Murder at Merkister Hall
1930s Themed Murder Mystery
From: £22.99
- Virtual Video Inspector
- Instant download option available
- Can be played in person & Virtually
- Easy to change number of players after purchase*
Interactive 1930s Themed Murder Mystery Party Kit:
Murder at Merkister Hall, our 1930s Themed Murder Mystery Dinner Party Game Kit for 6 to 20 Players, is available as a downloadable print-at-home kit, and has been carefully crafted to involve both yourself as host and all of your guests.
Murder at Merkister Hall Storyline:
It’s the 1930s. The great depression is over, the pound is competing with the dollar on the open exchange and there is a rise in business of all shapes at sizes.
Keen to share their good fortune with others, the Balderdashes regularly play host for sumptuous dinner parties at their stately home which involve nothing but the best wines, fine cuisine and traditional after dinner entertainment.
This evening was to be no exception. The guests had all arrived as planned and with the food ready to be served in the kitchens the party only lacked one thing, namely the butler Leversham who has been discovered dead, in the Billiard room!
Play our 1930s themed murder mystery Murder at Merkister Hall to solve the crime!
Download our Free Editable Invitation
To make planning your party easy we have created a Free invitation download customised for each game.
- Ready and easy to edit PDF
- Download and fill in your guest names and event information
- Save and send by email or messenger
- Fill in digitally and print
- Print and fill in by hand
Video Inspector Included in all Murder Mystery Kits
Meet your detective
Each round your detective revels clues and helps you solve the case.
Video detective is included in all our games as an option the detective can also be played by a guest the host or as an audio recording.
Download Samples
Introducing the suspects
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Gerry Atrics – Local doctor.(Male)
Never without his doctor’s bag, Gerry Atrics has a calm bedside manner and usually wears a suit.
Iona Caine – Schoolteacher. (Female)
Strict in manner and with glasses that are more regularly looked over than through, Iona has a modest dress code but is really quite stunning.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Gerry Atrics – Local doctor.(Male)
Never without his doctor’s bag, Gerry Atrics has a calm bedside manner and usually wears a suit.
Iona Caine – Schoolteacher. (Female)
Strict in manner and with glasses that are more regularly looked over than through, Iona has a modest dress code but is really quite stunning.
Amelia Fairhart – Female aviator. (Female)
Lively and flamboyant, Amelia is more than a match for any man at the party, though she has a soft spot for any man who can wield a wrench.
Sigmund Froid – Austrian psychoanalyst.(Male)
With clipped beard, glasses, cigar and smart suit, Sigmund exudes a wonderfully calm bedside manner, even if he is obsessed by people’s dreams and their sex lives.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Gerry Atrics – Local doctor.(Male)
Never without his doctor’s bag, Gerry Atrics has a calm bedside manner and usually wears a suit.
Iona Caine – Schoolteacher. (Female)
Strict in manner and with glasses that are more regularly looked over than through, Iona has a modest dress code but is really quite stunning.
Amelia Fairhart – Female aviator. (Female)
Lively and flamboyant, Amelia is more than a match for any man at the party, though she has a soft spot for any man who can wield a wrench.
Sigmund Froid – Austrian psychoanalyst.(Male)
With clipped beard, glasses, cigar and smart suit, Sigmund exudes a wonderfully calm bedside manner, even if he is obsessed by people’s dreams and their sex lives.
Ivor Blunderbust – Big game hunter.(Male)
With a British stiff upper lip and a passion for hunting, Ivor is very boastful about his exploits. He is also rather loud in any polite company as regular use of firearms has left him with terrible tinnitus.
Gaye Gordon – Authoress. (Female)
Fiery and forthright, Gaye has never been one to let something as serious as a murder get in the way of a good story.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Gerry Atrics – Local doctor.(Male)
Never without his doctor’s bag, Gerry Atrics has a calm bedside manner and usually wears a suit.
Iona Caine – Schoolteacher. (Female)
Strict in manner and with glasses that are more regularly looked over than through, Iona has a modest dress code but is really quite stunning.
