Frequently asked questions

Our games are easy and simply to play, and include everything you need to get started. Take a look at our where to start page for help selecting the right game and format.

New? Not to worry! We deal with novice hosts every day.

Murder mystery evenings come in many different shapes and forms.

We retail kits for domestic/private parties, fundraising and for commercial users- and on top of all that we also event manage – so you’ve reached the “one stop murder shop!”

If you’re just looking to buy a dinner party then we have a range of DIY dinner party games.

If you are thinking of organising an event yourself for a large number of people we suggest you visit the page Choosing an event script. Which explains more about each format of large group game we stock.

We’ve done our best to order the games by theme. This will help you decide quickly which sort of theme you’d like to run. We’ve also given you the option to search by most popular, number of attendees or by rating. You can also review what people have said about the games by looking at our reviews section and pick one that way.

If you are still unsure where to start, then have a think about the guests you plan to invite first. Get together a list of your likely attendees and look through a few game titles which “float your boat”. Can you imagine your friends in those character roles? If the answer is “yes” then you’ve found the game for you!

When all else fails – feel free to call us for some advice on +44 (0)2030 112 215 or email us. We’ve played over half of the games in the catalogue ourselves, and the boss has proofed every single one, so someone in the office will be able to short-cut to the right game for you.

We provide all of our mystery games as DIY kits enabling you to organise and run your own murder mystery using your own guests as suspects or cast.

Doing it yourself reduces the cost of running a murder mystery evening significantly, as you aren’t paying for anyone to come in and host it for you.

All of our murder mystery dinner party games come in two formats – Downloadable and Printed. So you have the choice of downloading and printing it yourself, or simply having the kit arrive ready to go.

When it comes to scripts, you need to decide if you’re running it commercially or not. Further details on what our criteria are, is within the FAQ section.

10-12 years of age is an awkward time in a child’s life. Children of this age will either enjoy the children’s party games or the 6-20 player party games dependent on their maturity. (Most prefer the party games.)

Please remember, the dinner party games are rated TEEN not for their suitability for age reading levels but for content. Most games in the TEEN category will contain no more strong language/themes than you would find in an average 12 rated film, however the language or plot lines may be complicated for very young minds to understand. In most cases the scripted dialogues between rounds acts as a good guide for the rated content within the games. If you see a game you like the sound of, then download the free sample booklet to act as a gauge of content. If you are still unsure of the suitability of a game, then please call us or email us to clarify the content of a particular game. If you have a range of ages and reading abilities at the party – do reach out – as we can often suggest how to adapt the games, or adapt them to suit for a small fee.

Large group mystery games come in a variety of formats and you need to pick a format that will work best for you and your event.

We sell a variety of games which may suit, from single stage performances to multi-room performances that will get your guests visiting many different rooms.

Some games work best conducted at a table – the perfect choice for mystery meals. Other games are run with guests visiting different rooms and listening to cast talking.

We have a guide to help you pick. You can find that HERE.

Then don’t worry – you don’t have to! At Red Herring Games we offer event management for murder mystery evenings within the UK. If you live outside the UK and would also prefer to hire a company to run your event then please email us. We have contacts internationally and may still be able to run the event of your choice.

Costs for event managing your murder mystery evening depend on the style of mystery you choose and the level of involvement you desire from us.

We provide a free quotation so if in doubt, please email us so we can discuss your requirements and provide you with a competitive quote for your evening.

The two game packs are identical. Just with one YOU print the files or use them on a screen, and with the other, we deliver the physical box to your door. Both work exactly the same, but if playing online – you’ll find the virtual copy is easier to handle. You get a copy of the digital pack when ordering the boxed set, which allows you to start planning immediately. You can upgrade from the virtual to the hard copy at any point by just emailing us.

Our content ratings are based on the ESRB rating scheme.

All of our games are suitable for a reading age of 10+ though they may contain language that is difficult for some children to comprehend.

All ratings are based on content NOT suitability, which means TEEN games are CLEAN games, rather than only being suitable for teenagers.

TEEN games are often games which are most suitable for mixed audiences, corporate and church groups.

It is worth noting that all our murder mystery games are rated TEEN or above as murder counts as violence for younger children. Some children younger than teens will handle the reading level of a standard murder mystery plot but parents may find the content inappropriate. Which is why we always detail the content of our games so you can make a determination of your own. If in doubt – take a look at the free sample booklet to check this is OK for your group.

