The sun is finally out, the evenings are lighter for longer, and BBQ season has arrived! If you are looking for a fun and fabulous way to spend a summer night, why not get your friends round, get some food cooking and drinks chilling, and try to work out which of you is a murderer!?
A murder mystery party is the perfect way to do something a little different this summer, and here we will give you our top tips for getting set up for a truly killer party…
1 – Choose your theme
The kind of party you choose will determine how you set your area up. For instance, we have two main types of game, one where the group sits and reads from a script, and the other where the group mingles while asking questions and looking at evidence. One would require plenty of seats while the other is far more casual.
When you know the style of the game you need to pick the theme. A festival murder mystery will again be very different than a tea party set up, and a picnic very different again. Check out the various games available and see which best suits you, your guests, and your garden.
2 – Clear what you can…
The next step, and the one that will likely have you groaning and hoping for an alternative, is to give your garden a good sort. If you have wildly growing grass, leaves still piled up from last year, and some old bits of furniture or rubbish you never quite threw out, it is time for all that to go.
The last thing you want is for one of your guests to twist an ankle tripping over your old tennis racquet after a cocktail or two. Or someone to sit in a muddy pile of rotting leaves in your otherwise dry and welcoming lawn.
3 - …Use what you can’t
As you clear out your garden you might find things that could be useful to your party, make interesting decorations, or that you simply cannot shift and therefore have to include. Your outdoor furniture will usually be highly useful for your guests to sit on or place their food and drinks, but other items might not be so obvious.
For example, in our 60s festival themed game the rock you couldn’t move could now be the site for your drum circle, while the bits of fence you meant to chuck out can be very useful. By using a marker pen or some paint, you can make them directions to the other areas of your ‘festival site’, such as the luxury bathroom facilities, tents, and food and drinks.
4 – Bring out your props and furnishings
Again, the type of game you pick will determine what you need and where. For our Tea Party Mystery, set up a long table and chairs with tea cups and cocktails in tea pots. Or go more casual with blankets, picnic supplies, and paper plates.
For our festival murder mystery, you could set up a tent, get out your camping chairs and equipment, or again go for blankets on the floor. For food and drink you can opt for a BBQ, or just bring out some nibbles and a selection of drinks from cocktails to beer cans. It can really be the little things in a game like this, so anything you have that fits the vibe, bring it on out!
5 – It’s all about the atmosphere
Now you have the physical aspects of your party down, it is time to think about setting the right ambience. Get out your speakers and blast our 60s festival Spotify playlist, or set the perfect pitch with our Bridgerton inspired tea party playlist. You can also set out candles, use bunting, or have a fire pit that people can gather around and feel like they are a part of the game.
It is all up to you how you want your garden to look, and remember that the most important thing is to be safe, have fun, and maybe warn your neighbours to expect screams!