Amelia Fairhart – Female aviator. (Female)
Lively and flamboyant, Amelia is more than a match for any man at the party, though she has a soft spot for any man who can wield a wrench.
Sigmund Froid – Austrian psychoanalyst.(Male)
With clipped beard, glasses, cigar and smart suit, Sigmund exudes a wonderfully calm bedside manner, even if he is obsessed by people’s dreams and their sex lives.
Ivor Blunderbust – Big game hunter.(Male)
With a British stiff upper lip and a passion for hunting, Ivor is very boastful about his exploits. He is also rather loud in any polite company as regular use of firearms has left him with terrible tinnitus.
Gaye Gordon – Authoress. (Female)
Fiery and forthright, Gaye has never been one to let something as serious as a murder get in the way of a good story.
Winston Kirkmund – Conservative MP.(Male)
Fond of bow ties and cigars, Winston has always enjoyed the heated discussions in the House of Commons. He fights them from the back benches, he fights them in elections… unfortunately, this time, his party lost.
Clementine Kirkmund – Supportive wife of Winston. (Female)
A woman of beauty and distinction, Clementine has always supported her husband and will not tolerate any negativity about his policies or his behaviour.
Brigadier Balderdash – Lord of the manor. (Male)
Pompous, with very upright military bearing, Brigadier Balderdash is always seen in a well starched collar and his tweed suit.
Lotta Balderdash – Wife of Brigadier Balderdash. (Female)
Tastefully clothed and very reserved, Lotta Balderdash is refined and elegant.
Morgan Carze – Racing car driver. (Gender Neutral)
Always in a tearing hurry, Morgan Carze embraces modern fashion, but is also fairly scruffy and windswept from driving.
Drew Sketches – Local artist. (Gender Neutral)
Never without an artist’s smock, Drew Sketches often has a sketch pad to hand and a paintbrush behind an ear!
Rev. Al Ation – Vicar. (Male)
With his stiff white dog collar and wearing traditional black, Rev. Al Ation is always on duty for his flock.
Miss Jane Marbles – Maiden aunt and amateur sleuth. (Female)
In a twin set and pearls and a tweed suit, there is nothing remotely sinister about this spinster, except for the dead bodies that seem to turn up in her close proximity!
Doug Oles – Archaeologist.(Male)
Fresh from his current dig, Doug sports his boots, trowel, and being young, huge levels of enthusiasm.
Nicole de Limelite – Film star. (Female)
Sophisticated and elegant, Nicole has all the latest fashions.
Max Outputt – Industrialist.(Male)
Dressed formally for dinner in a dinner suit, Max is never parted from his Financial Times.
Penny Pusher – The Balderdash’s secretary. (Female)
Devastatingly attractive and difficult to ignore, Penny is a blonde bombshell who is terribly organised and very capable.
Gerry Atrics – Local doctor.(Male)
Never without his doctor’s bag, Gerry Atrics has a calm bedside manner and usually wears a suit.
Iona Caine – Schoolteacher. (Female)
Strict in manner and with glasses that are more regularly looked over than through, Iona has a modest dress code but is really quite stunning.
Amelia Fairhart – Female aviator. (Female)
Lively and flamboyant, Amelia is more than a match for any man at the party, though she has a soft spot for any man who can wield a wrench.
Sigmund Froid – Austrian psychoanalyst.(Male)
With clipped beard, glasses, cigar and smart suit, Sigmund exudes a wonderfully calm bedside manner, even if he is obsessed by people’s dreams and their sex lives.
Ivor Blunderbust – Big game hunter.(Male)
With a British stiff upper lip and a passion for hunting, Ivor is very boastful about his exploits. He is also rather loud in any polite company as regular use of firearms has left him with terrible tinnitus.
Gaye Gordon – Authoress. (Female)
Fiery and forthright, Gaye has never been one to let something as serious as a murder get in the way of a good story.
