Murder Mystery Game Builder Template
The purpose of this template is to help you build your murder mystery game to be loaded into the Murder Mystery engine at www.hostparty.com. The template will guide you through the most important elements of a murder mystery and will provide sample information to
give you an idea of what should be entered. This template contains an abbreviated set of sample text, to give you an idea of what
information should go in each field. It does not contain a full mystery, as many of the instructions and clues have been removed. It is
expected that you will complete the template with all information required for your game, including all clues.
The brown text is sample text and should be replaced with your own murder mystery content.
How long should the game be?
We recommend that you have at least 4 rounds: 1 pre-game round that contains clues and information that should be distributed before
the party, 2 rounds of clue gathering and one round to reveal the solution. We generally recommend that you provide two clues for each
character for each round. One should be a reveal, one should be a conceal clue. A game with this format will take 2-3 hours and will fit
well into a dinner party format.
Can I see a full sample?
We respect the intellectual property of our authors, so we can not offer you a full version of any of the games. You can however
purchase a game to see how they work online.
What do I do when I am done?
Send an email to info@host-party.com. We will review the game and activate a test copy. You can run a full test of the game as if you
were a host. You will assign guests to the characters, review instructions, send invites, send pregame clues, see pregame site, host
party and the visit post game site. After you have completed the test, you will likely need to tweak the materials and instructions.
Hopefully you tested this in a real environment with friends so you get the full effect. Also, your friends can provide some feedback so
you have a few reviews. When you are satisfied with the results. Send an email to an email to info@host-party.com and request that the
game is activated.
Why should I bother using this tool?
Currently our online site has no spelling or grammatical corrections tools. In addition, working online can problematic due to session
timeouts. It is advised that you produce the game offline using this tool or one you have created, and then copy and paste the
information into our online tool. This approach will also allow you to maintain a backup copy in the event of data loss on the site.
Refer any questions to info@host-party.com and we will try to help you where we can throughout the building process.
Have fun.
Author Information (This section is for new authors only)
Author
Biography
Author Bio
Other Work
Enter standard text or HTML to
include links
Web Sites (List of Author sites)
Email (This will not be revealed
on the site. It is used for internal
correspondence and login.)
Author Password (This will be
used to log you into the author
site to see how your mystery is
selling.)
Betsy Francis
Betsy is a free lance murder mystery writer hailing in Colorado. Her worked is primarily inspired by her deranged family members and
her close relationships with a sinister dark side.
<b>Novels and Novellas<br>
</b>The Murder Game published by Double Dragon eBooks<br>
<a href="http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/mystery.html#murder" eudora="autourl" target="_blank">http://www.double-dragonebooks.com/mystery.html#murder</a><br>
Eyes of Truth published by Twilight Times Books<br>
<a href="http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/ttbcurrent.html#EyesofTruth" eudora="autourl"
target="_blank">http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/ttbcurrent.html#EyesofTruth</a><br>
Daughter-in-Law published by Twilight Times Books<br>
<a href="http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/showcase/index.html#Suzane" eudora="autourl"
target="_blank">http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/showcase/index.html#Suzane</a><br>
Captivity (Darkhour Vampires: Vol. One) published by Wings Press<br>
<a href="http://www.wings-press.com/gen_general.htm#DarkhourVampiresVolume1:Captivity" eudora="autourl"
target="_blank">http://www.wings-press.com/gen_general.htm#DarkhourVampiresVolume1:Captivity</a><br>
<br>
www.mysite.com
www.myothersite.com
myemail@email.com
Password
Mystery Information
Mystery Name
Guests
Attire
Description (Less than 150
words) This is the general
description of the game that is
shown on the view mysteries
pages.
Storyline Brief description (2-4
sentences) of game, setting and
game style
Format (see online for details)
Host Instructions
The Railburn Affair
6 - 12 Guests (18 and over)
Character specific circa 1930
Canvassed in the Majestic Rocky Mountains, the Stanford Alpine Hotel basks in the graciousness of a by-gone era. It is 1936, and a
well known railroad baron is found dead on the premises. The guests of the Hotel, the fashionable elite of the early 20th Century,
are now all suspects.
An entertaining murder mystery game for adults set in the 1920's. Great choice for Halloween.
