One question that gets asked a lot by budding detectives and super sleuths alike is how long a murder mystery party lasts, and the answer unfortunately is far from clear. There is no one hard and fast rule, the truth is that so many factors can affect how long your party will last, and not all of them are under your control or ours.
Here we will take a look at a few rules of thumb, how you can speed up a murder mystery game to get it done quicker, and ways to keep the party going longer after the killer is found…
More guests, more playing time
Rather unsurprisingly, there is a link between the number of guests you have and how long a game will take to complete. Having just 5 people asking and answering questions is sure to be quicker than having 20 people doing the same. That being said, you as the host can still control to an extent how long a game will last. Once all your guests have arrived, anyway!
You can arrange the room so that it is easier for people to all hear each other so that questions only need to be asked and answered once. You can have everything already out and prepared so that you can jump right in. And you can have a rough schedule for when you want each round to start and end. While not a perfect science, it really is up to you whether a game takes 1 hour or 3 hours to play!
Should I take breaks?
Breaks can be excellent in a murder mystery party, allowing you to go grab another cocktail, take another peak at a piece of evidence, or think through what you heard in the last round. Each of our games are split up so that you can easily incorporate breaks between rounds and before the big reveal.
This last time can be a particularly good time to let your guests take a beat. They can think over whodunit and why while recapping all that has happened for themselves. Then you can gather everyone together for the innocent and guilty declarations and to award certificates and more. If, however, you have somewhere to be and wish to hurry up, breaks are probably not the best idea.
So, how can I speed up my murder mystery party?
The best way to keep a streamlined murder mystery is to power through, not take any breaks, and even put a timer on each round. You could give your guests 10 minutes to introduce themselves, half an hour for round 1 and so on.
You can also help move things along using your hosting prowess. Encourage the plot to move along by following your how to play guide and guide your guests to speed up and stick to your timetable. You can make announcements letting people know when a round is about to begin and give just a few minutes to put down who they think the killer is and why at the end of the game.
How can I keep it lasting longer?
Take breaks, check out the extras that are included in the different games, and give some of the ideas for themed activities ago! Whether you finish up the night singing karaoke from Grease, playing truth or dare at a 90s sleep over, or giving Pall Mall a go à la Bridgerton. There are no shortage of ways to keep your killer party going all day and night!
Make sure you check out your host guide, party pack where one is included, how to play guide and more for advice, information, and tips and tricks to help make your party a hit!