The denouement is the final main scene of any great murder mystery book, film, or game. It is the moment when the clever detective, whether that is Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, or you in your own home, gathers all the suspects together to describe what happened and why. It is the time when secrets are revealed, accusations are made, and the killer is brought to justice. Usually anyway.
Carrying off this final big reveal is the key to a really successful murder mystery party, as all of your guests make their guesses and discover if you are all truly great detectives. Or if you have let one among your group get away with murder.
Setting up the Reveal
When you are playing a murder mystery game, you will see that there are often a number of questions to ask, and rounds to take part in. Keep your eyes and ears open and see if you can spot the clues that are dropped and the mistakes that the killer makes!
Once these are all finished with, it is time to announce that your guests should take a few minutes to think over all that they have heard, and to decide who the killer really is.
Some games will have killer cards, a place where you can write out your suspicions. In other cases, you may choose to send your guesses to a group chat, or scribble them down on a piece of paper. Or simply trust each other not to pretend you knew who it was all along. Though you may find it harder to trust your guests once you are all suspects in a murder…
You can choose to simply reveal the killer once this is done, but it is far more dramatic (and fun) to go around accusing each other to your faces. There is nothing quite like accusing your mother of committing the crime because she was after a rare Pokémon card, for example. Or your best friend of being a backstabbing member of a 90s band.
Go All Out
Now that you have all had a chance to think over whodunit, tell everyone it is time to gather around and take it in turns making your accusations, and do so as dramatically as you wish. As innocent parties you may wish to cry, have a tantrum, protest your innocence, or remain dignified and sure of yourself. Of course, the killer can choose to do all these things and more as well!
You can bring in other secrets as many great detectives like to do. Explaining how a character might have committed murder to hide a particular sin or embarrassing indiscretion can be a lot of fun. You can go around the whole group if you want before you make your real guess, just channel Benoit Blanc or your favourite detective and really go all out.
When everyone has had a chance to make their accusations, it is time for the guilty party to reveal themselves.
Unmasking the Killer
The best way to reveal the killer is for the guilty character to describe for themselves what it is they did and why. It is so much more dramatic and impressive for the killer to stand up and announce that it was them than for the host to simply say who it was. Really ham up your feelings. Was it self-defence? A crime of passion? Or a brilliant and well-thought out plan that you are truly proud of?
It can be fun to gently mock those who didn’t figure out the killer, while applauding the detectives who got it right. Don’t forget that we at Sisters Grimm provide certificates for the best detective, for whoever is dressed to kill, and more.
Don’t let the unmasking of the killer be the death of your party, check out our recommended ways to keep your party going with clever themed games and more here…