The two cast who couldn't make the photo as they were on holiday are: Heath Johnson (Walter P. Peekay) and Christina (Golden Eyes).

Tickets now on sale! See below for details!

Tickets on sale now for "A Spy Who Killed Me"

2009-08-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Spy Who Killed Me!

Date: 2nd October 2009
Time: Arrival 7 - 7.30pm
Venue:The Legacy Oaklands Country House Hotel, North East Lincs.
Cost: £19.95. Ticket price includes a free drink on arrival and a buffet.
All proceeds from the evening are being donated to the M.S. Society.
Contact: 01472 800605 or 0870 832 9909 for tickets or pay directly through our site (link below) and we will ship the tickets to you. (Buying tickets on-line rather than by cheque will incur a small additional charge of £1.05 to ensure that maximum money is donated to charity.

If you have never attended an organised murder mystery evening before then don’t worry. We won’t be asking you to act!

Instead the evening will incorporate a crime scene for super sleuths to investigate and six suspects to be interrogated as you move around the hotel. The night will be rounded off by the police arriving (phew!), to not only identify and arrest the guilty murderer, but to also award prizes to those people (or teams!) who got it right and those who arrived in the best fancy dress.

A buffet and a free drink on arrival are included in the ticket price and proceeds from the evening will be given to the M.S. Society.

We hope to see you on the night.

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS ON-LINE DIRECTLY

New in store!

2009-07-22T08:32:00.001-07:00

Mayhem at the Movies! 12 player, 10 player, 8 player and 6 player version

This week sees the release of the new blockbuster movie, “Birthday Girl!” starring Cameron Dietz.

Billed as the biggest hit since Titanic and more popular than Harry Potter, “Birthday Girl!” looks set to make box office history with fans already lining up outside the cinema to get a seat at the premiere.

Tonight, the star of the film, Cameron Dietz is holding a pre-release party and has invited cast, crew and selected film stars to join her for a private screening.

In order to celebrate the launch, and in a bid to prompt further media coverage, Cameron plans to wear the necklace which was custom designed specifically for the film.

The necklace, costing over $5,000,000, was hailed as socially unacceptable by the media given the current economic crisis and has been the subject of repeated condemnation in the press.

Tonight however, Cameron may have got more press coverage than she had hoped for, as the necklace has been stolen, and if the media were aghast at its original cost, then think of the outrage that will ensue at its sudden disappearance!

Listen to the teaser here: Inspector Bobby Wood reveals all.

New In store!

2009-07-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

A Corporate Murder! 12 player, 10 player, 8 player and 6 player version

Derek Terr, the Managing Director of Maiden Media is hosting a party at his mansion to celebrate a successful year.

He has invited selected staff to join him for an evening of fun, frivolity and fantastic cuisine, and to make sure the party goes with a swing he has hired an entertainer called Mr Warner.

Everything is going to plan. His guests watch Mr Warner’s magic show and there is just a short interval before dinner.

Mr Warner is left to pack up in the library while the guests mingle but unfortunately when his brother arrives to help him pack away Mr Warner is found dead!

Not surprisingly Mr Warner's brother is demanding answers! But the question is, who killed him?

Listen to the teaser here: Inspector Lou Netunes reveals all

New release!

2009-07-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Mayday, Mayday...Murder! - Large group version by Kathy Roberson.

What started out as a routine flight to the Galapagos Islands ended in disaster when, as the result of unforeseen weather, the aircraft was forced to crash-land on an uncharted island. Due to the skill of the pilot, Captain Skyler King, everyone survived unharmed…at least, that was the original situation.

Not long after the survival tents were pitched, the Captain was found dead in his tent. Was it from natural causes or will the next radio message be, “Mayday, Mayday…Murder”?

6-12 player dinner party versions to follow soon.

What can a murder mystery acheive in a school setting?

2009-07-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

Recently we were asked on our twitter feed how to “sell” a murder mystery event to a school. While we can’t reply to a question like that in 140 characters (who can?) We’ve posted a variety of reasons that you might decide to host a murder mystery as a school event.