It is possible for us to adjust the reading level on some games to make it possible for younger children to play – if you think you’d like this – please just email us for help.

TEEN games will contain “tame” plot lines. This can include plot lines like

• A game with a character who has had a string of monogamous relationships, where all relationships are kept “non-sexual” for the purposes of the game e.g. someone who is two timing a girl.
• There may be mild innuendo in the booklet, but when played this could be hammed up, or toned down depending on the person acting the role.
• Alcohol may be mentioned in the game, but it will not include references to drinking to excess.
• Illegal drugs will not be mentioned within the game, but legal drugs e.g. paracetamol, anti-anxiety tablets could be.
• There will be no explicit language, however where the odd mild swear word appears in song lyrics e.g. in Murder at the Music Awards, this will still be present in the game. The word “Sex” may crop up, but not in a sordid context. e.g. a character might say “don’t mentioned the “sex” word.”

MATURE rated games don’t necessarily mean the games contain explicit language, or sexual references. However the themes will be more gritty. To give you some examples:

• A character may have taken /dealt in illegal drugs.
• A character may reference overindulging in alcohol
• A character may gamble.
• A character may be the result of an illegitimate relationship, or is pregnant
• A character’s sexual orientation may form part of the plot or character description.
• A character may have been polygamous, or discusses relationships of a sexual nature. (e.g. having affairs)
• Other illegal behaviour, and content that you’d normally only see on TV after 9pm.

If you are unsure which game is appropriate for your group – there are two things you can try. The first is to open up the “trial booklet” which will give you a sample character from a 6 player game. The second is to call us on +44 (0)2030 112 215 and we’ll chat to you about the content of the games and help you find the one most appropriate for your party.

We supply several different styles of murder mystery evening which means it’s hard to provide any “hard and fast” rules as to what an evening will entail.

However, just to give you an idea, if you have a fully cast event, then as guests you act as detectives. Your role is to watch, listen and interrogate. However, if you opt for a participative game then YOU are the suspects which means you have a bigger role to play in the evening and ONE of you will be the murderer!

Most of our regular bookings are taken once customers have already arranged their venue, so we rarely get involved in this aspect of your party; however, every now and again we are approached by someone who would like help finding a venue too and we’re happy to give details of venues we’ve worked with in the past or obtain recommendations for you.

As our host we ask that you provide the cast with a meal and drinks during the evening. We will bring the game materials and any props needed. It is up to you if you want to dress the venue appropriate to the theme and we will provide you with information to help with ideas for this. Although it’s not essential, it does add to the atmosphere.

We usually bring prizes and certificates with us to most events, but we can advise on additional suitable prizes if you’d prefer to provide these yourselves.

Costs vary dependent on the style of evening chosen and your location. However, we realise that most people want to be given a “ball park” figure early on, as this helps them to know what they can afford. We can say it’s not as costly as you might think and prices start from £249.99 for a commercial script.

We write weekend murder mysteries to order as these events are usually bespoke to each venue. Due to this fact and that it requires actors over two evenings, prices start at around £3500.

We do supply scripts to many of our clients. These are available on a single use, single venue license. If your evening is “not for profit” (i.e. a private party or a fundraising event), then you should shop with us under a domestic license. If your event is to be a commercial event (e.g. a guest house with paying guests, a hotel or an Am Dram group who is being hired in to run an evening), then you should be shopping as a commercial customer. Please be honest with us, as we pay our authors a royalty fee and it’s important our authors are properly paid for the time and effort they have put into writing the game for your enjoyment.

We are always adding to our acting database and are happy to be contacted by prospective actors in any part of the UK. Please email us your CV.

If you think you have the skills you need to act as our licensed provider within your region, taking responsibility for casting and running events booked through us and acquiring and running your own bookings please get in touch.

Franchise holders have their own operating patch and provide our evenings under license.

We have very strict operating guidelines to maintain quality, and provide our licensees with friendly support day to day, so we don’t take people on lightly. All approaches should be made initially via email.

