Guilty Party Mysteries

06/17/2024

If you want to host a murder mystery party at home, the very basic that you need to budget for is the download of your kit and the supplies to print on. That is all. Kits usually range anywhere from $10 to $50 depending on what you are looking for and how many characters are needed.

A murder mystery kit usually includes everything that you need to host the party, but assembly is required. So you'll need a place to print all the materials and paper to print them on, as well as a way to cut each item out. If you want perfectly measured and cut lines, you might want to invest in a guillotine, but scissors do the job just as well.

Beyond these things, you can increase your budget for food, decorations, drinks, and prizes. But none of these things are necessary. Our suggestion is to purchase your kit and organize the materials before deciding on the rest. Once you've seen everything that's included in your murder mystery kit, build your decorations and prizes from there. You can check out our Pinterest board (linked below) for inspiration at your next murder mystery party and build your budget from there!

Happy sleuthing!

https://www.pinterest.com/GuiltyPartyMysteries/_saved/ for inspiration at your next murder mystery party and build your budget from there.

06/14/2024

FAQ Friday

The most basic information you'll need to know before you decide on a murder mystery game is where and when your event will be, how many guests you anticipate, and what kind of theme you'll want to use. This will help you narrow your search down to the perfect murder mystery kit to suit your needs.

The rest of the details can come after deciding which game to go with, as the kit itself can help guide you through your decision-making.

06/12/2024

At the age of 17, Rossa Matilda Richter was the first person to ever be shot from a cannon. With the stage name Zazel, Rossa wowed audiences for decades to come. In her later life (and following several accidents) she educated the public, advocating for the use of nets in high-risk stunts. She has a diverse biography filled with entertainment and challenges, particularly as a female performer in a time when athleticism was not a praised quality for women, among other traits. However, she continued doing what she loved as long as she could until a near-death accident broke her back and she was forced to medically retire from show business.

Our Carnival of Curiosities event will bring life back to Rossa with the character of Rosie Riter, a determined and athletic human cannonball who fights for high-quality nets used in all performances. This is a murder mystery, where characters hardly ever get their way, so you can imagine the push-back she'll likely receive.

Stay tuned for more historical figures you can find in our upcoming events 🔎

06/11/2024

The biggest tip I have for you at a murder mystery party is to talk to as many of the other characters as possible. You don't have to talk to them all at once, and you certainly don't have to make a show of it. But you should gather information from everyone and find out their story.

A murder mystery party is nothing more than a puzzle and all the pieces to it are scattered between the characters. Each person holds vital information to solve the case. You'll have a big gaping hole in the middle of your picture if you don't have all the pieces.

Here's a helpful hint for introverts: send a friend to gather the information or talk another guest into sharing everything they learned from the other characters so you don't have to speak to more than a couple people at the party.

06/07/2024

FAQ Friday

Victim kits are a fun way to incorporate a little extra creativity into your party. Your options are endless when it comes to filling your victim kit, but I like to start with a few basic rules of thumb.

First, make sure it's easily identifiable. A specific colored party bag or an obvious tag should do the trick. Place the kit somewhere that regular guests won't just stumble upon, but where your victim will easily be able to find it.

Then, fill it with whatever necessary items your PDF kit offers. This usually includes some form of instruction card, a sign for your victim to wear, or other printable items.

Lastly, add a little of your own flair. If you decide to find out the cause of death, add items to allow your victim to create a wound mark or signs of poisoning, such as fake blood or face paint. You can add a mask or a tee shirt that is dyed red so that your guest can transform without a big mess. You might even want to add the actual murder weapon for fun as well.

It is entirely up to you what you want to put in your kit, and entirely up to your victim what they want to use to bring the death scene to life. We suggest adding a few different options and letting your victim choose for themself which items they'd like to use.

The more creative you get with your victim kit, the more dramatic your crime scene can become!

06/06/2024

Mayhem is afoot at the 🎪 Carnival of Curiosities! Coming this October 🍂 to Lakewood Lodge in Northern Minnesota's backcountry--the perfect place to cover up a murder 🔪 Take on the role of a character and dive head-first into the twisted story or sit back and watch it all play out before you in a non-character role. This is a family-friendly event and kids of all ages are welcome to join in on the carnival games 🍿 and activities!