Can Host Play? ___ (Yes or No) | Limited Game Option ___ (Yes or No) | Large Group Format ___ (Yes or No)
Thank for purchasing the Railburn Affair and using the host-party site. We hope you find this mystery and our interactive features
unique and fun.
The Railburn Affair is intended to be a light murder mystery that allows you and your guests to step into a different character while
trying to solve the case of this strange, twisted plot. As in any murder mystery, the key to a successful party is to relax and let the
night unfold as your guests want it to. This means don't try to run the party, let it run itself. As long as each guest knows their role
and is given the clues at the right time, everything should work out fine.
The Railburn Affair mystery comes with 12 characters. If you are not using all of the characters in your murder mystery, you may
encounter some clues that reference some of the other characters. You may omit these clues or change them to fit your party.
Changing them is easy if you copy them from the View/Print all Clues Page and paste into your word processor. This is also a good
way of avoiding the browser header and footer from being printed. You can take a similar approach to printing your invitations.
You may want add fake guests to the character you are not using so you can see their clues as well. Some of these clues could
possibly be changed and given to other guests. They aren't required but they may make the mystery more interesting.
To see the solution you will want to review the final round of clues. Looking at the motives page will show the hidden motive of each
character. If you want to know the outcome, read the final (solution) round of clues. These clues are meant to be read out loud at
the end of the party after each member of the party guesses who they think did, how they did it, and why. As with all of the clues they
should be printed before the party and delivered to each guest during the appropriate round.
While this game can be played however you like, it is best suited for dinner parties. The rounds are designed :
Round 0: Deliver these clues to each guest before the party or give them to the guests as they arrive. All pre-game clues are the
same, and are intended to build anticipation for the event. They do not have any critical information in them.
Round 1: Deliver these clues over cocktails as your guests arrive.
Round 2: Deliver these clues with your main course.
Round 3: Deliver these clues with desert.
Here are some other suggestions that you might want to try:
1. Upload digital pictures of your friends in to each guest character.
2. Get physical evidence that matches the clues and "plant" during the party.
3. Upload a picture of the party venue into the mystery picture slot.
4. Send the pre-game clue a few days before the party.
5. Send other pre-game emails with instructions or party notes.
6. Have an unnamed guest come to the party as a police investigator and announce the murder and tell the guests they are all
suspects and would be each of their best interest to discuss their relationships with the victim to help the investigation by shedding
some light on the previous night's happenings.
7. You may want to get props to add to the excitement of the event. The clues are somewhat dependent on the characters you
choose. A few ideas are: A broken Bottle near the crime scene, a Karaoke CD with Lola and Copa-Cabana to accompany some of
Johnny's favorite tunes.
8. Take digital pictures during the party and post to the Post-Party site.
9. Send an email after the game as a follow up telling them pictures are on the post game site. (By doing this all guests will get a link
to the post game site).
10. Add your own suggestions for other hosts on the site.
Guest Instructions (Optional
Field) Field to describe how guests
should play this game. This field
should only use if you have unique
guest instructions. If this field is
omitted, guest will see standard
instructions.
Solution (Optional Field)This is a
recap of mystery to be read at the
conclusion of the game. This is
NOT required if you have a
solution round (Read more info to
see how this differs from the
Solution round).
Reviews (Provide any customer
testimonials that you would like to
include on the site)
Multiple Outcomes? (Yes or
No)Note this option requires
multiple solutions.
Game Type (place X in front of
each applicable type)
“This was my first time participating in a Murder Party, and I was delightfully surprised. The clues and the solutions all fit so well
together. I loved the fact that we could improvise as well on individual characters actions and words. The fact we could get onto the
website so easily made it great for everyone to know what was in store for them at the MM party. The night was unforgettable.”
- Lissa Bricker
No
__ Type - Personal Party (Friends, Family,etc)
__ Type - Large Group (15+ Guests)
__ Type - Corporate/Team Building
__ Type - Community Group (Church, Club,School, etc)
__ Age - Children
__ Age - Teens
__ Age - Adult (18 and older)
__ Gender - Male and Female
__ Gender - Female Only
__ Gender - Male Only
__ Style - Mystery (No Murder)
__ Style - Serious Sleuthing
__ Style - Entertaining (not serious)
__ Style - Sleep Over (Kids)
__ Format - Standard
__ Format - FreeForm
__ Format - Scripted
Rating – This is a rating of the
contents of the game, and the
minimum age requirements for
playing.