Downloadable kit

If you’ve never bought a downloadable murder mystery game on-line before, or never played one (downloadable or otherwise) and want to find out more about it, then don’t worry – you aren’t the first. We are so confident in the quality of our games – when you buy from us you are guaranteed a great night in or your money back!

All our downloadable dinner parties are supplied with:

• Full instructions Each game contains information on how to use the downloaded files including details on printing etc, instructions for running the mystery itself, as well as hints and tips from previous customers.
• A guide for making the most of your theme. Including ideas for personalising your game materials, recipe suggestions, alternative menu choices, home decoration, appropriate music, and additional after dinner games/activities to compliment your murder mystery.
• Invitations. Designed for double sided printing, or for digital sending, these invitations come with a colour cover design and all the information your guests need to know.
• Easy print character booklets. All our booklets take advantage of the progress of modern printers and the progress of modern devices where you can view PDFs digitally. They are set up as “page per view” making them easy to convert into A5 booklets for printing, which also makes them easy to print out large print for those who struggle to see small print. Full instructions for how to print into booklets if your printer is an older model are also supplied.
• Script for an optional inspector. This inspector part can be taken by the host, allowing you to invite one additional dinner guest as a character if wished.
• MP3 Sound files and Video link to the optional inspector played by an experienced actor for your enjoyment. All our party kits come with an MP3 voice over, Video and printable file as standard. This allows the host to take part as a character and remain totally in the dark themselves as to who the murderer is!

Printed kits

When you select the printed option – what you are asking us to do is print your game for you. Your game will arrive by post, printed, ready assembled and packaged in a box.

Printed kits are exactly the same as downloadable kits, in terms of content – it’s just that instead of you printing the game, we print the game for you and it will arrive ready to go. We also include envelopes for your invitations, and seal the inspector booklet in an envelope to prevent accidental viewing.

Because we print in-house we can customise even our printed orders, so please get in touch if you need something special e.g. a name adding to the invitations for a birthday, changing the image of a game. Minor changes can cost as little as £35.

If you aren’t sure whether you would like us to print your game for you – then we are happy for you to change your mind. Simply contact us after purchasing the downloadable game and we will arrange to print and ship your order to you after you make the additional payment.

6-20 player dinner party games will contain the following:

• Instructions which will include how to run your game, how to make the most of your theme, hints and tips, suggested recipes and a money off coupon towards next purchase.
• Invitations
• Envelopes for the above
• Link to the Mp3 and Video inspector so you can download the files or watch/listen directly.
• Character booklets
• Inspector booklet in a sealed envelope to prevent accidental viewing.
• Name sticker badges for your guests

Large group scripts will contain the following:

• Instructions which will include how to run your game, how to make the most of your theme, and a money off coupon towards next purchase.
• Invitation/flyer – one copy unless otherwise requested.
• Scripts and/or character booklets for your cast – one copy unless otherwise requested.
• Guest handouts – quantity varies between game formats.
• Name sticker badges for your cast

If you would like to order more copies of game materials then just get in touch. Each order is priced on an individual basis depending on numbers required and the weight.

Please note postage costs are not included in the printed kit prices – these are added during check out.

This additional fee (charged on top of the downloadable game price) is to cover:

• High quality colour laser printing and high quality paper.
• Collating, stapling, assembling and packaging the game materials.
• Supply of all printing, paper and assembly materials associated with the above.
• Staff costs associated with formatting, assembly and packaging the games for sale.
• Packaging.
• Insurance.

If you would like us to customise your game materials prior to printing please get in touch with us directly prior to purchase so we can identify more clearly what you would like and build in any extra charges as needed.

You receive a complete "Party in a Box": Character booklets, Host Guide, Invitations, Evidence, and access to MP3 audio and video files for the Inspector’s narration.

In our murder mystery games for dinner parties we provide a voice recording for an inspector who leads you through the mystery game, providing an introduction, case updates, summary and conclusion.

These voice over MP3 files are exactly identical to the character booklet for the inspector which is also provided at no extra charge.

Using the voice over files on the night means you and your guests can all play a suspect. If you would prefer to facilitate the mystery yourself as the inspector then you can use the character booklet provided instead.

All our MP3 files are recorded professionally. When we adapt a game to order we cannot always amend these voice over files as we do not have a recording studio in our offices! However we have an arrangement with the people who do our recordings, and if you request an adaptation and still want the voice over part we can negotiate a one-off recording cost for you, charges will apply. One off recordings take time to create and we usually need at least a month’s notice to create one for you.

