— What is this?
Think of it as a combination of improv theater and costume party. There are planned events throughout the night as the story progresses, but there’s no script to read.
— What happens at a murder mystery party?
The first act is pre-murder where people get to know one another, take part and witness planned confrontations/scenes, generally get a feel for the characters and situation. You’ll get to know your team and its relationship with the others.
The second act is after the murder where you’ll be given new information to use as you wish and try to solve the mystery. There may be mini-goals for your character or team to strive for.
— Do I need to stay in character the whole time?
At least until the murder is solved. It’s a very enticing thing for an introvert, or anyone who hates small talk at parties – you’re not you, so you can act as outrageous, silly, aloof, or nuts as you wish. After it’s all over, you can totally hang out and introduce your real self, or maybe just Homer backwards into the bushes. In 2023, Phil said what he liked most about the party was “exploring my own character and the evolving, sometimes hilarious banter amongst my little band of seekers.”
— How flexible is my character?
Extremely. You can give yourself a whole backstory if you want. In 2018, Daniel had this to say after the party: “I think ideally there’s a combo of interpretative freedom and creative constraints in the character descriptions that leads to people embracing and having fun with their roles. For example, with Bill Carson, I really focused in on the ‘go to church every other week’ thing you fed me and made religion a bigger part of the character than I think you intended it to be — and it was awesome!”
— I have no idea what I’m doing.
That’s OK. You’ll be in a team with others who have done this before. You’ll have the same information as they do and you’ll work together to solve the crime. You can also choose to go rogue and strike out on your own. In 2019, Holly remarked, “I really liked the added team aspect. It helped me feel like I could be more involved, and the chances of one person on a team hearing something useful were usually pretty good.”
