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T’was a death before Christmas

Christmas Themed Murder Mystery

From: £22.99

Rated 4.78 out of 5 based on 9 customer ratings
(9 customer reviews)

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Please note we require 2 days lead time on custom orders.

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Interactive Christmas Themed Murder Mystery Party Kit:

T’was a death before Christmas, our Christmas 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.

T’was a death before Christmas Storyline:

Every year in the small country village of Mid-Trimming the residents come together to sing carols through the village streets. At the end of their night of wassailing, tradition dictates that they all gather somewhere for a final Christmas party before the big day itself.

This year the carol singers descended on Mid-Trimming Manor, owned by the wealthy miser, Bob Scratchitt. Everyone was surprised when he agreed to play host, but they were even more amazed when he was discovered dead in his own lounge!

So much for being a season of goodwill and glad tidings; this Christmas it looks as though someone had some very ill will indeed! The question is: who?

Play our Christmas themed murder mystery T’was a death before Christmas to find out!

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

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Angela Onnatree – Riding school owner. (Female)
Never seen out of her beige jodhpurs, Angela has a distinctly upper-class accent, but is actually really down-to-earth.

Ivor Cracker – Landlord of the local pub. (Male)
In shirtsleeves and dark trousers with a tea-towel still hanging out of his back pocket, Ivor has just finished a shift at his local to join the wassailing.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Angela Onnatree – Riding school owner. (Female)
Never seen out of her beige jodhpurs, Angela has a distinctly upper-class accent, but is actually really down-to-earth.

Ivor Cracker – Landlord of the local pub. (Male)
In shirtsleeves and dark trousers with a tea-towel still hanging out of his back pocket, Ivor has just finished a shift at his local to join the wassailing.

Candy Cane – Local actress. (Female)
After appearing as an extra in a few TV soaps, Candy has grasped her actress title with both hands and nearly always overdresses for any occasion.

Felix Navidad – Church bellringer. (Male)
Complete with festive jumper and warm greetings for all, Felix often brings sleighbells with him to liven up the singing.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Angela Onnatree – Riding school owner. (Female)
Never seen out of her beige jodhpurs, Angela has a distinctly upper-class accent, but is actually really down-to-earth.

Ivor Cracker – Landlord of the local pub. (Male)
In shirtsleeves and dark trousers with a tea-towel still hanging out of his back pocket, Ivor has just finished a shift at his local to join the wassailing.

Candy Cane – Local actress. (Female)
After appearing as an extra in a few TV soaps, Candy has grasped her actress title with both hands and nearly always overdresses for any occasion.

Felix Navidad – Church bellringer. (Male)
Complete with festive jumper and warm greetings for all, Felix often brings sleighbells with him to liven up the singing.

Faye Reelites – Landscape gardener. (Female)
Rarely out of wellies and work clothes, Faye has gathered all she might need to celebrate Christmas in her special winter tool belt, including scissors, tape and alcoholic miniatures.

Reg Oyce – Gift shop owner. (Male)
Short of a festive jumper, Reg has turned to his haberdashery at the gift shop to add bling to his ordinary clothes, trimming them with stick-on bows and baubles.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Angela Onnatree – Riding school owner. (Female)
Never seen out of her beige jodhpurs, Angela has a distinctly upper-class accent, but is actually really down-to-earth.

Ivor Cracker – Landlord of the local pub. (Male)
In shirtsleeves and dark trousers with a tea-towel still hanging out of his back pocket, Ivor has just finished a shift at his local to join the wassailing.

Candy Cane – Local actress. (Female)
After appearing as an extra in a few TV soaps, Candy has grasped her actress title with both hands and nearly always overdresses for any occasion.

Felix Navidad – Church bellringer. (Male)
Complete with festive jumper and warm greetings for all, Felix often brings sleighbells with him to liven up the singing.

Faye Reelites – Landscape gardener. (Female)
Rarely out of wellies and work clothes, Faye has gathered all she might need to celebrate Christmas in her special winter tool belt, including scissors, tape and alcoholic miniatures.

Reg Oyce – Gift shop owner. (Male)
Short of a festive jumper, Reg has turned to his haberdashery at the gift shop to add bling to his ordinary clothes, trimming them with stick-on bows and baubles.

Carole Singer – Choir leader.(Female)
In her winter woollies and carrying a lantern to enable the reading of the sheet music, Carole is ready to lead anyone in another song.

Wayne Amanger – Farmer. (Male)
Dressed as a shepherd because he had the wrong day for the nativity pageant, Wayne is full of fun and festive cheer.

Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.

Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.

Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.

Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.

Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.

Chris Tingle – Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.

Silvia Bells – Chair of the local Amateur Dramatics Society. Female)
Larger than life and twice as glittery, Silvia is a thwarted actress with class, darlings.