However before we start on the many positive benefits on school mysteries we’ll “eliminate” the fundraising reason. Very quickly, and very simply: “yes, you can use a murder mystery for fundraising. You can make money for your school by asking parents to pay to take part, or even obtaining sponsorship deals to help finance a big performance.”

What we really want to tell you though is what benefits you can expect to see from running a game in terms of personal and social development etc. While we can’t cover everything (as the learning experience is so vast) we will touch on some of the basics.

And so, in no particular order – here it comes:

Encouraging parent participation in learning.

If you’ve been teaching the children crime scene investigation, or plan to move onto that subject then hosting a murder mystery makes a great introduction, or summing activity. If you were to select a game like “Murder at John Doe Middle School” which incorporates work stations, then the children can show their parents what they’ve learned in school and can use simple forensic tests to help solve a the case.

Communication skills

Data gathering and recording of relevant information – all our mysteries require some form of data gathering. Guests must make a decision on how to keep a record of the data they gather, which pieces of information are relevant, which are red herrings, which information they still have to find out. Information is usually recorded in some form, and guests need to decide what they record and whether they do this in a logical order.

Formulating appropriate questions – in our cast based games the guests are asked to come up with their own questions to pitch to the cast. This is a complex skill, requiring assimilation of data to formulate a pertinent question.

Bargaining/negotiation – this skill is shown most often in the clue based large group games as team vie for clues. However, it often crops up in the cast based games too, as they negotiate with the cast to obtain the answer they want.

Debating skills – as the mystery progresses teams start to try and work out who did what. People within the teams may have different ideas and without realising they will take turns to pitch these ideas to the group, backing up their theories.

Performing skills – if you decide to use a game which the pupils can act, then they will learn/practise acting skills.

Listening – guests must listen to the cast and listen to each other.

Organisational skills

Leadership – All teams will end up following someone, whether they are elected to this role or whether it simply happens. This leader will “run” the group of guests, establishing needs or priorities in the hunt for clues.

Planning and executing – if you ask the children to get involved in the planning of the event then they will learn a great deal about how to organise and plan an event. What kind of things need to be taken into account etc.

Allocating tasks / delegation – As in planning executing skills this can come from the event management, or during the game itself as the children work out which clues they still need to find, and which questions to ask. They may also delegate note taking to one person.

Interpersonal Skills

If you use a murder mystery where team work is essential then interpersonal skills are used throughout as teams discuss the suspects and their means and motives. Teams interact with other teams and with the cast.

If pupils take on an acting roll, then they also learn to interact at the performing level.

It is worth noting, that where mystery games help particularly with regards to interpersonal skills is not necessarily in the here and now, but the effect they have long term, in that they pupils, parent and staff a shared experience, something in common upon which they can build relationships.

Emotional learning

Guests will gradually gain confidence in their roles as detectives and as the event progresses their questions will be more pertinent.

There is no failure in failing to apprehend the suspect, the fun is in trying. Games allow failure, which should be a key growth factor in any learning environment.

Pupils can become involved in different aspects of planning and organising the event from acting to welcoming, to preparation of hand-outs and tickets, serving of food and drink, arranging background sets and props. In each area there is an opportunity for emotional growth and achievement.

Cognitive learning

A murder mystery like “Murder at John Doe Middle School” will act as a spring board for many different learning opportunities. Firstly there are the forensic tests, mock examples of which are included in the game, and which can link to many different areas on a science syllabus; but also schools can use a game as an opportunity to link to historical criminal cases, or pathology / anatomy studies.

Depending on where the game is set both historically and geographically, learning could progress onto the setting for the game.

Problem solving.

Guests must deduce the murderer, means and motive from a variety of different clues, using complex problem solving skills.

Obviously this is just a beginning. As all our games work slightly differently each game will respond to your learning targets differently.

If you want assistance to demonstrate how a murder mystery game will achieve your learning targets then please get in touch and we can help further.

