If I’m hosting a murder mystery can I play too?

One of the questions we’re often asked each week is whether the host can play or whether they need to host.  Because of the wide range of different ways of playing murder mystery games and the fact each murder mystery company designs their games slightly differently, we understand totally why this may be a question.  After all, if you’re downloading the game, you’ll see who the murderer is right?

Well, with our games we’ve created them in a way that ensures the host can play along as a suspect.

We deliberately DO NOT write in the character booklets who the murderer is

This means even as host if you’re assembling the games after printing them, you won’t accidentally read the solution.  In fact the only place the solution is written is IN the inspector booklet, and right at the end too, so you can’t accidentally stumble upon it.  We also provide the inspector in three possible formats.  1) Video – so you can SEE a host, 2) MP3 so you can just hear the host and 3) as a script so you can play the host inpsector yourself.

All three options come as standard with our kits.  This means whether you play the inspector as a real person is entirely up to you.

If you use the MP3 or the Video inspector then you can all play a suspect.  Simply have the instruction booklet to hand so you know when to play the inspector recordings.  All the information you need is provided by the MP3/ Video and they’re interchangeable too – so you can switch between TV and Sound files as the mood takes you.

If you use the inspector script then YOU become the inspector.  This instantly allows for an odd number of players within the game, as you’ve taken the host inspector role, BUT as the inspector only speaks before each round, you can also take on a suspect AND the inspector role if you want to, and just do a flying change out of the room between the two personas.

So when using our murder mystery games as a host you can decide to either

• Play the inspector
• Play a character
• Play a character AND the inspector.
• Just play host and use the recorded inspector.

Hosts do any of these options and it doesn’t affect the game either way.  It’s personal choice and what works best for you.  Some hosts what to spend time hosting, doing the meal prep and clearing while the guests play.  Other hosts want to enjoy the party too.

Are there pros and cons to using the Mp3/Video inspector vs playing the inspector as the host?

There are.  So it’s a decision you need to take for yourself and every host is different.

Pros and cons to playing the inspector as a real person for your murder mystery rather than using the MP3/Videos:

Pros:

• Reading the inspector role as host means you can host an even number of guests plus YOU.  Giving you an instant odd number for a game.   If you have an even number of guests including you, and you STILL want to play the inspector, then we can help too.  All you need to do is ask us to remove a character as you check out.  Taking the game to an odd number of players, plus the inspector.  Dropping a character on most games won’t cost more than £25.
• If you have a large group (more than 12) then sometimes it’s easier to have a real person as the hosting inspector to “herd cats”.  You know what your friends are like… loud, boistrous, and you may decide trying to get the quiet enough to listen to a recording is just not going to work.
• If you have very young children at the party, you may want to play inspector and cast them as deputys.  That can often keep them included and you can set them on with tasks like fingerprinting guests with chocolate sauce during the game, as well as getting them to ask the odd question from the game materials.  (The inspector knows who is asking which question each round, so they can ask a youngster to ask a question instead of a particular adult.  We do this ourselves when hosting for families.)
• If your group isn’t very spontaneous – then having a real inspector will often chivvy them along as the inspector can prompt people to ask questions, and ensure everyone reads their lines at the right point, as this is in their booklet.

Cons:

• If you’re an even number of players, you’ll need to ask us to drop a guest if you want to take the inspector role.  This will cost £25.
• You may not be particularly “dynamic” as a murder mystery host, or be able to set the scene as well as our video does.  Some hosts decide to play the inspector and still use the video inspector for the first script to set the scene, then come in as deputy once everyone is playing.
• You’ll know whodunnit as you’ve printed and assembled the inspector booklet, so you can’t play along too and the ending isn’t a surprise.
• You are needed between rounds to read in the inspector role – this means you can’t titivate with the meal at this point.
• The guests will naturally rely on you as host inspector to work out what to do next.  This often removes that sponteneity you get when everyone is a character and in the same boat.
• As inspector – you are facilitating the game rather than enjoying it too.  So you won’t be able to guess whodunnit as you know.