Noel Nowell – Scout leader. (Male)
Dressed in khaki, with a neckerchief and woggle, Noel takes his scout leadership very, very seriously and is never off duty.

Missie Le’Toe – Clothing retailer. (Female)
Specialising in fashion from Europe, Missie Le’Toe has a cultivated French accent and is always dressed flamboyantly.

Scott Spine – Policeman. (Male)
Just off duty, Scott is still wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt. After a day roaming the village, he is more than ready for a drink and is already quite merry!

Angela Onnatree – Riding school owner. (Female)
Never seen out of her beige jodhpurs, Angela has a distinctly upper-class accent, but is actually really down-to-earth.

Ivor Cracker – Landlord of the local pub. (Male)
In shirtsleeves and dark trousers with a tea-towel still hanging out of his back pocket, Ivor has just finished a shift at his local to join the wassailing.

Candy Cane – Local actress. (Female)
After appearing as an extra in a few TV soaps, Candy has grasped her actress title with both hands and nearly always overdresses for any occasion.

Felix Navidad – Church bellringer. (Male)
Complete with festive jumper and warm greetings for all, Felix often brings sleighbells with him to liven up the singing.

Faye Reelites – Landscape gardener. (Female)
Rarely out of wellies and work clothes, Faye has gathered all she might need to celebrate Christmas in her special winter tool belt, including scissors, tape and alcoholic miniatures.

Reg Oyce – Gift shop owner. (Male)
Short of a festive jumper, Reg has turned to his haberdashery at the gift shop to add bling to his ordinary clothes, trimming them with stick-on bows and baubles.

Carole Singer – Choir leader.(Female)
In her winter woollies and carrying a lantern to enable the reading of the sheet music, Carole is ready to lead anyone in another song.

Wayne Amanger – Farmer. (Male)
Dressed as a shepherd because he had the wrong day for the nativity pageant, Wayne is full of fun and festive cheer.

Ginger Bredouse – Nurse.(Female)
Attending the carolling directly from work, Ginger has trimmed up her uniform with tinsel and done her best to look festive.

Tim Sell – Plumber. (Male)
Dressed in a boiler suit and carrying his tools, Tim was attending to a broken pipe emergency and only arrived just in time for the last chorus.

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.

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.

Find our more about playing as the host here.

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.

Click here for more information about shipping times.

Yes, our games can be played in odd group sizes. We have a few options on how to do this:

  1. 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.
  2. 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. 
  3.  Get creative with your casting; people can share roles, or someone can play two characters.

 