Winston Kirkmund – Conservative MP.(Male)
Fond of bow ties and cigars, Winston has always enjoyed the heated discussions in the House of Commons. He fights them from the back benches, he fights them in elections… unfortunately, this time, his party lost.
Clementine Kirkmund – Supportive wife of Winston. (Female)
A woman of beauty and distinction, Clementine has always supported her husband and will not tolerate any negativity about his policies or his behaviour.
Claire Voyant – Spiritualist. (Female)
With tasselled shawls, floating fabrics and a predisposition for suddenly going into a trance, Claire is not really ‘all here’ so to speak.
Ed Lines – New York Times reporter.(Male)
In a scruffy jacket and trousers, Ed is always at the front of any action with his notebook and pen to the ready.
FAQ's
How long does it take to play a murder mystery game?
How long a murder mystery game takes to play depends on the number of players, the format (virtual or face-to-face), and other factors like eating and drinking consumption.
- Virtual games: Approximately 10 minutes per suspect (e.g., 1 hour for 6 players, 80 minutes for 8 players). A 20-player game on Zoom can be finished in 2 hours with a faster pace.
- Face-to-face games: Typically take 2–3½ hours when combined with a meal, but can vary depending on how relaxed the dining is. Adding ad-libbing, general conversation, can extend the duration.
- Quick large-group games: Custom “suspect/witness” split formats can reduce game time and maintain pace.
On average, dinner party muder mystery games take 2–3½ hours depending on circumstances.
You can find a more in-depth answer with more examples here.
Can the host play a Murder Mystery Game as well?
Yes the host can play. We designed our games to give you options 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 Video or Audio inspector.
How long will it take for my murder mystery game to arrive?
For downloadable kits delivery is instant. As soon as you clear check out you’ll be able to download your order.
If you order a CUSTOM version of a game – the first kit you will be able to access will be the original order. This is because we manually sit and adjust the games in the office when they’re ordered, so any customsation requires human input. This means the customisation will be done as soon as we can do it. Usually this is within 2 working days and once finished we email it to you. However we know how people like to plan… so the website delivers the original game immediately and we follow this up manually with an adjusted copy as soon as we’ve finished the work!
We are sensitive to the environment so rather than cutting down thousands of trees and holding stock, we print on demand.
This means printed order requests are handled within 24-48 hours and they’re usually dispatched as soon as they’re printed.
We work a 5 day week in the retail team. This means orders are shipped Monday through Friday.
Can I play this game with an odd number of guests e.g. 7 or 9 etc?
Yes, our games can be played in odd group sizes. We have a few options on how to do this:
- One guest can play as the inspector. In this case, a game for 8 players would suit a party of 9, for example. The option for a guest to play the inspector is included in all our Murder Mystery game kits.
- Ask us to adjust the game for you. We can make a number of changes to our games to fit your party; in most cases, this is by removing a character. There is a charge for this service, and it can be ordered when buying your game. Just order the size bigger than you need and use the customise game option to choose to remove one character.
- Get creative with your casting; people can share roles, or someone can play two characters.
Pre-Printed box set
Whats in the box
- Character Booklets
- Invitations & Envelopes
- Full instructions with hosting guide
- Theme and recipe suggestions
- Inspector script also available as MP3 and video
Need something bespoke?
Customise this game
This game can be customised to fit your event for an additional fee.
It’s hard to give “ball park” figures for what different customisations would cost however we’ve attempted to HERE.
Please do contact us for a free quote if you would like any customisations on your game before purchase.
Remember… if you just need 1 extra person, or 1 less person, why not have someone play the inspector role?
The inspector can usually be male or female as the “for real” inspector can simply invent a new name for themselves.
Some hosts prefer to play the inspector role as it means they can work on the catering while the round plays out amongst their guests.
Game Age Rating
Teen
This Game Contains
A murder – violence suggested.
Drug Reference – Reference to drugs.
Comic Mischief – Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor.
Suggestive Themes – Mild provocative references or materials and sexual innuendo.
Mild Sexism – It is a “period setting” there will be some sexism present.
17 reviews for Murder at Merkister Hall
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