Choose your guests
Six to ten people is the comfortable range. Fewer than four and there are not enough suspects. More than ten and quiet guests fade into the wallpaper. Mix talkers with listeners: the listeners often solve it.
Invite early and give people something to do
Tell guests it is a mystery party when you invite them, so nobody is surprised into acting. Hand out characters a few days ahead if you can. A costume idea made of things people already own is enough: a hat, a scarf, a prop.
Plan for no-shows
Someone will cancel. In Evite's 2026 survey of 5,000 of its users, 62% said they were frustrated by guests who say yes and then do not turn up. Pick a game that works with a flexible number of players, or have a spare character that is not essential to the plot.
Keep the food simple
Finger food beats a sit-down dinner, because people need to move around and corner each other. If you do serve dinner, play one round before the main course, one after, and the last with dessert.
Set the pace
An hour to ninety minutes is plenty. Three rounds of about fifteen minutes works well. Move on when the room goes quiet, not when the timer says so.
Look after the shy ones
Not everyone wants to perform. Offer a detective role: no character, no secrets, just questions. Shy guests are often happier interrogating than being interrogated.
Make the ending count
Have everyone commit to an accusation before the reveal. Read the solution out loud. Give silly awards for best performance and best costume.
Want the easy version? Our mysteries run on your guests' phones, with nothing to print. See the mysteries.