9 reviews for T’was a death before Christmas

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    T'was a death before Christmas photo review
    T'was a death before Christmas photo review
    +1
    Lorraine Hedley
    Rated 5 out of 5
    January 8, 2024
    Just need to let you know how much our guests enjoyed Twas a death before Christmas. We all had a fabulous night of fun and laughter interspersed with a lot of spontaneous bell ringing, Carol singing and ad libbing. Everyone threw themselves into dressing up and attempting accents etc. Such a good night. 2nd one we've done and already planning the next... Halloween. Anyone??
    louise
    Rated 3 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    Good
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    My last guest just left and I had to write a review of 'T'was a Death Before Christmas. We had a wonderful time. This is my second successful Red Herring Mystery Party. We play a variety of murder mystery games throughout the year and tonight was enjoyed by all. Though I purchased the 12 player game, 2 of my guests declined early enough that I was able to edit the party. With a little cutting and pasting, I was able to remake the booklets for 10 players. We had 11 total guests, with myself playing the role of the Inspector. In addition to the game, I also added a treasure hunt between rounds two and three. This was to give the guests a break from questioning each other and getting them up out of their chairs. I pretended the hunt was created by the victim and along with each clue to the next location, I left evidence about the suspects that he supposedly left for them to find. (I tend to read through the materials beforehand, so I knew all the answers to the game and used this to my advantage. I find this works better for me as a host). Knowing the answers, I also recreated the scene of the crime, with plenty of physical evidence to back up the clues written in the game. What I like most about Red Herring Games is they are so easy to use and you get so much in your packet. Not only do you get the game itself, but suggestions for decorating, recipes in keeping with the theme and tips to incorporate other games with your party. It couldn't be easier and it's a host's dream. I had played plenty of Santa Claus/North Pole themed mysteries. This game was a humorous twist on the "Midsomer Murders" TV show. The characters are silly and quite fun to play. Since the cast is a nice mix of eccentric village personalities, costumes are easy to come by and playing your part is very easy. And this is a great game to play during the Christmas season. Plenty of seasonal themes run through the game and the scripted dialogue is quite funny. My guests were laughing and enjoying themselves. I decorate my home for Christmas in a big way, so by simply adding a murder mystery event helped to celebrate the holiday earlier in the month. I also filled stockings with candy and toys for each guest. What fun to see grown adults digging in to their toys. I even bought Christmas Themed Soap Bubbles and throughout the evening the room was filled with bubbles around the table. The game simply couldn't have gone better. We got a late start (we decided to eat first) and so didn't begin until 8 p.m. and wrapped up the case by 11:30 p.m. It was a good length and kept everyone interested without becoming dull. Out of ten guests 4 of them solved the crime completely. Everyone was able to figure out the method of murder, but only the four had the entire story correct. Even though this is a high number of people who figured it out, they were quite happy with it. We've played a few very complex games and they enjoyed this nice, lighthearted change of pace. I gave away a variety of Christmas gift baskets as prizes for the winning solutions, as well as best actor and best costume. (I got them at a great price). We just had a wonderful time, the games here at Red Herring are well made and are so easy to use, with plenty of extras. It all went so well I'm already up late at night planning our next party. Thank you!
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    The game worked really well, a great evening's entertainment with no technology in sight!
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    We had a fantastic evening last week playing 'twas a death before Christmas. Thanks for helping me out at short notice. I played Scott Spine. We all had a good laugh and none of us guessed the murder - though someone came close. We look forward to playing another murder mystery soon - we are thinking of doing a public fundraiser at the village hall next!
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    I was given the daunting task of organising a staff Christmas Party. So rather than book onto the usual over-priced corporate Christmas Parties, I decided (rather last minute) to gamble on running a Murder Mystery Dinner Party for our small team of 12. And the gamble absolutely paid off! The service from Jo was second to none, making sure that I had all the relevant information and what to do before I purchased the game. I got the emailable version and found it easy enough to print off the booklets and burn the cd with the inspector's dialogue - this was without finding out 'who dunnit' as I wanted to be part of the mystery too. The evening itself was a huge success. We held it in our staff meeting room and made sure that it was decked out for the Christmas occasion. I have to say that all the participants got into character brilliantly (some maybe too much) and this only enhanced the evening. We had so much fun and even out of work I have not laughed as hard as I did that night. A tip I would give is to make sure the participants have their brief with plenty of time, so they can sort out the costume and character's personality, as this definitely aids the evening! Eve-n if you don't get this game I would highly recommend Red Herring Games!! I have used them three times now and have been very happy with every game!
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    A really fun game. The character booklets had a good balance between scripted conversation and improvised. It was very clear how to tackle the improvised sections and even the shyest member of the party was getting in to it by the third round. Unlike other games I have played, it wasn't at all noticeable that there were 'extra' characters as everyone was equally included. Du-ring the game it became pretty obvious what the murder weapon was (perhaps too obvious?) so it was nice to feel like we'd worked it out although there remained a little twist that none of us had fully foreseen. I'd definitely consider purchasing another.
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    It was nearing New Year's Eve and although we had offered to host the celebrations for several friends, nothing had been arranged ... Wanted to do a murder mystery but had left it a bit late so was hugely relieved to discover Red Herring's downloadable versions. I've played a lot of murder mysteries and these are definitely of comparable quality. I also like the lack of packaging waste and instant arrival of the game! It was very straightforward to follow the instructions and a hugely successful evening. The setting was in a village with various shopkeepers in the cast which fitted beautifully as we actually had the village postmaster and mistress present! There was much unexpected hilarity over the myriad references to Christmas carols in the names and script which, together with the champagne, helped create a relaxed evening full of laughter and groans at the humour. I read a lot of murder mysteries and my only comment for making it even better would have been to have had a more complex plot that was more challenging to guess. Overall, excellent materials with an unexpected element of humour that ensured a great evening. Would definitely use again.
    Happy Customer
    Rated 5 out of 5
    February 2, 2023
    A really fun game. The character booklets had a good balance between scripted conversation and improvised. It was very clear how to tackle the improvised sections and even the shyest member of the party was getting in to it by the third round. Unlike other games I have played, it wasn't at all noticeable that there were 'extra' characters as everyone was equally included. Du-ring the game it became pretty obvious what the murder weapon was (perhaps too obvious?) so it was nice to feel like we'd worked it out although there remained a little twist that none of us had fully foreseen. I'd definitely consider purchasing a game again.
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Pre-Printed box set

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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

This Game Contains

A murder – violence suggested.
Alcohol Reference – Reference to and/or images of alcoholic beverages.
Comic Mischief – Depictions or dialogue involving slapstick or suggestive humor.
Suggestive Themes – Mild provocative references or materials and sexual innuendo. Acting as if attracted to particular characters is suggested in the character backgrounds.

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