Not at all. If you choose the paperless route, your guests just need to be able to open a PDF on their phone which is something almost everyone can do! If you prefer the classic feel, you can simply print the booklets out and hand them to your guests as they arrive. No special apps or software required.

If you would like some files in MSword rather than PDF to allow you to adjust designs, booklet titles, names or add a picture of your choice then please contact us after purchasing your game and request it. Please make sure you quote your order reference number so we can find which game you ordered, and we will forward you an MSword copy as soon as we can.

Sometimes it is easier if we adapt the booklets for you, so if you want a customisation to format then please get in touch and we’ll try and help.

All our dinner party game booklets print single sided for ease of use. If you would prefer a double sided copy then we can do this for you – please get in touch.

If you order a downloadable kit – the kit should be available instantly on a download link – and will also arrive via email with a link for you to download it.

If you order a printed kit or accessories and elect for standard service – this is shipped 48 tracked within the UK and Airmail outside the UK.

Approx arrival times for 48 hour tracked and airmail are:

• UK – 3-4 working days (the Royal Mail don’t guarantee 48 hours and it often enters the system at the end of the working day).
• Europe 7-10 working days
• Rest of World – 14-28 working days

If you elect for expedited shipping – we use a Courier or Royal Mail Next Day Delivery within the UK; and a courier outside the UK.

Approx arrival times on Expedited shipping are:

• UK – 1-2 working days
• Europe – 3-7 working days
• Rest of World – 3-9 working days

We have no machines in the office that handle distribution. All orders at Red Herring Games are handled and processed by real people and we always endeavour to ship orders within 48 hours.

If you received a dispatch confirmation email from us, we received your order and have shipped it.

So if it hasn’t arrived when you were expecting, it means, sadly, that your order may have fallen victim to “natural causes”.

Mail men occasionally drop packages in puddles, trains are occasionally robbed, boats sink, and conveyor belts sometimes chew up post.

If the order hasn’t arrived when you were expecting just get in touch so we can see if we can find out what has gone wrong and get a replacement to you ASAP!

International shipping can take as much as 21 days – however, if you need it quickly and fear it may have fallen victim to the postal gremlins, contact us and we will see what we can do to help!

Obviously if you ordered a downloadable product, we aren’t shipping that one to you – instead you’ll find that in your account ready and waiting for you.

Don’t worry if you suddenly find you need to change an order. We’re used to this. Party planning rarely runs as smoothly as people expect!

Friends who say they can’t come are suddenly worried they’re missing out on the “event of the century” and tell you they can make it after all, other friends suddenly wave off the party as they’ve just won an all expenses trip to Vegas… It happens.

If you know within 24 hours of placing the order that you have the wrong size kit, please email us immediately. We may be able to call a halt to the posted kit before it leaves the office and work out a quick exchange. If you are sizing up – there may be a small charge to pay. if you are sizing down, you may be eligible for a refund!

If the printed kit has already left the office, we are happy to exchange the game, however additional shipping fees may apply.

Usually, so long as you pay to return the original kit ordered at your own expense, we will meet you half way and ship you a replacement kit at our own expense. However if we have custom produced a kit for you, we may not be able to resell the returned item and additional fees may be incurred.

If it’s a downloadable kit – we can just arrange a direct swap with you once you’ve paid any upgrade fees. Simples.

There are several reasons your order may not be complete when it arrives.

Sometimes we split an order to take advantage of the best postage rate or service. This often happens if you order multiple kits, or several large accessories or gifts.

If the rest of your order fails to show up within a week please get in touch. Just occasionally we make a mistake or the postal services lose half an order.

PLEASE NOTE: We never break apart a full murder mystery game.

If you are missing a component of a murder mystery game then please contact us immediately.

We have no machines in the office who pack for us, everything is handled by real people, and if we haven’t had enough coffee one morning, we know mistakes can happen. If you find your order isn’t complete, you’re missing a booklet or a set of labels – just drop us a line and allow us to fix it!

If you found out about it too late to fix it before your party, and we aren’t immediately available to help via email or phone – then please order the downloadable version of your game and use the PDF copy for the missing booklet. Contact us immediately and we will reimburse you for your order as it was our mistake!