New In Store

2009-07-08T02:55:00.000-07:00

A Midsummer Night's Scream

(Large group Single Room cast based game)

June 21st 1815 sees Austin House open to the village for a celebration unlike any other that has gone before. Emma Bleakwood, the only daughter of Colonel John Bleakwood, has come of age.

Keen to provide his darling Emma with a twenty-first birthday to remember, Colonel Bleakwood has invited the entire village to dine at his home. However, the evening does not go to plan. As the celebration commences the Bleakwood’s butler is found dead in the library.

With the butler dead, the question everyone must answer is: who did it?

Wishing all our American Customers a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

2009-07-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

For all our American Customers - Independence day is a great excuse for a party! You don't need to run a murder mystery - just grab some dogs and beer and have a blast!

If you get stuck for entertainment at the end of the night, then why not ply your guests with a couple of our quizzes - at under a dollar each, and with one "Independence Day Quiz" why not see if you really know all there is to know about your annual holiday!

Site update.

2009-06-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Red Herring Games has a slightly new look and feel to it as of today. New customers will see a new menu on the right hand side which contains more information on all our mystery products.

Throughout the site customers will also find photographs to brighten up the information pages.

We have created a couple of new pages to meet customer queries, but are still open to suggestions. If you feel we haven't answered all your questions, or if you'd like some more information about a particular product then let us know!

Place holder for the On-line blogging mystery

2009-06-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our on-line blogging mystery is still underconstruction and throughout this site you will find "place holder" text. Some obvious, some will be copies from our own website just filling space until such time as the mystery goes live at which point all these place holder spots will be filled in with CLUES!! (Exciting!!)

Meanwhile if you want to find out more about the on-line mystery and how to get involved, read more here: On-line Blogging mystery - find out more!

Hosting murder mystery games

2009-06-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

We sell murder mysteries and dinner party games in several different formats so it would be impossible to provide any hard and fast rules.

However, be assured that we do provide detailed instructions with all our games to make planning and running your event as easy as possible and we are always available for customer support throughout the run up to your event.

If this is your first time, and you have never hosted a murder mystery dinner party before then don’t worry - in most cases no one actually gets murdered!

A few quick pointers:

First and foremost make sure you begin your preparations well ahead of time. It sounds obvious, but make sure you have a good look through your game and if you need to print things off, or do any advance preparations with the clues etc, then get these done well ahead of time.

Assigning Guests:

One of the first steps in hosting a small group murder mystery is to assign your guests to a character. Read the character descriptions and where possible try and fit the guests you plan to invite to the characters themselves.

In large group games you will usually only assign a six or seven cast, the rest of your guests come as detectives. So if you are using a large group game then try to fit the characters to your actors.

Sending Invitations:

Send the invitations several weeks in advance where possible to allow your guests time to find suitable dress for the occasion.

Alternatively host the murder mystery as a surprise event! This also works well. For small group games you will need to have a selection of fancy dress / costume props for your guests to choose from on arrival at the party.

Large group games, specifically the semi-written, semi-scripted games are ideal for surprise additions to a dinner event.

If you want to make your party special, then consider customising your invitations yourself. A little bit of crafty know how is all that you need to do something really special. We provide further information on how to customise your game in our game packages.

Setting:

Where you hold the murder mystery party sets the stage for the party. Often a few minor alterations in your home can add some simple ambience to help get your guests in the mood. Use your game materials to help you decide how to decorate. All our games come with decoration and music ideas.

RUNNING THE EVENT:

By the time you get to this point you should have the game materials organised and sitting somewhere safe, a decorated room and some ambient music, as well as a simple menu that is set to go as soon as all your guests arrive.

You may want to keep a copy of the game instructions to hand during your event. The instructions help guide you through the mystery.

As the guests arrive they should be given any information they require for the game. For the small group games this consists of a booklet, for the large group games this is usually an instruction sheet or guest handout.

As you give it to them explain what is inside, and tell them anything important that they should know about how to play.

When everyone has arrived give them all time to read their information before you begin.

All our games run differently so there are no hard and fast rules as to what happens next. However, when you buy a game YOU will know! Honest!

