An example with 8 friends

Murder at Darkhill Manor

Everyone was in costume. One of them was also a murderer.

This is what a game looks like once the host has added their guests. The names are made up. Your game is written about your own guests.

1. What you see for free

Read aloud by the host

Welcome to Darkhill Manor. The storm howls around the tower, and fallen branches have blocked the lane down to the main road. Victor Murk, master of the manor, has invited us to a Halloween party and a séance at midnight, where he plans to summon the White Lady. He has promised us a revelation we won't soon forget. But at 11:08 pm the lights go out. A scream. A glass shatters. When the lights come back on, Victor is lying by the fireplace with his silver goblet in his hand, and his jacket pocket has been turned inside out. He is dead. Nobody has come in, and nobody has left. The murderer is here in this very room. And the murderer is in costume.

The victim

Victor Murk

Master of the manor and ghost hunter

Victor loved old ghost stories and hated being fooled. Tonight he had torn up a contract, refused a guest entry to his wine cellar and dismissed the dinner as canteen food. And he had promised to unmask a fraud at midnight.

Played by Ryan

Ryan Ravensworth

The man with a plan for a haunted hotel

Has a new business idea every fifteen minutes. At 10:15 pm Victor tore up the latest one right under his nose.

Played by Mia

Countess Mia Merlot

Vampire with a taste for vintage wine

Always fashionably late. Tonight, by her own account, she didn't arrive until a quarter past eleven. Suspiciously precise.

Played by Jonas

Captain Jonas Splittime

Marathon runner with a heart-rate watch

Times everything, including when the lights went out. His watch sees more than he does.

Played by Sophie

Miss Sophie Spreadsheet

Party planner with a list for everything

Has planned the evening down to the last candle. Her folder holds a little more than Victor intended.

Played by Casper

Casper Clickbait

Streamer who never goes offline

Supposedly not streaming the party. His followers would beg to differ.

Played by Lina

Herb Witch Lina Lavender

Gardener with a greenhouse full of secrets

Her jam beat the chef's dessert. Her herbs can do a lot more than taste nice.

Played by Ahmed

Chef Ahmed Al-Pesto

The chef who has never lost a competition

Until tonight. Victor called his menu canteen food, and he has no intention of forgetting it.

Played by Camilla

Camilla Coldcase

True-crime podcaster on the hunt for an episode

Came to record an episode about the White Lady. She has never been this close to a real case.

2. On Jonas's phone

Before the party, guests only see their role and a costume tip. The secret and the clues unlock when the host starts Round 1. Here is Round 1 for Captain Jonas Splittime.

You are

Captain Jonas Splittime

Marathon runner with a heart-rate watch

Running gear, a race number and a cardboard gold medal.

Only the murderer may lie. Everyone else may dodge or stay silent, but never lie.

Round 1: Lights Out

Public evidence
The power in the hallway fuse box was switched off by hand at 11:08 pm. It did not trip on its own.

Tell

Your watch said 11:08 pm when the lights went out. You are completely sure.
In the glow from your watch you saw a cape flash red by the fuse box in the hallway.

Ask

Ask Countess Mia when she actually arrived.
Ask Camilla Coldcase where she was standing when the lights went out.

Clue: Voice memo on the watch, 11:08 pm: "Lights out. A cape flashed red by the fuse box."

3. What the host sees

The host taps through the evening and reads aloud. Each round's public evidence also appears on everyone's phone.

Read aloud once everyone is seated

Good evening, and welcome to Darkhill Manor. Tonight we'll eat well, laugh loudly and catch a murderer. Everyone has been given a role, and everyone has a secret. The game is played in three rounds between the courses. When I start a round, you open it on your phone, share what you have to share and question each other. At the end, we vote on who did it. But first, let me tell you what happened here tonight.

The rules

Only the murderer may lie. Everyone else may dodge or stay silent, but never lie.
Show your clue card only, never the rest of your screen.
The murderer only finds out when Round 1 starts.
Share your clues when someone asks for them.
At the end, everyone votes on their phone.

4. The reveal

Everyone votes on their phone. Then the TV shows the votes, the murderer and the explanation step by step, and finally the closing credits.

Want to see who did it in the example?

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