How do you go about hosting and/or attending a Shot In The Dark Mysteries murder mystery or family-friendly party game? Well, first of all, it’s easy! No doubt you have questions though, especially since our formats are so different from our competitors. Chances are we’ll answer all of your questions on the individual mystery details pages or below, but if you have a question you don’t see here, feel free to contact us.
**Please Note** We are an international company, and serve clients from one side of the planet to the other. Because of time zones from our vast clientele, we provide customer service via chat, social media and our help desk. Our turn-around time for responding is very quick, and this allows us to get back to you faster than via the phone. Connect with us via our help desk at hello@shotinthedarkmysteries.com for the quickest response!
Sample Host Guide
Sample Host Guide
Sample Suspect Guide
The SHOT! Format Explained
Watch Trailer
An overview of a typical SHOT mystery party flow
- Play or read the Announcement of Murder via mp3 file or the transcript
- Suspect Introductions (optional)
- Suspects question one another (for large group, Investigators question Suspects)
- Accusations are cast
- Have all or some of the guests share their Accusation
- Play or read “The Big Reveal” solution
- Give away prizes and awards (if applicable)
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions – hopefully these responses will answer yours. But also remember that most of the games on our site have Sample Materials on the details page, and you can view these Sample Materials to see the exact instructions you’ll receive in your Host Guide. This will provide you a wealth of information pre-purchase, so if you don’t see your question answered below, check the specific Sample Materials for the mystery you’ve got your eye on.
Our mystery party games are “Interactive”, which means, simply, that your people will be interacting – questioning each other to form their theories and cast their accusation against the suspect who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the murder (or theft, in the case of some of the mystery packages in our Kids and Teens line)
We offer two different types of Interactive mystery packages. When checking out, you’ll have the choice between:
“Mingle” Mystery Games
This is our baby. Leigh created this format over 2 decades ago to cure all the things she disliked about traditional murder mystery games, so if you see these terms on other mystery sites, this is where the format came from… and yes, we did innovate the entire mystery party game industry, as many of our competitors have since taken our format and tried to duplicate it.
The Mingle Mystery format is designed to have everyone up off their bums, mingling (hence the name) to find the suspect with the motive, means and opportunity to commit the murder or crime. While other formats of mystery parties (turn-based and dinner, for example) have guests reading clues in turns in a certain order or acting out scripts (as in a script-based mystery), Interactive Mingle mysteries are quite different. Your Suspects will be up and mingling around, and it’s up to the other suspects and any non-suspect Investigators (aka ‘Sleuths’) to question each other to piece together the mystery.
Dinner Party Mystery Games
Our interactive Dinner Party mystery games are another first in the mystery party industry. Leigh has been throwing this dinner party mystery format for years privately, and now it’s available for our most adventurous hosts to bring the interactive investigation down around a meal. While this may sound easier, it’s actually the more difficult of the two formats, both to host and to investigate. As the host, you are adding meal prep, timing and rolling out courses to your to-do list. As an investigator/sleuth/suspect, everyone has to be more strategic about the questions they ask the other suspects in order to get the answers they need without clueing everyone else into their theories!
Which one is right for you? That’s up to you and your hosting style. Either way, you’re going to have an amazing murder mystery night!
We offer two formats for your mystery party experience: “Mingle” mystery and Dinner Party.
We have a great article explaining the differences here!
When you select your version (how many suspects), you see a drop down menu. This is where you choose whether you select the Dinner Party or Mingle mystery version.
Right, so we choose not to offer an app for a number of reasons. First, we are big advocates for bringing people together face-to-face to spend time with their friends and family, to meet new people and to have an in-person experience without technology – such a thing is so incredibly rare these days it’s becoming obsolete. In fact, for many of our repeat clients whose mysteries are regular events with their friends and family, cell phones have to go in a basket at the door. We will continue to support the idea of connecting with people live and in-person until the day the planet is taken over by AI Robots.
Second, most of our mysteries occur in by-gone eras. Really, can you be a flapper in a speakeasy or a sultry singer in a smoky jazz bar in the 1950s while… staring at your phone?! And how quickly will your guests be pulled from the experience by a text or social media notification?
Now, having said that, if you prefer to have a tech-friendly party, you don’t need some fancy app from us. The same Suspect Guide that you send out to your guests pre-party can be viewed on any smartphone or device. Easy!
The short answer is 2-3 hours, you set the time frame to fit your vision for your party.
