One of the most common questions we get asked is how many people can play any particular game. Sometimes it is a fear that after the inevitable last minute cancellations and excuses your group might not meet the minimum group size. At others, it is a last minute acceptance that puts your guest list one above the maximum.
Here we will take a look at how many people can play a murder mystery, and a few suggestions for how to deal with those unexpected changes…
Different group sizes and what they mean
In our games we have a wide variety of group sizes, but it really boils down to the two types of games that we sell. Each has core characters that must be included, but who the killer can be depends on whether it is one of our fully scripted games or our mingling mysteries made for larger groups.
Our fully scripted games
Our fully scripted games have group sizes varying from 4 to 15 players, and in these options, any of these characters can be the killer. Each is written with their own storyline, innocent and guilty answers, and has the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime.
When it comes to picking the killer, you can simply draw innocent and guilty slips from a hat. This means that you don’t have to worry about a last minute no show. If the character isn’t there, they cannot select the guilty slip, and so cannot be the killer. These provide great flexibility if you are unsure how many people will turn up, and can also be played with a much smaller group.
Our evidence based mingling mysteries
For groups of up to 20, our evidence based murder mystery games are available in various themes including a 90s music awards game, a Harry Potter inspired game, and a 00s Mean Girls themed option. These games have 10 core characters which are made up of possible suspects AND possible victims, with even the people playing each role left in the dark about whether they are the killer or not.
There are also 10 expansion characters, and these cannot be the killer. So if you have that friend that is more likely to flake at the last minute, make sure you make them an expansion character and not a core!
If one of your core characters cannot make it, you have a couple of different options. You can invite someone else, reshuffle your roles so that someone who was an expansion character is now the core character, or you can play it yourself if your role is less essential. In some cases where these haven’t been feasible, groups have printed out the missing characters booklet and displayed it with the evidence so that everyone can see what they would have said and done.
What to do if you have an extra person
If you find yourself with more people than characters, you can again go for a couple of different options. If the game you have picked has an expansion option like our Clue-less Killer 90s game which can be bought in 5-10 or 5-15, you can select the bigger game. If you are already at 21 out of 20 however, and there isn’t a larger option, you can try one of these solutions:
- Have the person act as the murder victim – an ideal choice for someone who is happier to be on the side lines and watch the mystery unfold while still getting to do a dramatic death.
- Play the detective – you can always have your extra guest dress up as a detective and take over asking the questions of your other characters. Give your best Sherlock, Poirot or Benoit Blanc impression and get ready to give a killer speech about whodunit and why at the end.
- Give up your own character – it may be that you are happy as the host to play one of the above roles and give your extra guest the character booklet that should have been yours.
Don’t forget to check the numbers before you buy
The most important thing to remember is that you should always check the numbers involved before you choose your game. You should have a rough idea of who will come to your party, and then buy a game that suits that group size with some flexibility on either side. Check out the many and varied options available today and we hope you have a killer murder mystery party!