A Host-Party Murder Mystery Game Game Materials Distribute to all Cast Members
Created By Host-Party.com and Megan Kelly Copyright 2018 Host-Party.com All rights reserved. Worldwide copyright laws and conventions protect all Host-Party.com printed material. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written consent from Host-Party.com. The buyer is entitled to use these materials for one event only. Please contact us for multiple usage rights. Whenever Host-Party.com materials are used in a public performance, the following must be included in all programs, printing and advertising: Host-Party.com, www.host-party.com. All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER: Because we have no control over the application and production of this murder mystery, Host-Party cannot guarantee results and will not be responsible for any personal injury, death and/or loss to participants. No use of this production other than the stated entertainment use is implied or intended. Such use is the sole responsibility of the user. The subject matter contained here is fiction and is intended purely for entertainment. The names and actions carried out by the characters are not intended to represent or imply the behavior of any person, living, dead or undead.
Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE Notes From Author 1 Host Preparation 2 Cast Instructions 3 Guest Instructions 4 How to Read the Script 5 Round 1 - Friendly, Neighborhood Secret Supers! 6 Character Information 14 Suggested Recipes 15 Other Host-Party.com Games 16 ADDITIONAL MATERIALS --------------------------------------- special instructions These materials are available for download on our site. Login at www.hostparty.com and go to Materials page.
Notes From Author Thank you for downloading a sample of this game. This is an abbreviated sample of the full game kit available for purchase. This sample should give you a basic undserstanding of the game and how it is played. If you have any questions, check out our Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.host-party.com/ murdermysterygame_faqs.asp. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 1 of 16
Host Preparation Here are a few tips to help you prepare yourself and your cast for the murder mystery. Read the Guide on How to Host a Host-Party Murder Mystery. This guide will give you all the specifics on preparing for and hosting your party. This guide should have been emailed to you upon purchase. It is also available from the Materials menu on the Host-Party website. Send Script. You will want to distribute this document to the cast at least one week in advance of the production. The easiest way to do this is to use the Send Materials to Cast option in the Communications menu on the Host-Party website. Schedule a time to get together with the cast members before the production. Use this time to talk through the script, discuss the sequence, rehearse some of the scenes, and get a feel for the character dynamics. This can be done just prior to the performance, but it is better if you meet a few days before so you have time for adjustments. Create a Backstage area. It is a good idea to mark a room or area off limits to the Detectives as your backstage area. Use this area to store props and keep copies of the script on hand. The cast members can retreat there between rounds or whenever they feel the need to consult the script. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 2 of 16
Cast Instructions A Host-Party.com large group murder mystery is performed like a dinner theater production. There is a set of cast members who are the primary suspects. They will have full knowledge of the script, which means they'll know whodunit. The rest of the guests will take on the role of detective or as a team of detectives and it will be their job to solve the case. The performance usually lasts about 2 hours long but you can make it shorter by tightening up the sequence of events or longer by allowing more time between the rounds. Cast members should review this script in advance. They are not required to memorize the dialogue word for word, but they should be familiar with the sequence of events and the gist of their lines. Each cast member will have to carry out certain actions (like arguments) and suspicious activities to set themselves up as primary suspects. Here are a few suggestions for cast members: Carry a Cheat sheet. Print a copy of the cheat sheet, at the end of this document and keep it with you during the production. That way, you can refer to it throughout the production to make sure you stay synchronized with the other cast members. Don t memorize the lines in the script. The script is intended to give you a guide of the dialog. Improvisation is encouraged. RELAX. You will likely be nervous and want to rush the sequence of events, but DON T. Force yourself to slow down to let the scene unfold. Synchronize your watches. Timing is an important element of our large group mysteries. Make sure the cast members are working off the same time. The script will denote timing throughout. 0:00 hour in the script is whatever time you start. You may wish to reset your watch to 12:00 at the start of the show. That way, you re literally at the zero hour and can easily figure out the time from there. For instance, if you begin the performance at 5:20, you may wish to reset your watch to 12:00 to align your watch with the script timing. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 3 of 16
Guest Instructions Playing one of our murder mysteries requires no special acting abilities, just a willingness to have fun. Our site gives you all the details you need to prepare for the party including character descriptions of all guests, internal information about each character, and costume/prop recommendations. During the party, most guests will be acting as a detective. If you are a detective, you will mingle with the characters, observe interactions between characters, have an opportunity to ask questions of the characters, and present your theory of who-dun-it. Six guests will agree before the evening to play the roles of the characters. The characters can be played to suit the comfort zone of each player. If you are a character, and if you like the spotlight or enjoy role playing, immerse yourself in your character s persona and live the night as you think they would. You may even decide to exaggerate your character s personality for even more effect. On the other hand, you may prefer to participate in a less theatrical capacity. There are only a few simple rules to follow when playing our games. 1. Stay in Character. (Costumes are highly recommended) 2. Hide/Stretch the truth, but don't lie! 3. Interrogate others. Each game takes approximately 1-1/2 to 3 hrs, depending on the number of people playing. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 4 of 16
How to Read the Script The script is broken into rounds. The rounds will allow you to pace the sequence of clues to ensure that the overall length of the mystery is not too long or too short. It is a common practice to break between rounds and to return backstage to prepare for the next round. Timing is noted in parenthesis (0:00) as the hours and minutes that should have passed since the beginning of the performance. Bolded Red Text indicates events critical to the progression of the mystery. These lines will often reveal key elements required to crack the case. Be sure that the detectives are paying attention when you act out these segments. Bolded items are included on the cheat sheet. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 5 of 16
Round 1 - Friendly, Neighborhood Secret Supers! Round Instructions This round should be implemented when the guests arrive. During this round, guests should be able to familiarize themselves with the characters by mingling and asking questions. If the guests have received the General Clue in round 0, then they will have conversation prompts for each character. At the end of this round, optional table activities are suggested. Appetizers and drinks may be served during this round. Props: 1. Elana needs her super watch. 2. Crystal needs pictures of her grandkids. Characters need to interact with as many guests as possible during the hors d oeuvres. At the end of round 1, the characters can take a short break. They need to be prepared to reenter at the beginning of round 2 wearing their more complete costumes. This round should take around 45 minutes. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 6 of 16
Round Activity: Superhero Trivia Objective: How well do you know your Super Heroes? Test your knowledge of super hero trivia with this icebreaker. Rules: Choose someone at the table to ask the questions, or take turns. Below are listed the nine most popular Super Heroes. Can anybody at the table name them? How many can your group name? 1. Superman 2. Spiderman 3. Batman 4. Wolverine 5. Wonder Woman 6. The Incredible Hulk 7. Green Lantern 8. Captain America 9. Spawn What are their super powers? 1. strength, flight, laser eyes, enhanced senses 2. web making, enhanced senses 3. martial arts, gadgets 4. adamantium claws 5. bullet proof bracelets, magic lasso 6. strength, aggression 7. power ring, force field 8. strength, super soldier serum 9. armor, teleportation, project bolts of green hellfire Who are their (main) arch enemies? 1. Lex Luthor 2. Green Goblin, Venom 3. Joker 4. Sabertooth 5. Cheetah, Doktor Psykho 6. Abomination, The Leader 7. Sinestro 8. The Red Skull 9. (Jason Wynn) Equipment: none Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 7 of 16
Round Activity: Superhero Movie Trivia Objective: Test your knowledge of superhero movies with this trivia list. Rules: Icebreaker question: What is your favorite superhero movie? As of the end of 2008, what are the highest grossing superhero movies? 1. The Dark Knight 2. Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man 2 4. Spider-Man 3 5. Iron Man 6. The Incredibles 7. Batman 8. X-Men: The Last Stand 9. Hancock 10. X2: X-Men United 11. Batman Begins 12. Superman Returns 13. Batman Forever 14. Batman Returns 15. X-Men 16. Fantastic Four 17. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 18. The Incredible Hulk 19. Wanted 20. Superman If your favorite movie didn't make the highest grossing list, did any of these movies make your list? Superman 2, Unbreakable, Blade, Hellboy, Darkman, The Mask of Zorro, The Mask, Swamp Thing, The Crow, Dick Tracy, Constantine Equipment: Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 8 of 16
Round 1 Script Elana Longfish (00:01): Elana mingles with the guests during the cocktail hour, chatting about whatever comes up. However, occasionally she gets distracted by her watch and has to abruptly excuse herself from the conversations. (She is compelled to leave when there is a need for a super-hero somewhere.) She can leave with flair, as if she is starting to run a race sideways: she can bend her elbows and pump her arms in an exaggerated way to the side. When she returns, she finds the person/people she was last speaking with and offers a lame/strange excuse for her departure. Examples of weird excuses: - Wow, I almost missed the climax of tonight s meteor shower. - Don t you hate it when you forget to rinse the conditioner out of your hair on the night of a party? - My dog called. I forgot to let her out before I left for the party. - I had to go back and set the timer to record my favorite show. - I had to feed the meter, but I forgot that we don t have meters in this town. She can try and pick up the conversation where she left off, but it will be awkward. (A note on Elana s super watch: she can have an actual watch that is set to go off often during the partyshe can reset it during her absences, and the alarm can prompt her to leave conversations. Or, she can just hold her watch up to her ear as if she can hear it and dash off.) If anybody asks Elana about the E on her shirt that can be seen underneath her party clothes, she can respond with, I really wish I could tell you about it, but I just can t. She will most likely not be asked about it. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 9 of 16
Troy Specter (00:02): Troy enjoys mingling with the guests during cocktail hour. He knows he s handsome and he acts like it; he flashes his smile and shakes his hair when he speaks with women. When he bumps into another Secret Super, he can wink at them in an obvious way. During his conversations, Troy acts spacey when the topic is thought provoking. However, Troy needs to press the topic of the world s energy crisis and speak about it confidently. Examples of energy crisis questions: - Do you think we ll see a viable alternative fuel for natural gas in our lifetime? - Would you drive a wind powered car? - I read that we are going to run out of fossil fuels in 10 years. Do you think that s true? (Note: he can invent exaggerated statistics off the top of his head to make an energy crisis sound imminent.) - When we run out of fossil fuel, which item will be the most difficult for you to give up- indoor lights or your car? Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 10 of 16
Penn Manship (00:03): Penn mingles with the guests during the cocktail hour. Sometimes, he can t help but slip into a narrative tone when he speaks about a subject. When he does this, it sounds impressive but it doesn t make sense. It should be difficult for a guest to know how to respond! Examples of a prose response to a comment about the weather: - When sunshine reluctantly released its hopeful grip on the winter day, and left behind only darkness, bitter and unmoving, I dared enter the brilliance, stirring gladness, that is the party. - There is a tragedy spoken in the harsh wind: that we may depend on winter to expose his fiercest temper before submitting to spring s soothing lullaby. - Were it not for the overwhelming and unavoidable blanket of darkness this evening, we could share our party with the stars. When Penn isn t describing things in bad prose, he s asking guests what they ve been reading. After asking a few questions about the book, Penn has disparaging things to say about the author and publisher, especially that the author is a terrible writer and the publisher has low standards and wouldn t recognize an up-and-coming best selling manuscript if it hit them on the head. Conversations about books, even though he s the one that brings it up, put Penn in a bad mood. Occasionally, Penn attempts to talk about the novel he s working on: it s a classic who-dun-it, with a crazy twist at the end involving an umbrella, a butler, and a subway ticket. But it shouldn t make sense to anyone kind enough to listen. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 11 of 16
Lisa Jackson (00:04): Lisa is extremely confident in a mingling situation. She has an obnoxious laugh, and her voice is inappropriately loud. When the subject of sports comes up, Lisa loves to discuss her sport, which is body contortion. She can argue why she thinks that it should be recognized as an Olympic sport, although she admits that it s the sort of talent you re born with and can t exactly develop or improve upon. She will demonstrate this talent for anyone that cares to watch by scrunching herself up into a ball, or she can limit her demonstration to showing how far her arm can be stretched or how flexible her fingers are. Of all of the Secret Supers, Lisa is the most normal and is the best at blending into an average party. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 12 of 16
Crystal Waterson (00:05): Crystal enjoys mingling because it s an opportunity to show off pictures of the grandkids, which she happens to have in her pocket or purse where it s convenient to whip out. She is also a worrier; she has seen a lot of crazy scenarios during her years as a Super Hero. She can imagine terrible things going wrong with just about any situation. This compels her to offer unsolicited advice to a coworker. Examples of advice: - You can never be too careful; a giant mutated earthworm could have tunneled under the road, causing the sidewalk to collapse under your weight if you walk across it. - What would you have done if a satellite had suddenly malfunctioned and careened to the earth in a massive fireball, while you were there? Sometimes Crystal gets distracted, pausing in the middle of a conversation and looking around the room. When she reengages in the conversation, she points out safety tips to the guest she s speaking with. Examples of safety tips: - I ve just noticed that the refrigerator room in the kitchen is immediately on the left once you walk through the double doors. In the event of a nuclear catastrophe, head there because the room is lead-lined. But don t tell anyone else because I estimate that only two of us will be able to fit in there. - Try to sit at a table in that corner. If the room were suddenly filled with fire, those sprinklers are in the best working order. - There s a dumpster under that window. If you have to exit the room by jumping out of a window, use that window. Remember to tuck your head and land on your back. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 13 of 16
Character Information The information below will provide you with the basic information for each cast member. This will provide your cast with a good understanding of the characters and their motives. This sample kit will only show the first three characters. Elana Longfish (Electric Elana) played by Kim Ledger Description: Powers: Elana can control electricity. Elana is the mild mannered co-worker. Sometimes she has to slip away to save the world, and she s not too creative at providing believable alibis to excuse her sudden absences. Motive: Elana is tired of her slippery reputation at work; nobody trusts her anymore. She is tempted to shock everybody at the office by revealing her Super Hero identity. Accordingly, she isn t as careful as she could be about keeping her identity secret. Her super friends are nervous that an enemy might discover her powers and exploit them. Elana might cooperate with an enemy if it meant getting a little well-deserved glory. Elana Longfish (Electric Elana) Description: Powers: Elana can control electricity. Elana is the mild mannered co-worker. Sometimes she has to slip away to save the world, and she s not too creative at providing believable alibis to excuse her sudden absences. Motive: Elana is tired of her slippery reputation at work; nobody trusts her anymore. She is tempted to shock everybody at the office by revealing her Super Hero identity. Accordingly, she isn t as careful as she could be about keeping her identity secret. Her super friends are nervous that an enemy might discover her powers and exploit them. Elana might cooperate with an enemy if it meant getting a little well-deserved glory. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 14 of 16
Suggested Recipes Recipes are provided in the purchased game kit. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 15 of 16
Other Games From Host-Party.com Below is a list of other games available from Host-Party.com. A Rockin' Hot Tub Murder A classic style murder mystery game for 8 to 12 players set in the present. Ideal for playing around a hot tub or pool or for a summer barbecue. It's electrifyin'. A Broken Heart Murder on Valentine's Day "A Broken Heart Murder" is a simple to use murder mystery for 8-14 people. It s a great way to move a party, have lots of fun and entertain your guests. How exciting to celebrate with the trivia and dancing that is included, and of course a murder! Everyone is a suspect, so come join the fun! A Cereal Killer? This simple to use non-murder mystery for 6-12 people is a great way to entertain your family and friends. Ideal for young teen or pre-teen girls, this game would be great fun at a birthday party or sleep-over. A Devilish Masquerade A non-murder mystery game for at least 5 teens. A great choice as a Halloween party for teens, can be expanded to include an unlimited number of characters. A brief appearance by an adult hostess is built into the game to help set the scene. A Fatal Fairy Tale Goldilocks has been murdered and Mr. Holmes has a new mystery to unravel. Which famous literary character is responsible? This game is dedicated to everyone who played "Deadly Ever After" and asked me to write another. A Holiday Murder This holiday murder mystery game for 8-14 party guests is a great way to move a party, have lots of fun and entertain your guests! Set in the era of the 70s & 80s, it includes trivia, dancing and of course, a murder! Come join the fun! A Knight's Quest King Arthur is dying. The Knight's of the Round Table have been called together. They are to be sent on 4 quests with the final goal of finding the Holy Grail, a magic cup that will heal the King. However, Mordred and his band of evil knights will be doing everything they can to stop the Knights of the Round Table from helping the King. A Lethal Luau This simple to use adult murder mystery for 10-15+ people is a great way to have lots of fun with your guests! So don your colorful Island attire and prepare for an exciting evening that spikes up a murder! A Licence To Murder The party is being held at Funnymunny's Health Spa to celebrate the wedding of top secret agent James Bland, and you are invited to attend. A murder mystery game for 8 to 12 players set in the world of secret agents and mad megalomaniacs. A License To Murder A murder mystery game for 8 to 12 players set in the world of secret agents and mad megalomaniacs. Host-Party.com Murder Mystery Games Page 16 of 16