Your order confirmation email arrives straight after you pay, with a Download your game button. It signs you in to your account on our website, where each game is listed under Downloads: click a file to save it. Your games stay in your account, so you can sign in and download them again whenever you like.

If you were signed in when you paid, they’re in your account already.

When you click a file, your computer saves it, usually to its Downloads folder. If you can’t find it, search for the file name.

Physical goods (paper, ink, and boxes) are subject to international trade tariffs and customs processing fees. Because digital downloads are not "physical goods," they currently bypass these import taxes entirely.

You can request we adjust a 6 player game down to 5 players during the check out process. Not all our games easily adapt to 5, but we will do our best to make the game possible to play with a smaller number of guests.

Yes. Although all of our dinner party games are written with an even number of guests as standard. We can edit them so they can be played with an odd number of guests. This takes us an additional couple of days to produce your game.

On the game page, click to open the section “Have an odd number of guests?”, then choose the number of players and whether you’d like an extra male or female character. It adds a customisation fee to your order.

If you need other changes to gender ratios then do contact us. It may be possible but will affect your ability to use the pre-recorded inspector. As a general rule we cannot reduce to a ratio of male : female below 3 : 3. Any requests for custom amends DO take time. We do our best to accommodate them within 5 days, but it isn’t always possible in peak season. So we ask that you reach out first by phone or email so we can check our availability.

When you make contact we will be able to tell you whether your request is possible, what the total price will be and will be able to take payment over the phone, or provide an invoice to you to pay at your convenience.

We regret that we are not always able to alter the pre-recorded inspector speeches. Any alterations will be made to the inspector booklet, we can sometimes edit the MP3 too – but we regret we cannot edit the video inspector.

We understand how difficult it can be to organise a dinner party! Which is why, at no additional cost we will substitute your purchased game to one with a smaller number of players. However, please give us at least two working days to process a request!

If you ordered a custom printed kit – then we are happy to reprint your order, but unfortunately we will have to pass on to you the cost of reprinting your game. Standard “off the shelf” kits can be exchanged so long as the kit is returned to us undamaged.

If you expect you will lose just one couple, then give that couple (or yourselves) the last two optional characters on your game (you can check this by looking at a lower numbered game to see who is missed off). That way, if the couple can’t make it, everyone else can still come as the characters you originally asked them to be and we can easily swap the kit for you.

We can bespoke create “optional” guests with enough notice, fees will apply.

Check out this blog article for more information on how to adapt our games at the last minute.

Sometimes it is possible to customise and amend genders of suspects in games, but not always. This is due to plot tangles and how involved certain characters are within a game. It is best to contact us to check what is and isn’t possible if you need a different skew of genders. If it IS possible, we can explain the costs it will be to amend it ourselves. But if budget proves to be a constraint – we can send you the game in MSword so you can modify it yourself once you know it’s possible.

Well, like everything it all depends. We usually say a standard dinner party with three course meal will take between two and three hours if you run it with less than 12 people. Each additional character adds approximately another six minutes to the time, however beware, the more people you have the harder it becomes to keep everyone on task! And what could have been a three hour game can stretch to five. There are sadly no “hard and fast” rules as it all depends on how much fun everyone is having. We’ve rushed through a 12 player game with a youth group in two hours, but equally have played a game at home with only eight people that started at 7pm and was still going at midnight! Event scripts are easier to guess as they are more “controlled”. Typically they last three hours with a meal.

For our small group dinner party games the minimum requirements if you are downloading the kit to print at home are about 4 double sided printed sheets of paper per character, a printer and a stapler. Any props and decorative touches are left entirely up to you.

If you want the game materials to look at their best then you might choose to have access to a guillotine, thick card for the booklet covers and a colour printer.

In addition to printing out the game materials, you will often want props and costumes for the cast. Each game requires different props. Most are easy to source. If you would like to know the essential props for a specific script then please get in touch and we will forward you the instructions documents which contain the prop lists.

No. However most of our games are formatted in rounds to allow a three course meal. The only game format which works best without a three course meal is the Multi-room format.

We have adapted games in the past to work as “mix and mingle” affairs. If you’d like us to create something special for you to allow a mix and mingle event, then please email us.