E – Everyone; EC – Early Childhood; T – Teen; M – Mature; AO – Adults Only
Characters:
Name
Role
Jake Daniels
The
Bartender
Lawrence
Railburn, Sr
The Railroad
Baron
Amos
Hobo
Picture
Codes*
Costume
Suggestion
White shirt,
with tie and
possibly a vest.
Always have a
towel handy.
Internal Motive
Description
The baron has had a lucky streak and is due
a large payout through Jake. Unfortunately,
Jake’s bets have not faired so well and his
personal gambling debts have reached a
crippling level.
V
Executive suit
and hat. Bring
a cigar to top it
off.
The victim. He is the aggressive owner and
operator of the Western Pacific Railroad.
His over bearing, authoritarian style tends to
alienate or attract all of those around him.
With Lawrence, you either love him or hate
him, or more often then not love to hate him.
Jake travels town to town getting
work where he can find it.
Bartending during prohibition is an
odd occupation indeed. Jake’s real
income comes from accessory
sources: moonshine bootlegging
and booking wagers.
The victim. He is the aggressive
owner and operator of the Western
Pacific Railroad. His over bearing,
authoritarian style tends to alienate
or attract all of those around him.
With Lawrence, you either love him
or hate him, or more often then not
love to hate him.
M
Think old and
ratty. Anything
torn and worn
will work fine.
Poor, homeless, no commitments and
nothing to look forward to. He would do
almost anything for a drink. A clean hit
could pay for a lot more than one drink.
OM
To avoid an ugly and costly lawsuit
the Western Pacific Railroad faced
for unnecessary violence against a
freeloader, the Company has given
Amos (no one knows his real
name) a complimentary vacation
package to their most popular
destination.
*Codes. You may enter one or more of the following codes to specify special features.
R = Optional. This character is not-required in order to play the mystery. In order to accommodate various sized groups, optional characters are very important. Note:
optional characters should not have clues critical in solving the mystery, but they should have clues so they feel included. NOTE: Optional required
V = Victim. This is a fictitious character, and should not be assigned to an attending guest.
H = Host. If you recommend that one of the characters is the host. You can specify and the system will automatically setup that character as host.
M = Male. Should be played by male.
M = Female. Should be played by Female.
Pre Game
These clues should be sent to guests before the game, preferably through the email function on the site. These are very popular as they build up the anticipation of the
event. HTML formatted clues should be sent separate with a note in the description below. Pictures can be cut and paste into picture column or sent separate with a note
in the picture column. If you use a picture, be sure to describe it fully in the description so the clue can be used even if the picture is not represented Keep in mind, that
these clues must be sent manually by the author, so it is best to only have one or two and make them for all guests.
You must specify one or more than one character, for each clue. This is the character who will receive the clue. The Related character indicates who the clue is about.
Clues related to characters not assigned to a guest will be omitted. Clues to be delivered to all guests should be entered as General Clues at the Round Level.
Examples of pre-game clues: Newspaper Articles, Emails, Announcements, etc…
Round Name
Round Instructions*
General Clues
Pre-Game
These clues should be sent to the guests before the event or as they arrive. Note the pre game clues are the same for all guests.
<table><tr>The Railburn Celebration Will Be A Starlit Affair
to Remember
<TD vAlign=top align=left width="197" height=258 rowSpan=2 bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<P align=justify><FONT face=Arial size=2><b>By Frank WordSmyth</b><BR>Western
Pacific Railroad officials acknowledged paying a settlement to an
unknown boxcar freeloader who apparently was thrown from the car by
an employee of the railroad. Officials did not disclose the
settlement, but said the parties had reached an amicable arrangement
that would avoid the courtroom. Further the arrangement would
pose no financial impact to Western Pacific. </FONT></P></TD></tr></table>
*Enter instructions for the host in this field. You may specify how and when to distribute the clues. You may also suggest ways they might be able to help move the
mystery along. Be careful not to reveal too much, as the host may be playing along.
