How to run a murder mystery at your office Christmas party
A whodunit is one of the few party games that gets a whole team talking, including the colleagues who usually stay at the edge of the room. It needs less preparation than most people expect, as long as a few things are decided in advance.
Why a mystery works for teams
- Everyone has to talk to everyone. The clues are spread across the characters, so people from different departments end up questioning each other.
- Nobody has to share anything personal. Everyone plays a character, which helps new starters and quieter colleagues.
- It has a clear ending. The reveal is a shared high point, and the party carries on afterwards.
Murder mystery dinner or murder mystery game?
A classic murder mystery dinner spreads the story over the courses of a meal. That suits a restaurant or a dinner at home. Office parties often have a buffet, finger food or no seated meal at all. A game without a menu is easier there: you play for 75 to 90 minutes in one go, before or after the food, and people can move around freely.
Planning in five steps
1. Check your group size
Most mystery games are written for 6 to 12 players. With a larger team, two people can share a character and investigate together, or you can run the same case at two tables.
2. Pick a host
One person starts each round, keeps an eye on the time and reveals the solution. In some games the host can play a character too, because the solution stays sealed until the end.
3. Hand out characters in advance or on the night
Costumes are fun but optional. If you do not know exactly who will turn up, let people pick their characters on the evening.
4. Check the room and the technology
You need enough space for small groups to talk quietly. If the characters are on phones, check the Wi-Fi or mobile signal and have a few chargers ready.
5. Block out the time
Put 90 minutes in the programme and announce it. A game that runs in the background loses half the room within twenty minutes.
A 90-minute running order
| Minutes | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 | Welcome, rules, everyone reads their character and their secret |
| 10 to 30 | Round 1: what happened. First conversations and suspicions |
| 30 to 50 | Round 2: new clues and evidence, one-to-one questioning |
| 50 to 70 | Round 3: the final clues, everyone settles on a theory |
| 70 to 80 | The accusation: everyone names a suspect at the same moment |
| 80 to 90 | The host reveals the solution |
Tips for the host
- Read the instructions the day before, but not the solution if you want to play along.
- Announce each round out loud and say how much time is left.
- Draw quieter players in: "What does IT have to say about all this?"
- Take your time over the reveal. It is the moment everyone will talk about afterwards.
Playing on a video call
A whodunit works for remote and hybrid teams too. The key is that every player sees their character on their own device, not on a shared screen. Use breakout rooms for private questioning and the main room for the accusation. Allow fifteen minutes more than in person.
Common questions
Does somebody have to die?
No. At work, cases without a murder often go down better: a spiked punch bowl or a missing document is enough. The tension comes from the secrets, not from a body.
What about colleagues who speak another language?
Choose a game that comes in more than one language, so everyone reads in their own language and still plays together.
How much does it cost?
Ready-made downloadable games usually cost between 15 and 40 euros for the whole group. A dinner with actors at a restaurant is usually priced per person.
Who Spiked the Punch?
A whodunit for your Christmas party. Each player has their character and clues on their own phone, and the investigating happens face to face or on the call. Nobody dies, the host can play along, and each player chooses English or German. 6 to 12 players, 75 to 90 minutes, in the room or on a video call. €24 for the whole group.
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