The long answer is that depending on the murder mystery game format you choose (Dinner party mystery vs. “Mingle” interactive), the times will vary. We always recommend allowing more time for a dinner party format because of the rolling out of courses etc. But, here’s what we generally recommend:
Mingle Mystery Party Timing:
The Mingle Mystery Game format is flexible, as you’ll see. When it comes to setting out time frames, you are very much in control of how your mystery party rolls out. Some hosts will eavesdrop on the questioning to determine when a lull occurs, at which point they will “Call In The Accusations” (more on this below). Others will walk around asking guests if they are ready to cast their accusation or if they need more time. While both of these methods work well, I personally prefer the third method: putting a time limit on the investigations. I find that it creates a really fun sense of urgency on the questioning, and prevents the investigations from hitting a lull as people get all the information they receive. Any of these three methods work, and since our mystery format is designed to work around your party, you can choose the method that you like best.
If you choose to set a time limit though, how long you set is up to you. Here is the way we determine how long to let the investigation last:
1. Determine how long you want the mystery to last in total (for example, 2 hours)
2. Allow 15 minutes for the Announcement of Theft/Introduction, and for the Suspects to introduce themselves
3. Allow 15 minutes for accusations to be cast at the end and for the “Big Reveal”
KEEP IN MIND:
The more Suspects you have, the more time you and your guests will need to investigate. For 6-8 Suspect versions, an hour of investigation time is fine. For 10- 14 Suspects, 90 minutes should suffice and for 16 or 18 Suspect versions, 90 minutes to 2 hours will be enough. These are just guidelines though – you can make it work for your unique party.
Dinner Party Murder Mystery Game Timing:
This is an overview of how your mystery is designed, but remember that all of Shot In The Dark Mysteries’ packages are designed to be flexible, so that you can integrate them into your vision for your party. Remember, the timing of your dinner party mystery will depend greatly on your menu!
- Guests/Participants arrive
- Cocktails/Mingling/Suspect “Introductions” (one-on-one or to the group en masse)
- Appetisers & Announcement of Murder/Theft, Initial Investigations and Share Information
- First Break
- Main Course/Further Investigations/Questioning
- Last Break/One-On-One Investigations
- Dessert/Coffee/Tea, Accusations & The Big Reveal
You CAN purchase your mystery package via your phone no problem! But when it comes to actually downloading your materials, you need a laptop or computer. Our mysteries are delivered via downloaded .zip file, and the device on which you receive the materials, download and work with them must have the ability to unzip a compressed file. These do not come on smartphones/tablets, so you will need to download your package onto a device like a computer or laptop. So, if you’re choosing your SHOT mystery package on your phone while on the subway, in the bathtub or while getting a massage, proceed! After you purchase, you will receive an email with download links, so just scoot on over to your laptop or computer after purchase and retrieve your downloads.
All of our mystery packages are designed with the host in mind, to protect you, as the host, from possible spoilers, with emailable suspect guides and separate, well-marked files for the Big Reveal. We believe that as hosts, we put so much into our parties that we should be able to participate, solve the mystery and have as much fun as our guests… IF we want to. So, if you as the host would like to take on a suspect roll and investigate to find the killer, our materials are designed for you!
Some hosts do prefer to simply play the host while their guests solve the mystery, and that’s okay as well – as the host, the choice is yours to be a suspect or not! But, we hope that you will play and have just as amazing a time as your mystery party guests!
Our formats are VERY different from our competitors. There are no rounds, no stunts, no stupid, embarrassing character names, no limbo contents (unless you want to hold one yourself, of course!). Your SHOT mystery is a straight-up, pure investigation that will have your guests mingling and questioning each other to find the killer, just as a detective would.
We recognize this format is not for everyone. Some groups are better suited to be led through a mystery step-by-step, and that’s okay. Some people want the ridiculous content for which the murder mystery game industry has become known. But, if you and your guests are looking for something a bit more thought-provoking and not at all campy or humiliating for your guests, you’ve found your mystery party company! Our investigations give you and your guests the chance to prove just how clever you are, by gathering the evidence and solving the mystery, without the cringe-worthy content that makes people avoid murder mystery parties.
Standard customizations (ie: no major re-writes) cost around $40 in addition to the package cost. We only have the capacity to complete two customizations per week, so if you are considering a SHOT mystery party package and don’t see the variation you will need, please get in touch as far in advance of your party as possible to ensure you receive a customization spot.
When we say “customization”, what we mean is creating a version of the mystery party that fits your guest list by changing genders/re-writing/writing new characters. The next question we get is, “why is it so cheap?”. Yes, $40 isn’t a lot, considering the amount of work that goes into creating different versions for you, however we do launch them on the website afterwards for everyone else to purchase, so we consider it a good trade-off!
SHOT mystery party packages come standard with:
- Host Guide
- Suspect Instructions
- Floor Plans (if applicable for the mystery)
- Name Tags/Place Cards
- Digital Invitations
- Accusation Forms
- A Suspect Guide for each Suspect
- Notes Pages (Beginner and Advanced)
- Mp3 Audio Files of The Announcement of Murder and The Big Reveal
- Transcripts of The Announcement of Murder and The Big Reveal
- Suspect List with Character Complexity Ratings (to help you assign suspects to your guests)
- Access to the PLAY site, which gives your guests info about the mystery game without risking spoilers
Any other bonus materials/items will be outlined on the details page for the version (ie: number of suspects) you need. Just pick a version you want for each mystery to view the trailer, see the suspects, get a sample of the Host Guide and see what each mystery kit contains. These can include bonus audio files, magazines with clues and more!
