How Many Characters for a Murder Mystery Party Game

One of the biggest questions we get here at SHOT is, how many suspects (AKA ‘Characters’) should I have for my murder mystery party investigation? Our packages are sold by the number of suspects, so you need to know how many suspects you want to have before you purchase and download your mystery party kit. The answer, though, depends on the ins and outs of your particular event, but we are here to help you decide!

We offer instant download mystery party packages that range in size between 6 suspects (the minimum available, for quality purposes) and 18 suspects (the maximum number of suspects, again for quality purposes). Does this mean that you can only have a maximum of 18 people at your mystery party? Absolutely not! One of the coolest things about our format is that, as long as your base of suspects are there, you can have UNLIMITED guests. These extra, non-suspect guests are in detective mode, questioning the ‘suspect characters’ to find out what they are willing to share, and, based on the information they receive, coaxing the “hide” information (or each suspect’s secrets), out of them to find who had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the murder, theft or crime. What this means is that you can have an unlimited number of people at your mystery party.

Over the years, however, as we have participated in local events, thrown mystery evenings and weekends worldwide, we have discovered that there is, actually, a bit of a trick to having the PERFECT number of suspects – a magic formula, if you will.

Let’s get a bit interactive here! Start by selecting which scenario that best suits your upcoming party, or your typical party hosting or event coordination style:

What type of event are you holding?

Small event (6-20 People)

Medium sized event (20-25 people)

Medium/Large event (25-50 people)

Large event (50+ people)

Fundraiser

Sit-Down Event (ie: Seniors’ Center Events, Banquets etc)

Dinner Party

Kids Party