How To Host A Murder Party

If you have no idea how to host a murder party, relax and take a deep breath. There are a few more steps to hosting this type of event than a typical party involves, but it is a fun and creative process that can make for a great night. Follow the steps below, and you’ll earn the chance to enjoy a fun whodunit mystery with the rest of your friends.

1. Decide on a theme. You can host several different types of murder parties. You can set the party in a particular time period or country such as the British Colonial Period, the American Wild West, or the French Revolution. You can also base it on certain famous celebrities, like movie stars or authors. The options are endless.
2. Come up with a good story. This will greatly impact your murder party as well, since you’ll need to provide a story that can fit plenty of interesting characters into the elaborate mystery. So if you’re hosting a Roaring Twenties murder party, think about what the story could revolve around: maybe Prohibition or gambling? Then name your guests. You’ll need a few flappers of course, maybe a moonshiner, and some gangsters. Tips for a good story include making sure that your characters are all unique and different, trying to keep the genders equal, and including both rich and poor characters. Most importantly, every character should hold at least one motive for being the potential murderer.
3. Plot the murder. As the host of the murder party, you need to decide who was killed and how the murder was performed. Was it in the dead of night with a gun? In a backyard picnic during the summertime with poison? Next, you'll need to choose a murderer. Put together his/her background and motives. To be fair, the murderer should have some incriminating evidence stacked against him/her. Of course, keep mum about the murderer to the rest of the guests and tell them also to keep their assigned characters a secret so the guests can all be surprised on the big party night. 
4. Give advanced notice. You’ll need to plan out a murder party, since you can’t just buy a keg and call people at the last minute for it to work successfully. Try to invite people at least a month in advance so that they can RSVP, and you have time to assign them a character. You’ll also need to send out the character’s back story ahead of time, so they know how to dress up for the occasion and can think about adopting the character’s personality for the night.
5. Get people mingling. Even if you have created a great story for each character, it’s worthless unless you get your guests to chat with each other. Try for a standing party with a buffet table full of appetizers and food. A few drinking games will also get guests to know each other quickly.
6. Give out awards at the end. To reward your guests for their efforts, you’ll want to give out an award for the person who solves the crime and names the murderer. Be prepared for more than one winner, though, since a few people might figure it all out. You can also hand out smaller prizes for the best dressed or the best actor of the night.