New in store!

2009-06-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

A Corporate Murder!

Derek Terr, the Managing Director of Maiden Media is hosting a party at his mansion to celebrate a successful year.

He has invited selected staff to join him for an evening of fun, frivolity and fantastic cuisine, and to make sure the party goes with a swing he has hired an entertainer called Mr Warner.

Everything is going to plan. His guests watch Mr Warner’s magic show and there is just a short interval before dinner.

Mr Warner is left to pack up in the library while the guests mingle but unfortunately when his brother arrives to help him pack away Mr Warner is found dead!

Not surprisingly Mr Warner's brother is demanding answers! But the question is, who killed him?

6,8,10 and 12 player versions to follow shortly.

New in store!

2009-06-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Mayhem at the Movies large group all girl mystery only game

This week sees the release of the new blockbuster movie, “Birthday Girl!” starring Cameron Dietz.

Tonight, the star of the film, Cameron Dietz is holding a pre-release party and has invited cast, crew and selected film stars to join her for a private screening.

In order to celebrate the launch, and in a bid to prompt further media coverage, Cameron plans to wear the necklace which was custom designed specifically for the film.

The necklace, costing over $5,000,000, was hailed as socially unacceptable by the media given the current economic crisis and has been the subject of repeated condemnation in the press.

6,8,10 and 12 player versions to follow shortly.

On-line blogging mystery - what is it?

2009-06-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Since our initial announcement back in April, we've had one or two questions from prospective hosts about our on-line bloggin mystery. To try and pull all the questions together in one place, and so other interested parties can understand we've compiled a list of FAQ below:

What is it?

Basically it's a murder mystery run across the internet a bit like a treasure hunt, but with the added element of problem solving. Clues will be scattered around different sites, taking the form of clues about motive, means and murderer, as well as background information and crime scene reports.

What does it entail to host a clue?

The whole idea of the game is that it is free to take part in. As host you benefit by getting aditional traffic to your site as people follow the trail of clues.

Any clue hosts would need to create a "page" for the clue they host (e.g. a blog entry or .php,.pdf or .html page). We will provide the clue information to go on this page and the next link in the chain of the game to lead to the next clue. If hosts wish to provide information on the clue page about their own product/services which might be of interest to visitors that is fine with us, as they are hosting the clue for free, but the clue and link must be the most prominent part of the page.

Taking part would be a novel way of driving traffic to your site, and it's all a bit of fun!

Are you offering prizes?

The first to correctly guess the murderer, means and motive will win a prize after the game goes live. All subsequent winners will recieve a voucher they can use against a purchase from our site. We'd love to give something to everyone, but we are running the game for free.

Will you list the solution?

No! That would ruin the game! At the end of the game participants will be asked to email us with their answers - all emails will be read and a solution will be emailed back.

How long until the game goes live?

At the moment the game is still under construction. We still have to arrange for the film crew to shoot the first installment, compile a list of clue-hosting sites and arrange the links etc. We had hoped to be up and running at the end of the summer, but a lot depends on the film crew's schedule and how soon they can fit us in. Best guestimate right now is late autumn, but we might go live sooner than that. (Here's hoping!)

What rating will the game have? Will it be suitable for teenagers?

The game will be a mild teen rated game. With the internet open to so many people these days we will be keeping the content clear of any "hot topics". That doesn't mean it will be boring however! A lot of our games are already TEEN rated and are still great fun! It just means there won't be anything controversial. Obviously we will be asking clue hosts to keep their addtional information on the clue page clear of "controversial" material too.

How do I register to be a clue host?

Simply drop us an email at info@red-herring-games.co.uk to register your interest and we'll be in touch in due course.

How do I register as a player?

No registration is required. When the goes live you can just opt to play. if you are worried about missing the launch then please email us to recieve your own notification or follow us on twitter. Username: redherringgames

We'll keep this page updated as new questions come in.

New in Store!

2009-06-17T03:47:00.001-07:00

Murder at the Manor

Tucked away on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Healing Manor is a fine example of a traditional estate dwelling. Over the last few months, both the manor and its grounds have been lovingly restored and improved to create a unique leisure experience.