You can also add on Witness Packs, Expansion Packs and the Bribery and Blackmail pack if you so choose at checkout!
We charge in USD (American Dollars) however when you choose your payment type (PayPal or Credit Card) your bank/credit card provider will do the exchange on their end, so no matter where in the world you are, you can purchase one of our mystery packages.
Having said that, Canadians (CAD) and Australians (AUD) , simply enter your address at check out to pay in your own currency!
Not all of your guests need to be Suspects. We always recommend finding out which guests want to be suspects first and then purchasing the kit that coincides with THAT number instead of purchasing a kit to match your total number of guests. Everyone who is not playing a Suspect is Investigating (a Sleuth), which means that they are mingling around, working alone or in teams to find the killer (or culprit). So, while you may be having 18 people attend, you may not need the 18 suspect version.
We have designed our mystery party packages with a cap of 18 suspects for a purpose: we facilitate a lot of mysteries ourselves for our clients and throw local events and fundraisers. We have found in our over 20 years of experience that anything over 18 with 2 optional Witness tends to fall apart for two reasons. First, it becomes so confusing for those participating to keep track of all of the suspects, their motives, alibis and secrets that they quickly get frustrated and give up. Second, anything larger takes FAR too long to play. We recently facilitated a 26 suspect version of Murder at the Superhero Peace Convention at the host’s insistence and the mystery took five and a half hours to play! The guests were exhausted, and in that time many had hit the cocktail bar a few too many times and were a bit – shall we say, pickled? Even our insistent host admitted toward the end that we should have gone with the 18 Suspect cap. Rest assured though, the guests who are investigators are just as involved as the suspects and have just as much fun!
The short answer is yes – IF you have assigned them as a Suspect. If you have advance notice of them bailing though, there are two things you can do. First, if they aren’t sure if they can make it, but you really want them to be involved if they can, purchase the Witness Pack for your mystery. This will give you 2 characters who have a character name, name tag and “Share” information, but no “Hide” information or hidden motives. This way, if they can’t make it, your mystery party is not ruined.
The other option is that you can get in touch with us if you have a few days leading up to your party and we can swap it out for a different version. In this case, you’ll have to send your guests playing Suspects their Suspect Guides again with the different content, so most hosts will opt for the Witness Pack at the time of purchase and allow those guests who *ahem* tend to bail to take on a less vital role.
As always though, if you need help, just reach out! After 25 years of mystery parties and events and all sorts of surprises, we have a few tricks up our sleeves ;)
We only offer two Witness roles for each mystery to ensure the quality of your mystery party game.
Really. I can’t even tell you how many emails I get from potential clients asking for 30 Witness Roles. The simple fact is that the more Witnesses you have, the more – how can I say this…. watered down? your mystery experience becomes. We tested the number of Witnesses rigorously before we launched the line of Witness Expansion Packs, and two is most definitely the magic number.
Does that mean that everyone else can’t come, can’t play, can’t have fun at your mystery party? Absolutely not! As we have explained already, you can have UNLIMITED sleuths investigating without a character role. We throw events and fundraisers locally with 200+ people and only a 12-14 suspect mystery package.
Our Interactive format Mingle and Dinner Party mysteries can truly be played by an unlimited number of participants. In fact, we’ve thrown fundraisers and corporate mystery events for 200+ people using nothing more than a 12 suspect mystery package. The trick is to purchase the version that accommodates how many SUSPECTS you want, and then have everyone else work alone or in teams to question the suspects and piece together the mystery. Because everyone is up, mingling and questioning the suspects instead of sitting down reading off scripts, any number of players can participate.
Now, having said that, we typically don’t recommend having hundreds of people at your dinner party. Dinner party numbers typically work better when there are less suspects – think 12-14 max. BUT if you’re a seasoned host, you could accommodate more, so how many Suspects you have at your dinner party mystery will have to be a judgement call on your part. Leigh loves talking about party planning though, so if you want another perspective on your party planning, reach out to us on social!
Your mystery materials come with a download that includes your Host Guide and Suspect Instructions. All you have to do is send out a Suspect Instructions file alongside each guest’s Suspect Guide and they will have the full instructions on how to be a Suspect, how to investigate and more. So, instead of you explaining to everyone what to do, you can spend that time instead browsing our Pinterest Boards for party inspiration!