There are two weekends to choose from: 10/11-10/13 and 10/18-10/20
Click the link below to sign up today!
https://www.guiltypartymysteries.com/events/

06/05/2024

If you're wondering whether we use AI to build our stories - we couldn't even if we wanted to. They don't like it when we ask questions about plotting a murder 🤷‍♀️

06/04/2024

Adding money exchange to a murder mystery event is an opportunity to add challenge and drama! It can be included as a bonus prize to any murder mystery event but is never necessary. It's just a fun way to elevate your experience 🤑

Follow for more murder mystery tips

05/31/2024

FAQ Friday

This will depend on the game download you choose. Every murder mystery game has a minimum number of characters needed for the event. Typically the number varies between 6-12 minimum. This often depends on the overall size of the party. If the characters expand to a large group, the minimum number of required characters will be larger to accommodate the spread of information and vice versa. Make sure to check that number and verify you have that many guests coming before making your purchase.

05/30/2024

Going to start keeping tabs on the weird Google searches I have each month. I swear, it's all for fun.

05/28/2024

We have merch! Elevate your murder mystery weekend with festive gear to fit the theme. How about a cozy long-sleeved tee that is the perfect fit for anyone? Or a bag to carry all of your evidence and other goodies around the resort?

These are just a few examples of our immersive weekend merch, but there is more to come!

Please note, all items are print-on-demand only. We are a small business without the space to hold any stock, so you'll have to purchase them online ahead of time before the event.

Click the link below to explore your options:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GuiltyPartyMysteries?ref=shop_sections_largest&listing_id=1653521284§ion_id=49051097

05/24/2024

FAQ Friday

Awarding prizes is one of the most fun and creative ways to show appreciation to your guests. And honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to prizes.

Award prizes for any of the following categories, or make up your own!
✨ Super Slueth (obviously)
✨ Best Costume
✨ Most Money
✨ Best "Acting"
✨ Most Dramatic Death
✨ Shadiest Character
✨ Best Poker Face
✨ Most Off-Track

A few suggestions for the prizes to award include gift cards, hand-made trophies, a bottle of wine, a gift basket, and cold hard cash.

What prizes will you be handing out at your next event?

05/21/2024

We always offer 🧐 detective roles for anyone who doesn't want the pressure of playing a character. This example is from our '90s garage party 💾 Murder in the Shadows. All of our detectives are given prompts to find out information 🔎 from the other characters, but they also have the option to sit it out if they don't feel like playing ✨

🪰No one has to feel like a fly on the wall...unless you want to. It's entirely up to you how involved you want to be when you play a detective. Plus, you can choose to dress up in theme with the characters 👩‍🎤or pick out your favorite PI gear 🕵️‍♂️ to rep.

What kind of role would you like to take on at your next murder mystery event?

05/20/2024

Last week, Jason and I had a spontaneous trip to Salem. Like, we booked our tickets barely a week before.

During our travels we learned all about the witch city and its lustrous history full of dark deeds and literal witch hunts. But despite the horrible tragedies of the past, this town blossoms today. It's full of energy and playfulness and spooky traditions year-round.

We took the opportunity to use our trip as research - witch trial themed murder mystery weekend at Lakewood Lodge in October 2025!

We want to encourage you to take opportunities to be spontaneous and throw the to-do list out the window for a day or a weekend. Do something outside your comfort zone. Go for a drive with no destination in mind. Buy the plane ticket you've been eyeing up. Do something totally wild just because.

05/20/2024

A lot of factors go into choosing the right murder mystery party for your next event, but I'll be the one to tell you - it all comes down to what you want in a party. Pick something that sounds fun for you to host and your joy in hosting will be contagious to your guests. If you're having fun planning and hosting, I can guarantee they will have just as much fun attending.

The one strong recommendation I have for anyone looking online for a murder mystery download is to find a small business to buy from. You will have a more curated and unique event that isn't a template of all the others (once you play one, you've played them all) and you will have a much better customer service experience with personalized responses. That's just my two cents. Please reach out if you'd like specific recommendations, because I have plenty!

05/17/2024

FAQ Friday

Use as much time as you'd like to prepare for your murder mystery event! Personally, planning and prepping are my favorite parts of hosting, so take a few weeks to enjoy yourself and get creative. The more time you give yourself to plan, the more relaxed you're going to be on event day.

05/11/2024

Just a thought 👀

Think of it as a live-action game of Clue, but at the circus 🎪

05/10/2024

FAQ Friday

Usually, murder mystery parties are not scripted. If it is a guest participation event, you will receive some kind of prompt or round card that will give you talking points and a backstory to share with others. There is no line for line reading and normally there is no speaking in front of a whole crowd unless you want to. Most of the time, you're just enjoying some side conversations with the other characters and bargaining for pieces of information.

05/06/2024

If you've attended any of our events at Lodge , you'll know that we like to stick to gender-neutral characters so that anyone can play any of the characters and we don't need to rely on a certain number of men and/or women taking part.

