How to Choose the Perfect Murder Mystery Games for Family

When it comes to hosting a fun and memorable gathering, murder mystery games for family are a fantastic choice. Whether you’re looking to entertain a small group or a large family with mixed ages, there’s games for family out there that can suit your needs. But how do you find the right one? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered!

Here’s everything you need to know to help you pick the perfect murder mystery games for family.

1. Consider the Age Range of Your Group

Families often have a wide range of ages, from youngsters to grandparents. To ensure everyone enjoys the games for family, it’s important to pick a game with age-appropriate content. Here are some tips:

• Teen-rated games: These are a safe bet for mixed-age families. They avoid mature themes while still offering engaging plots.  We have a range of teen rated games on our website.  Our rating structure doesn’t mean they’re only teen friendly, far from it.  Many Teen rated games are excellent adult games, they just lack plot themes that might be considered more risqué.
• Younger kids: If you have younger children, look for games with simple plots or familiar themes like nursery rhymes. For example, Once Upon a Murder is a great family-friendly option with familiar characters and dressing-up opportunities.  There are also other ways you can involve very young children without giving them a full character role.  We’ve explained how to do that on THIS BLOG.

2. Reading and Participation Levels

Not all kids are comfortable reading scripts or acting out roles. Consider the reading levels and confidence of the younger players:

• Some kids may be happy to read and act out their roles, while others might prefer observing or participating in a simpler way.
• If younger children are likely to lose interest halfway through, consider incorporating activities that allow them to dip in and out without disrupting the game. Check out our blog on how to include younger children in murder mystery games for more tips.

3. Group Size and Gender Ratio

The size of your family gathering and the gender mix of your group can influence your choice of game.

• For smaller groups (6-20 players), dinner games for family kits are ideal. They’re budget-friendly and ensure everyone has a character to play.  We have two gender neutral characters in each party giving you a flexibility if your gender balance is uneven, we also have a range of fully gender neutral games, and regularly customise other games to have different gender splits.  Just reach out if you need additional help to get the characters you need.
• For larger families or groups then you may find using our large group script version of our dinner party games the easiest solution to your hosting needs, but you can also ask us to add in further characters. There are costs for this – but if you need just 1 or 2 characters more – then do reach out as there is more than one way to create bigger games and we can provide you with a few possible options.

4. Games For Family Themes That Bring Everyone Together

Themes can make or break the experience, so choose one that resonates with your family.

• Teen-rated games are a safe choice for mixed-age groups as they avoid mature themes like affairs or inappropriate relationships. These games provide a balance of intrigue and fun that’s suitable for younger players while still being engaging for adults and older teens – BUT do check the content ratings.  We provide content information to help you avoid sensitive topics for certain vulnerable teens.

  Recommended Teen-Rated Games for Family:

  Murder at Merkister Hall: A traditional mystery featuring mild love tangles and the standard country manor house tropes.
  A SteamPunk Murder: Perfect for dressing up with its steampunk theme and fully gender-neutral roles, making allocating guests a breeze!
  Once Upon a Murder: A nursery rhyme-inspired mystery with familiar characters and plenty of opportunities for creative costumes.
  The Great British Bump Off: A much-loved family favourite with an entertaining and lighthearted theme.
  Murder at the Music Awards: A teen-appropriate mystery, though it does feature numerous song lyrics. If you’d prefer to tweak or remove certain references, such as the 80s lyric “The bitch is back,” we can provide a Word version for easy editing. Available in both all-girl and mixed-gender formats.
  It’s a Wonderful Death: A versatile, gender-neutral option that’s ideal for groups celebrating Christmas.

  Recommended Mature-Rated Games for Family:

  Mature-rated games often receive the mature rating for specific plot lines in specific characters, or because of references to drink or drugs.  Often the plot lines are still quite tame by TV standards, which means they’re not inappropriate for mixed age range families with parental supervision. While some titles might not be ideal, others work well depending on the group.  if you are unsure and you like a specific game – read the rating details and if in doubt, use our Sherlock AI chatbot on the bottom right for more information.

  These are some of our games regularly used by families:

  Murder at Gatsby Manor: A classic theme with gender-neutral roles. While some mature elements are present—like a tennis coach arranging love affairs and a character with a sister who was impregnated by the victim—these are handled tastefully. Older teens will likely find this no more shocking than what they see on TV!
  You Only Die Once: A spy-themed mystery where the deceased spy’s love entanglements are central to the plot – fitting for the genre.
  Gangsters, Guns, and Garters: This game is all about the roaring 1920s. Although there are some romantic connections, you can easily tone them down for younger teens.
  Death at the Distillery: A humorous and lighthearted mystery with minimal romantic subplots, making it a great choice for families or groups with teens.

5. Flexible and Customisable Games for Family

If you can’t find a game that perfectly fits your family, don’t worry! Many of our games can be customised to suit your needs. Whether it’s adjusting gender ratios, simplifying roles for younger players, or creating a custom game from scratch, we’re here to help for your games for family events. Customisation fees vary depending on the level of work required, but the average adjustment price is between £35 and £90.

6. Time and Dining Considerations

Most of our murder mystery games for family take 2-3 hours to play, especially when paired with a meal. This can be a LONG time for youngsters as their attention span is still developing. So, however you include them, you do need to factor in the chance they MAY not stay with you for the full game.

Even older teens can drop out because of online commitments with friends.  So what we’d suggest is always ensure the children are NOT in the essential characters needed for the mystery to work.

If you think the chances are high they may drop out – feel free to call us to chat it through before buying.  We can suggest which characters to give them, and also help you with your “plan b” if the do vanish midway through. Timing wise, there are ways to speed up or slow down the game depending on your family’s preferences. For more details, check out our guide on how long it takes to play a murder mystery game.

7. Gender-Neutral Options

If your family prefers not to assign specific genders to roles, we have gender-neutral titles like A Steam Punk Murder, Murder at Gatsby Manor and It’s a Wonderful Death that allow for greater flexibility in role allocation.  While the characters were not written non-binary, they are free of gender assignment, which makes them suitable for either gender or those who don’t identify as male or female.

8. Need Help? We’re Here for You!

Still unsure which games for family events to choose? Our team is always happy to help. Just let us know your family’s size, ages, preferences and we’ll recommend the best games for family events. We can even help with casting roles to ensure everyone has a great time.

Finding the perfect murder mystery games for family doesn’t have to be a mystery! With a little planning and the right game, your family gathering is sure to be a hit. Ready to start your search? Explore our family-friendly murder mystery games here.