Replay-able Christmas Murder Mystery Dinner Party Game – Victorian Christmas Family Party Game Night - Office Christmas Party Games Idea English 4-20 Players

Having been to a couple of these murder mystery weekends at hotels in the past, albeit a good few years ago now, I jumped at the chance to get a Masters of Mystery kit needed to do it at home. This one is the Victorian themed 'Christmas Murder.'The game can be played with between 4 and 20 players, and can take between 2-4 hours to play, the more players, the longer it takes.The box contains all the things needed, the character profiles, scripts, storyline etc. There is also a QR code in the box that gives access to audios and scripts, but these are optional.It can be played in person or over Zoom, I went for in person.I rounded up a group of friends to come over last night specifically to give this a go. I did initially sense some reluctance, as it's not uncommon for people to be unsure about trying a new thing and going out of their comfort zone, but once things got warmed up, everyone got really into it and a brilliant night was had. Even my husband enjoyed it, and he's a miserable so and so that usually hates this sort of thing, so that's saying something. There were 9 of us and it took roughly three hours. It was such a good night, I'm going to be checking out the other games in the Masters of Mystery range and will be hosting another night later on the year, likely Halloween. My friends are all up for it.The character cards give costume suggestions if participants want to dress up. I love this sort of thing, so I'm always keen to get into costume, but this is not essential at all, just an optional thing people can do if they want.I won't give anything away about the game, so no spoilers here, but this could be played with family, friends, at neighbour's get-together, or even at the office for a team building exercise. The beauty of it is that it can be played repeatedly with different outcomes each time, and the host can play too!A highly recommended activity for people who want to try something new different. Brilliant for a bonding exercise.

This game comes in a fairly compact box but contains everything you need for a murder mystery party, for between 4 - 20 people.You can play in person or online, though I think the former will provide the better experience.With a range of characters there's plenty of options for all genders and ages (over 14/15) and suggestions on costumes, if you really want to go all out.There's a booklet for each character with different options depending on whether you are the murderer or not. The random allocation of the perpetrator means it can be played multiple times.This isn't something you can play off the cuff, there are even written invitations, but would be great for a planned party.

This is the second game from Masters of Mystery I've tried, and like the first, perhaps the best thing about this game is the excuse it affords to dress up for the evening!The game takes about 2-3h to complete. It's a lot of script reading, but good fun.A few suggestions to make the most out of it if you do try it:Firstly we stole an idea from elsewhere of using raffle tickets to assign the murderer - take pairs of raffle tickets. Guests take a pair (concealing their number) and leave one of the tickets in the bowl. You then choose the murderer randomly by drawing a ticket out of the bowl. At the end you go through the tickets in the bowl and have each guest read out their "told you it wasn't me" statements until only the murderer is left. This way it means nobody has to "host" and you get some good suspense at the end!A second idea is to give guests the first page of their scripts, as well as their name and costume suggestion, in advance so that they can get into character more.I'm not sure we'd play THIS game again, although you definitely could, but the biggest part of the fun is the dressing up and getting into character and it'd be more fun to do that with a different them. However it is still a small outlay for an evenings entertainment for a large group.

The game is incredibly versatile, accommodating 4 to 20 players, and can be played in person or over video call, which makes it perfect for any kind of gathering. The game comes with everything you need to host, including detailed host guides, evidence packs, character guides, and even invitations, making it easy to set up and get everyone involved. I loved the access to digital detective files, which added a modern and immersive element to the game. The characters were fun and the plot was engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep everyone guessing. It worked well both with a smaller group in person and with a larger group over video call. If you’re looking for something different to do at Christmas, this is a fantastic option! It’s well-organised, easy to follow, and loads of fun.

If buying this as a gift for a board game enthusiast, be aware that they will need at least 4 people willing to try this experience.I also think hosting such an event could be quite hard for a shy person. I showed this to my actor friends and they are well up for hosting it this Christmas. I am really looking forward to trying it as a player, and can't wait to work out my fancy dress outfit.The contents of the box is all very good quality.