In the Suspect Instructions file, we also provide a way to get in contact with us if they have questions on their materials and don’t want to discuss them with the host for fear of spoilers. Most hosts have a quick chat with their Suspects before the mystery begins, but the instructions the Suspects receive keep the host from having to teach the Suspects how to participate. The Introduction will also give any additional Investigators instructions on how to play, so all the host needs to do is read the Announcement of Murder or press Play on the audio files and relax!
If you don’t have an even number, but you still want everyone to participate, there are a number of things you can do. First, you can always get the Optional Witness Pack, which gives you an extra male and female character who aren’t essential to the mystery. Another option is to gender-bend. For some parties and groups of people, gender bending is a riot, and for others – well, not so much. If your group is the type who would embrace this, the results can be hilarious.
Lastly, if there’s enough time before your party (2-3 weeks, please!) contact us. We can usually do customizations from around $40 in addition to the package cost, to give you a mystery that suits YOUR unique party!
That’s entirely up to you! Of course, we recommend at least a few days, but some hosts prefer weeks to prepare, while others will order their mystery game kit an hour before their party. It’s entirely up to you and how you want to host your party. Since our materials are instantly downloaded and the Suspect Guides can be emailed to your guests instead of having to print off each guide, you can use as much, or as little, prep-time as makes you, as the host, feel comfortable.
Having said that, sometimes technology can be weird (ie: gmail is notorious for chucking our download receipts in one of their wonky folders or blocking them outright) so a bit of advance preparation is always a good thing, just in case.
Outside of the case of a last-minute mystery investigation, we always recommend downloading your materials in advance. We often get messages from people who purchase a mystery package a week before the event, but wait until an hour before the party begins to download their materials, or a portion of their materials. If it’s 8pm on a Saturday night, there’s a good chance we will not be in the office to respond to issues on our help desk (although you can always send us a message out on social, we will do what we can to help!). So, try to do everything in advance as much as possible, hosts!
We offer two methods to make your payment: PayPal and Stripe. Both are secure credit card processors, and we never see your credit card information (for our mutual protection). At the time of checkout, simply select PayPal or Secure Credit Card to choose your method of payment.
Your mystery comes in a .zip file, which is a compressed file format. Upon completion of payment, you’ll see an instant download pop-up window. Sometimes these can be blocked by pop-up blockers, so you also receive a link to access the window again if needed on your receipt.
When you see the window, you’ll have two options – Open and Save. Click Save and then save it somewhere on your computer where you’ll easily find it later – we recommend your desktop.
If you’re using a PC, once the file has downloaded, you’ll see a normal-looking file with a little zipper on it. You can view the files individually without unzipping the file, but if you want to work with them (for example, email your suspect guides) you’ll have to Extract All Files from the folder. THIS IS VITAL because if you don’t decompress/unzip the folder and start working with the items within, they will look jumbled, have strange characters and the images will not come through properly.
If you’re using a Mac, your computer will most likely put the file in the “downloads” folder, but the Mac will automatically decompress the file for you, so it’s ready for use without you having to do anything further.
These instructions are repeated on our Thank-You page, which you’ll see after a successful purchase takes place.
Your first stop should be your Host Guide – it’s a separate download, and this folder contains all your instructions. The Host Guide will explain how to use all of the items in your second download, which contains all of your mystery game materials!
We serve MANY church groups, and try to offer a wide variety of mysteries that will be good for more conservative groups. Any mystery with an Angel Rating of 4 or 5 should be more than appropriate for a church group function.
Angel Ratings are a unique rating system Shot In The Dark Mysteries uses to give our clients an at-a-glance idea of whether a mystery investigation will be appropriate for your party. Each mystery is assigned an ‘Angel Rating’ as well as a brief description of the reasons why a mystery may have received the rating it did.
For example, a “Murder” mystery would “lose a point” just because it’s Murder (as opposed to a non-murder, family-friendly mystery party game). If there are mentions of affairs and/or drugs, it will lose further points. As always, we’re here to help if you’re not sure about a certain mystery, so don’t hesitate to contact us with questions about a particular murder mystery or Angel Rating and we will be happy to explain why it received the Angel Rating it did so you don’t have to risk spoiling the mystery for you, as the host!
The PLAY! Site is available for all of our mystery party games. In short, the PLAY! Site is a place where your guests can go to view the mystery trailer, see the other Suspects and other resources (like costume ideas and links, in some cases). Our PLAY! Sites will be expanding as we add more features to our mysteries, and each Suspect receives the URL in their Suspect Instructions.
All you need to do to help your guests access the PLAY! site for your mystery is let them know which version you’ll be solving (ie: how many male and female Suspects) so they can select the correct mystery and version when they arrive at the PLAY! site!
Our materials are not designed to be changed, and we do not advise our clients opting to change our materials for quality reasons. While some mystery companies provide files that can be changed, our mysteries are designed to make things easier for the host, and are offered as a complete package subject to copyright.