Clues:
Character
C/R
All
R
Sylvia
Railburn
R
Related
Character
Frank Jones
Clue Name
Newspaper
Article
Email
Message
Picture
Description
HTML sent separately
While checking your email, an email in your husband’s inbox caught your eye. The
ominous subject “YOU ARE DEAD” caused you to open the message and read it. This is
what you saw:
To: LAWRENCE RAILBURN
From: FRANK JONES
Subject: YOU ARE DEAD
Message: You have gone to far. Now it is my turn…
C – Conceal this clue
R - Reveal to Others
Round 1 (Copy this section for as many round as you need)
These clues will be delivered to the guest at the beginning of the party. These clues work just like the pre-game clues, except they are delivered during the party. General
clues can be created that are given to the host to reveal to all. Indicate these clues by entering no character names.
Examples of round clues: A Note, A Telephone Message, An Overheard Conversation, Witnessed Act, a Matchbook, or any evidence that one might encounter.
Round Name
Round Instructions
The Crime Scene
To start the game, the Host should make an announcement that Lawrence Railburn was found dead and everyone in the Hotel - guests and staff
- are asked to stay until the mystery gets sorted out. The authorities have encouraged each of you to talk among your selves and try to discover
hidden motives among members of the group. The Host should then hand out the first round of clues. Sometime during this round the Host
should escort the party to the crime scene.
General Clues
Character
C/R
Related
Character
R
Sylvia
Railburn
R
Clue Name
Bottle
Dennis Arriola
Matchbook
Picture
Description
You may want to place a broken bottle nearby. If you have your crime scene outside you
may want to draw an outline of a human figure in chalk to represent where Lawrence
Railburn died.
When cleaning the Hotel room last night, you found a matchbook in your husband’s coat
pocket. On the cover was the name “Arriola” and the phone number 555-1162.
Solution Round
These clues work just like the other game clues, except they are delivered at the end of the party. You do not need to specify Conceal or Reveal or Related Characters,
because it is assumed that they are all clues the character reveals about themselves. The clues should be titled with a number to indicate in which order the clues should
be read. For mysteries with multiple outcomes, create a solution round for each outcome.
Round Name
Round Instructions
The Railsburn Affair
This round is relatively quick and should begin near the end of the evening. The Host will ask each guest to conjecture who they think
committed the murder. They should try to support their theory with the means and motive for the murder. The Host will then distribute the
solution clues and ask each guest to read their solution aloud to the party in ascending order.
Character
Seymore
Bucks
Picture
Clue Name
The
Solution: #1
Description
I’ve worked for Larry Railburn for nearly 15 years. In good times and bad, I was there. I
toiled from 6am to 6pm everyday to keep his books in order. With a portfolio of his size, I
assure that is no small task.
Then Sylvia walked into my life. She was so beautiful, sweet and kind. We hit it off from
the start. As the days passed we began to spend more and more time together. It didn’t
take long for me to fall head over heals for her. I wanted to have her, but I knew I could not
give her the life that Larry could. So I began to find creative ways of increasing my
compensation.
Phillip
Duright
The
Solution: #2
A few days ago, Larry caught on to my extortion. I think it goes without saying that he was
a bit upset. But in the end, I was able to pacify him by proposing a repayment plan in
which I would repay all the money I took – with interest. Yes, I stole from Larry, and that
was wrong. This is something I will need to live with for a long time, but I had nothing to do
with his death.
Kill Lawrence Railburn that is preposterous. He is a guest and a good one at that. I wish I
had more guests like him. The evidence that has mounted against me, is very easy to
explain. Yesterday, we remodeled the library. The red on the shovel was merely paint and
the burning of evidence was simply a burning of old outdated curtains in celebration of the
task.
Other Documents
Every murder mystery is a little bit different. That’s why we allow you to add other content as well. The section below allows you to specify other materials that can be
added. Try to use htm or pdf files whenever possible. Send the actual files when you return this template.
Name
Mymystery.pdf
IndividualInvite.zip
Guests
Instructions.pdf
GameCards.pdf
Host
Instructions.htm
Location
Game
Materials
Invitation
Game
Materials
Game
Materials
Instructions
FileType
.pdf
Description
This is the full game contents. To make available in a single download.
.zip
.htm
This is a specialized invitation.
These are special instructions for the guests.
.pdf
These are interactive game cards to determine the outcome of a fight scene.
.htm
HTML formatted version of Host Instructions.