We see a lot of “first timers”. So don’t worry! They aren’t difficult.

We have a range of “how to” videos available so you can watch them and see if you think you can cope. You can. It really isn’t that hard.

So don’t panic! Just check out our video pages to find how all of our different formats run.

We never advise giving guests their character booklets in advance of the party as just occasionally one will forget to bring it along and then the party turns into chaos!

However as our downloadable copies and our printed copies are formed from the same database you can usually fix a last minute hiccup like this by ordering the downloadable version of the same game. Your forgetful guest can then use that PDF copy instead of the original booklet on the evening (either by reading it from a tablet, or by printing it off).

If this happens to you – just email us after the party and explain what’s happened. In most cases we will reimburse the cost of the downloadable game. We reserve the right to refuse a refund if we can’t trace your original order and confirm that it WAS your game – so ensure you have your customer order number to quote.

We can take the stress out of party planning, and put the fun back into what can be a total headache by customising a murder mystery specifically to your party!

If you have an uneven mix of male and female participants, an unusual number of guests, or even just unusual guests, or a specific celebration in mind – then we are here to provide you with a personal service that will tailor a murder mystery game to your needs.

If you are looking for something fully bespoke then allow us to talk through with you what you are looking for and provide you with a free quote.

We can write you a fully bespoke game, using the characters of your choice, the setting of your choice, even the plot of your choice. From country house mysteries to conference call team building events, we have done it all!

But to cope with small budgets we’ve also supplied many companies and private customers with minor customisations to pre-existing games. The sorts of minor customisation work we have undertaken has included:

• Adjusting the presentation of the game materials supplied (adding cream card, sealing wax finishes etc).
• Adjusting the way a game plays e.g. making it more mix and mingle style / free-flowing / choose your own method of deduction style.
• Including particular pictures in game materials.
• Renaming characters.
• Changing genders of characters.
• Adjusting the number of participants.
• Providing an uneven mix of male and female guests.
• Pre-printing invitation information and adding in details of birthdays or special events.
• Changing the setting of a game.
• Writing in specific characteristics of a character into the game.
• Changing the name of a venue.

We pride ourselves on providing a customer specific service – so while we can often quote some rough guestimates – it’s always better to speak to us first to check how much something will cost. You can find out more about our customisation service here.

We are always happy to chat through ideas with you. So please email us or call us on +44 (0)2030 112 215 if you have any questions.

Why not try one of the following suggestions (all of which have been done by customers over the years):

• Have a person play two roles.
• Use a puppet for the extra guests.
• Invite a last minute “friend” – everyone loves a party and few will turn you down. And it’s a great way to get to know new people.
• Buy a game one less than you need and as host you take the role of the inspector.
• For numbers 8-20 you can sometimes remove a “spare” by tailoring the booklets of the remaining guests. This isn’t an easy undertaking, but it IS possible. (details below)

It is possible to remove a character from your party, but not easy, and NOT if you need to go from 6 to 5 (as you might inadvertently remove the murderer!) If you have 8 or more guests, it’s often possible to adjust the games DIY.

Firstly find the booklets of the last character(s) in your invitation list. These are always the more “optional”.

If you are just removing one, check that the one you leave behind doesn’t speak AFTER the person you plan to remove. If they do, you will need to write over the top of their introduction and concluding statements so that they now speak after the person who is still IN the game (the person mentioned in the booklet you have removed).

Now pull apart the booklet of the character you plan to remove and set aside the pages with the questions and answers.

Cut the questions out. Taking care to keep them in different piles for rounds 1, 2 and 3.

Now go through the other guests booklets finding the questions they would have asked the character you removed. Staple or stick one of your “cut up” questions over the top of any questions you find. Making sure you put the right question in the right round!!

As host, any time your missing guest is supposed to speak in the shared dialogue at the start of the rounds, just read in their lines.

The extra will still be mentioned on the voice recording, but game play should work.

If you don’t want to go through the process of sticking the questions over the top of the questions for your missing guests in the other players booklets, you can instead tell the guests there were 2 other characters who are now not playing. Cut up the questions and place them on the table in 3 pots, for rounds 1 2 and 3. As a guest finds they have a question for a missing character they simply pull a replacement question out of the pot in the centre of the table (just make sure they take it from the right round!).