With refurbishments complete on the Bar and Restaurant, it was time to hold an extravagant opening night, allowing the guests to experience the wide range of cuisine on offer while touring the manor’s impressive facilities, fabulous gardens and water features.

Unfortunately, this evening has been thrown into disarray by the discovery of a dead body in the manor’s grounds; the current owner of Healing Manor, Mark Roundim.
With the recent police force cuts prompted by the credit crunch, the investigating officer has been unavoidably detained. Rather than lose business, Miss Tracy Roundim, the daughter of the deceased, has put her grief to one side and decided to use the murder to the hotel’s advantage, offering all the guests the opportunity to take part in a real murder enquiry!

The question is: can you solve the murder of who killed Mark Roundim before the police arrive?

Coming Soon!

2009-06-16T01:50:00.001-07:00

July will be a busy month of game releases!

Keep your eyes open for:

Mayday, Mayday...Murder! By Kathy Roberson.

A Midsummer Night's Scream

Mayhem at the Movies and

A corporate murder by Joanne Smedley.

We've joined twitter.

2009-06-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Red Herring Games can now be found on twitter.

Place holder for the on-line blogging mystery.

2009-06-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

PLACE HOLDER....

ON-LINE BLOGGING MYSTERY COMING SOON

WATCH THIS SPACE.

Another custom game customer happy!

2009-06-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

This customer requested an 18 player game for a teen school trip.

We met their timescale and worked closely with them to really make the most of their selected theme and ideas.

This is what they said:

Just to let you know that your game was extremely well received by our kids on Saturday night. They chose their characters based on the riddle we wrote on the Friday afternoon but didn't tell them about the game.

Then on Saturday evening before we ate we provided each with appropriate costumes, this added to the good spirits (especially as some of the boys had chosen female parts!!!).

We then started the game at about 8 after we had eaten. All of the children really enjoyed themselves, the game lasted about 3 hours (with lots of opportunities for the pupils to interract individually) and we rewarded those who had guessed correctly at the end. It was the perfect end to a great day of activities!

Thank-you.

Murder at the Manor - postponed.

2009-06-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent tragic murder in Grimsby, Healing Manor and Red Herring Games have made the decision to postpone the murder mystery event on the night of the 16th June until later in the year.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Claire Wilson.

Review - Dishonour on the RMS Gigantic.

2009-06-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Are custom games worth the money?

Why not ask our customers!

RMS Gigantic was originally custom written for a client to celebrate their parents wedding anniversary. This is what they said:

I just wanted to send a big thanks to both of you for the RMS Gigantic mystery. It made for a wonderful evening which everyone enjoyed thoroughly! We all loved the way each of the characters was tailored to each one of us and everyone got really into because of how well it was written. Mark - thanks for writing such a great mystery and taking on board all the info I gave you as it definitely made the mystery more meaningful to all the guests. Jo - thanks for all your help and for keeping me updated throughout the whole process, it helped make organising the party less stressful!

We are now looking forward to holding another mystery party!

New in store!

2009-06-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mobsters, Molls and Murder!

It’s the roaring twenties! Everyone has money, and life is free and easy.

It is a dynamic age. Motor cars, movies, radio and all manner of modern appliances and inventions are hitting the streets and amongst it all, the flappers are parading their redefinition of womanhood, with bobbed hair, ever shortening skirts and a release from the traditional corsets.

In America, Prohibition is still in full swing and while it makes alcohol a difficult commodity to attain, it certainly isn’t impossible.

Mickey Scapone is boss of one of the largest gangs responsible for importing the contraband. He owns Swingers, arguably the most popular speakeasy in all Chicago. From bodyguards to sassy jazz singers, alcohol to fine dining, this hip club has everything.

And tonight – it even has a murder. Mickey Scapone, the big boss himself, is dead.

The only problem is – who killed him?

To find out more information about this multi-room large group murder mystery game click here: Mobsters, Molls and Murder!