However, with October's event, we have changed things up a bit. But for good reason. Many of the characters remain gender-neutral for anyone to play, but a few have been assigned to a specific s*x. This is because of our extensive research into the history of the circus and carnival industry. There were several very prominent people in history that we wanted to highlight and pay respect to. Some of the characters share a trait or two with them and others have little more in common than the role they play in the circus. Just know that every choice in character was calculated and we want to honor some incredible performers in history. And yes, we still sneak in a few tongue-in-cheek names when we get the opportunity.

Stay tuned as we highlight some of these people and their stories leading up to the event.

You can find more information about this event at the link in our bio. See you in October!

05/03/2024

FAQ Friday

Murder mystery events can last anywhere from two hours to two days, depending on what you sign up for. Typically, any kind of murder mystery dinner party won't go longer than 2.5 to 3 hours. Variables that contribute to this include how well the guests know one another and how invested in the story they become. You can always make it more drawn out by including meals and activities between rounds to break up the tension a bit. If you plan to host a murder mystery event, play around with the timeline and have fun.

05/02/2024

Can you write a murder mystery party in a few days time? Yes. Can you host a murder mystery party in a few days time? Sure can. But I don't recommend it. You owe it to yourself and to your guests to take your time and create an unforgettable experience.

Should you decide to write/host one in a short amount of time, I will do everything I can to help you make that happen, but I can't work a miracle. The sooner you decide on a murder mystery for your next event and start planning, the better.

04/28/2024

We are closing in on just five months shy of our 🎪 murder mystery weekend! As always, there will be plenty of downtime to enjoy the amenities of the resort and surrounding area. This year we've added a carnival midway🍿that will be additional entertainment ((and possible bonus challenges to win information?? 👀)). The gameplay of the murder mystery will be more relaxed so that you can enjoy a 🍂 cozy weekend at your own pace.

This is a family-friendly event, so bring your kids! More details below

https://www.guiltypartymysteries.com/events/

04/27/2024

Some of the best-learned lessons have come from the opportunity to host murder mystery events with you. We hope you took away from your experience as much as we did. Thank you for being weird with us.

04/26/2024

FAQ Friday

This depends on what kind of murder mystery you attend. But for the most part, no. Even when spooky elements are added to the story or setting, the event is meant to be playful and silly at its core. The scariest part about a murder mystery party is stepping a toe outside your comfort zone. And even then, you only have to if you want to.

04/24/2024

Use the currency offered in your investigation kit to bribe secrets and rumors out of the other guests and give yourself a leg up in solving the crime. Several cabins are still available for the Carnival of Curiosities mystery weekends at Lakewood Lodge. Check the link below for more details.

https://www.guiltypartymysteries.com/events/

04/23/2024

Character secrets are crucial when writing a murder mystery party because in order to look guilty or suspicious, a character needs to have something to hide. Make more dynamic characters and build motives by crafting the perfect character secrets.

What secrets will you be giving your characters?

04/23/2024

Character secrets reveal a lot about a character and help narrow down your suspect list to find your guilty party. They are often the driving force behind the motive. Learn someone's biggest secret, and you'll be well on your way to solving the crime.

04/22/2024

Here are some helpful tips on where to start when hosting your own murder mystery party in the home. Whether you're looking for something small and intimate or large and extravagant, the steps are relatively the same. If you'd like some suggestions on where to look for good-quality murder mystery downloads, let us know!

04/20/2024

Carnival of Curiosities Mystery Weekend

Spend the weekend at the luxurious ✨ Lakewood Lodge ✨ while you solve a heinous crime 🔪 throughout the weekend. The theme is carnival 🎪 and there will be a carnival midway with snacks, drinks, games, and prizes 🍿 The mystery will last the whole weekend but don't worry, you'll have plenty of downtime to enjoy the resort amenities and relax 🗝 in your cabin. Check the link below for more details and to secure your private cabin today!

This event is available for TWO whole weekends this October!

https://www.guiltypartymysteries.com/events/

Carnival of Curiosities : : : Tickets include Entire cabin for you ... 11 - 13 Oct 3:00 pm - 11:00 am Lakewood Lodge53026 County Road 35 Deer River, MN 56636 REGISTER

04/19/2024

FAQ Friday

A murder mystery party is a form of entertainment at any kind of event, where guests partake in a mystery story. It's a great way to break the ice, offer team building, or just have some playful fun. Guests may take on roles of the characters with prompts, backstories, and secrets, or they may be mere spectators who watch the murder unfold in front of them. Either way, it is always up to the guests to determine whodunnit and solve the crime before the end of the event.

I promise you, it's a terrible time. Check it out for yourself!