We are one of very few companies to supply both retail and commercial products as well as event management services.

We’ve always operated an honesty policy as we know our domestic and fundraising customers appreciate the ability to access murder mystery scripts at an affordable rate. HOWEVER we can only continue to do this if commercial customers order using the correct license.

We appreciate your honesty in this matter, and have put our key points below to help you decide if you are shopping on the correct license.
If after reading this you are still unsure which format you should be purchasing – just email us or call us on +44 (0)2030 112 215.

Finally, as you’re shopping with us, we are aware that not every option is available to you depending on your planned use. If you see something you would like to run commercially which isn’t available to you (e.g. you run a guest house and want to host a dinner party game for your guests) – please don’t try to cheat the system – just call us on +44 (0)2030 112 215 so we can chat to you – we will be able to work something out.

You are entitled to shop on our domestic customer website if you are purchasing the game for your own use and/or you are not making a profit from the entertainment.
These sorts of events are covered by our domestic license:

• You are hosting the event yourself for yourself and your friends e.g. a birthday party
• You are hosting the event UNPAID for other friends/family.
• You purchase the game to use with your OWN company staff.
• You purchase the game for fundraising use at your OWN event. (Reselling your services out to a restaurant to raise funds for a theatre group is NOT permitted – as in effect they are paying you to “cheat the system”.)
• You purchase the game as a gift for someone who fits into one of the categories above.

If you fit into any of the above categories then you can shop as a domestic customer.

SINGLE USE IN SINGLE VENUE is permitted on the domestic license. If you intend to use the same game more than once, you should purchase the game again in order to give the author their royalty payment. Reselling games is NOT permitted under any circumstances.

You should be purchasing our scripts on the commercial license if you are reselling your event services to other customers/clients; or running your event “for profit”.

This includes groups who are “not for profit” but are selling their services to another organisation who will will then be selling the event at a profit to them. e.g. an amateur theatre who asks for a donation only when running a murder mystery event for a hotel. The hotel is selling a murder mystery to their customers. Therefore, the theatre group should be purchasing the event on the Commercial License and bill the hotel for this accordingly.

These sorts of uses are covered by the commercial license:

• You are selling your services to run a murder mystery for a hotel/restaurant/company/other paying customer e.g. private party.
• You are a guest house, hotel or other entertainment venue e.g. public house, and are charging ticket prices to customers to attend the murder mystery event.
• You are a team building company and a murder mystery is forming part of the services you are providing to the client ( as you will have charged them indirectly for the experience).
• You are a not for profit agency who is contracted in by a hotel / restaurant /company to host an event they are running for profit.

If you fit into any of the above categories then you should be shopping on this site as a commercial customer.

SINGLE USE IN SINGLE VENUES is permitted on the commercial licenses. If you intend to use the same event more than once, you should contact us to obtain our rates for a multi-use licenses in a single venue – this will be calculated depending on guest numbers expected and the number of repeats envisaged.

MULTIPLE USE IN MULTIPLE VENUES is NOT permitted on any of our commercial licenses. If you intend to resell your services on a regular basis then we would suggest you speak to us about becoming a Red Herring Games Franchise holder, which permits you to run scripts in multiple venues and also gives you access to other formats and different services at more competitive rates then our commercial licenses.

Reselling games is NOT permitted under any circumstances.

Each purchase on this website will give you everything you need in printed format “ready to use”. If you need anything customising to your venue please contact us before check out to see what’s possible.

If you are buying our commercial license in order to resell your services then we would suggest your minimum hire fees should be the same as ours. Details of our pricing rates for events is available on request.

If after buying the kit, you decide you don’t want the hassle of hosting your own event after all, then you can switch to our event management service and we will discount the event by the rate you have paid for the commercial license, so long as the pack we have sent you is in pristine condition when it is returned.

Sorry to hear you are struggling. The easiest way to get you tech support with this is to call us for help. Usually the “how to use this game” file will explain how to print our games, but we are fairly familiar with most printers so may be able to talk you through the settings you need.

Yes they will. All the files are PDF or MP3 files. All of which should cause no problems for MAC users.

If you struggle to download them – just email us, often we can send them directly to your email address instead, and 9 times out of 10 that resolves the problem.