Planning the Perfect Custom Written Murder Mystery Game
7 min read
Initial Planning
When it comes to custom written games, the first thing we always do is ask you for information on what you’d like including in the game.
This often means you need to do a little homework and get together with your co-organizers to brainstorm ideas. Discuss the themes you want and come up with any specific plots or ideas you’d like us to include.
Things we’ve added into games in the past from this brainstorming include things like:
- Family pets (cats / dogs/ horses… either just as side mentions or with plot lines of their own!)
- Family anecdotes that everyone remembers (My favourite has to be the one who had a family member who decided to DIY some cavity wall insulation only to find after drilling holes in the living room and starting to inject the walls with the insulation, that his house didn’t HAVE a cavity wall when the neighbours came round angrily demanding he stop filling their home with polystyrene balls! )
- Someone’s specific bodily habits or personality (We’ve woven in a tropical disease that caused someone excessive flatulence for a hen party before).
- Specific setting that means something to the group (We set a game in Italy for a hen party as the groom had proposed there).
- Specific hobbies/jobs (Either the ones they currently have or the ones they WISHED they had! )
- Specific themes based on memories or wildest wishes (and yes… we’ve worked with groups who have a variety of “blushable” plot lines. We’re very unoffendable).
The more we have to work with – the more personal the plot. But if you have a massive wish list, we’ll ask you to identify the most essential, so that we can create a GOOD game as sometimes plots just don’t lend themselves to including everything – though we always try our best.
As well as working out what you WANT… it’s also useful for us to find out any “no no”s within the mystery. By this I mean… are there trigger topics you need us to steer clear of?
Examples of these might be:
- Sexual relationships that could cause offence – eg. You don’t want grandma being the sex kitten for your 9 year old nephew.
- Sexual plot lines we need to avoid e.g. bigamy, sexual relationships, specific LGTBQ+ dynamics that could cause problems with bad pairings within the group.
- Historic incidents within the friendship group we need to avoid triggering recollections of e.g. suicide, car accidents, rape, sexual harassment, knife crime, fertility issues, adoption problems.
- Specific diseases we should avoid e.g. cancer, heart attack, dementia, mental health issues
- Specific topics we need to avoid e.g. politics, religion, the neighbours…
Selecting the right roles for the right guests.
We always ask you to pick from the guest list those who you know will be your “big” characters, by which I mean the ones who are loud, fun, and will carry the characters and the game for everyone else.
There are always a few more natural wall flowers too and it’s important to ensure we don’t give a key role to someone who won’t enjoy being centre stage. So knowing who your “big” guests are, and your shy ones – means we can ensure everyone has a role that suits.
Successful game design begins with the planning stages. If the foundations are right – the experience your guests have will be too.
Some groups have very little to input into the plot at the brainstorming stage other than a vague theme and setting. That’s totally fine. You are welcome to relax and let us do what we’re good at and be creative! We’ll always check with you the “No-nos” and send some ideas your way for approval before work fully begins, and you can trust us to ensure a great party.
Some groups, with ample lead time may work with us at the brainstorming stage for 6-8 weeks getting the perfect setting and character list before the game plotting progresses.
We regularly work with both types of customers, so whether you’re a micromanager who wants to know everything or a micromanager who would rather leave us to create the perfect party, you can trust us to create the perfect experience for you and your guests.
Collaborating on format
Once the premise, theme and characters are established, then it’s up to us to create the perfect game play.
Navigating the intricacies of game writing and design can be complex and it’s often best at this stage to have a vague sense of structure but leave the “how” of it to us.
Our expertise in game design should enhance your ideas and we want to construct a game that flows seamlessly, ensuring that all of your guests has a good time.
We’ll often discuss structure with you – before we start working on the game. This is so we can be sure we’re creating the perfect format for you. So we’ll ask you questions like:
- Are you sitting down to eat? And if so how many courses?
- Will everyone be able to see and hear each other at all times?
- Do you want a gradual reveal of information and drip feeding, or do you want everyone to have everything from the start.
- Do you want something easy to host? Or are you happy to coordinate something more complex (or hire a host to help).
- Do you want easy to use scripts for guests? Or are you more full on role playing type who are good at ad libbing and thinking on their feet?
- Do you want puzzle elements?
- Do you want evidence to review together or separately?
Editing, proofing and checking the Game
Before the actual event, we always pass the game through a proofing and rechecking process. This might involve a few of us in the office checking the format works, or just editing the information as it’s in a format we regularly work with.
Games rarely need full play testing, unless we’ve included something new. But we will often gather a small group at the office to play test a puzzle, or check all the questions have answers, and the plot is workable.
We’re experienced designers – which means we know what works and how it works. We know form experience what makes for good playability, what provides the fun factors and what ensures oodles of engagement.
We regularly adjust as we write to create a flawless game experience for you and your guests. Our goal is always to make you the host with the most. Even if one of our team is there as a host, the praise will always be directed back at you for creating such a personal game experience for your guests.
Cost of Crafting Unforgettable Experiences
In a world filled with off the peg entertainment options, creating memorable experiences is the goal of every party host.
Custom written murder mystery games break the mold, providing tailored fun and unforgettable memories for every guest.
When you want to host a truly special event, using a one-of-a-kind game can really add to the excitement, engagement, and deliver on those lasting connections.
Prices for custom written games vary on a number of factors, but as everyone likes to know a ball park figure…
For a Dinner Party style mystery you should work on the basis of £100 per guest. This means a 6 player dinner party style mystery would be £600, a 12 player game £1200.
For a complicated plot mystery – you could be looking at £200-£300 per character – making a 6 player game £1200 – £1800
There are “cheaper” options… as we can redesign ready made games, and this can be as cheap as £35 to do.
If you want to find out more about costs and what factors change pricing – take a look at this page: