Party

Today's been a slow day.  Slower than usual, which says a lot, considering how I have an overwhelming access to free time.  Stressed out, I took an afternoon nap, which did help the day pass quicker, although productivity just went down the toilet.

Justin is back today, since it is Veterans' Day (so there's no work).  His company was much appreciated, as we had Fish & Chips at the Mucky Duck Pub, plus I had someone to talk to.  Anyway, that isn't the purpose of today's post.  I'm here to write about the Murder Mystery Party I had a while back.

Yes, it's overdue.  That's the epitomizes my life right now: My affection is overdue.  My gratitude is overdue.  My shitty internet problems being addressed, is still overdue.

Okay.  Breathe.  Ah, slightly better.  Back to the party.

*Disclaimer: This is a description of how I formulated my version of the game*

So I devised my own murder plot and characters, loosely tied to the cast of BBC's Sherlock (to make costume design and decor much more feasible).  There are many ways to run your own murder mystery, but the progression can be generalized in two ways:

1) Round-based

• Participants have their own set of task(s) they need to complete in each round.
• After these tasks are met, they will report to the game master (usually the host/hostess).
• Once everyone's done with their tasks, the game progresses to the next round.

2) Free-flow

• Everyone starts off in a "learn as you wander" routine.
• This makes them the sole reason for their progression, as they will have to take initiative and hunt for clues.
• Everyone tackles the mystery at their own pace, with a time limit set.

Now, I chose the latter option when running the game, because it was more realistic to plan and execute in 3 weeks of planning versus the former.  Would I have changed it, if I had more time?  Absolutely.

There are pros and cons to both methods.  Having rounds means that everyone moves along with the same pace, and the flow of information can be slowly digested by the others in bite-sized chunks.  I feared that the rigidity of this structure would stagnate the pace of the game, so I opted out.  

Free-flow also had its flaws by unintentionally forming bands of people.  The quicker-to-deduce group would form up, and steamroll the rest of the participants, and the ones struggling would lag behind, and eventually give up altogether.  That was the biggest problem I overlooked.

A big factor to consider when planning for a murder mystery party, is how a lie can, and should be done.  Lying is part of the fun of the game, as it adds a layer of complexity to the game.  That being said, it is imperative for everyone to know under what circumstances is lying permitted or not.  

If someone was to lie about a core clue to the story, then it's just a terrible red herring for everyone.  And since everyone doesn't know that it is false information, then their approach to the game would be totally off.  For my party, the doctor had lied about his post-mortem results, and sent everyone in the wrong way by lying about the victim's cause of death.

However, I think everyone enjoyed the party, if not the idea of it.  So I've attached my "cheat sheet" for the murder mystery party here, in case anyone wants to refer to it.

I don't care one bit about copywriting or plagiarism (simply because it isn't that great, to start).  Just bear in mind that my party was flawed, so it would be wise to reinvent and build on this model than to straight up produce a carbon copy version.

The planning and execution phases are discussed via this link, and the biographies of all the characters are included via this link.  Should there be any questions, just contact me.  I'll be happy to help.

Happy hunting, and let the games... begin!

New York (Oliver Nelson Remix) -

Urban Cone