How a party works
From buying to the big reveal. The short version: you share a link, the app runs the game, and you get to play.
Pick a mystery
Choose a ready-made one or have one written for your guests. One price covers the whole party.
Share the link
Guests scan a code or tap a link. No app and no account. Deal the characters early so people can plan costumes.
Play it on your phones
Three rounds of short clues, a lot of questions, one big accusation. The app runs the game, so you get to play too.
The rules, in four lines
- Everyone plays a suspect. One of you did it.
- If you did not do it, tell the truth when someone asks you a direct question. You can keep your embarrassing secret quiet until then.
- If you did it, lie as much as you like.
- If two people vouch for each other, they are both in the clear, because only one person is lying.
Before the party
- Buy a mystery. You land on your host page straight away. Your party code is on your receipt too.
- Invite your guests. Add the day, time and place on your host page and send the invitation to your group chat. Guests answer "I'm in", "Maybe" or "Can't make it", and you see who is coming. "I'm in" adds them to the party straight away. Anyone who would rather not act can choose to be a detective.
- Deal the characters. You can do this days ahead. Each guest sees who they are, a line to introduce themselves, and a costume idea made of things they already own.
On the night
- Start the party. Read the story out loud from your phone. If you have a TV, open the big-screen view so the evidence is up for the whole room.
- Round 1. Every phone shows the same public evidence, plus a private clue or two and some questions to ask. Then people mingle and grill each other.
- Rounds 2 and 3. You tap to move on. New evidence arrives. In the last round the alibis get checked.
- The vote. Everyone accuses someone, and picks the best performance and best costume.
- The reveal. A countdown on every phone, then the culprit, the full story and who guessed right.
When plans change
- Someone cancels. Deal again with whoever is coming. The mystery works with any number of suspects from 4 to 10.
- Someone leaves halfway. While the game is on, the site keeps each phone's screen from locking, on most phones. If a phone still goes quiet for six minutes, your players list marks that guest Away. Chatting with the phone in a pocket is fine: tap Still here, or the guest taps “I’m still playing” when they pick their phone up again. If they really have gone, tap Hand over and another player takes over the character, with its clues.
- Someone arrives late. Before the first round, they get the next free character automatically. Once the game has started, they join as a detective and can start asking questions right away.
- A phone dies. From the players list, copy that guest's private link and send it to their new phone.
Questions
How many people can play?
Four to ten guests play suspects. At a bigger party the next six play witnesses: named characters with a costume and a secret, who saw something and cannot be the guilty one. Anyone beyond sixteen, and anyone who would rather not act, plays a detective: they question the suspects and vote at the end. Up to 40 phones can join one party.
Can I buy one for someone else to host?
Yes. After you pay, choose "Buying this for someone else?" and send them the host link. Whoever opens it first becomes the host. You can still join their party as a guest.
What if someone cancels, or turns up late?
The story still works. Every mystery is written so the important clues never depend on a guest who might not come. If a guest with a key character leaves, another player takes that character over with one tap. Late arrivals join as detectives.
Do guests need to download anything?
No. They open a link or scan a QR code and type their first name. It runs in the phone's web browser.
Do I have to print anything?
No. Characters, clues and voting are all on the phones. If you have a TV, you can put the evidence on it for the whole room.
Does the host know who did it?
No. The app deals the characters and keeps the answer hidden until the reveal, so the host plays like everyone else. The host might even be the culprit.
Is the culprit always the same?
In the two Halloween mysteries, no. Each has three possible culprits, and the game picks one when your party starts. The evidence everyone sees is the same each time. The private clues and the ending change, so a guest who has played before cannot be sure. The other mysteries have one culprit each.
Are the mysteries written by AI?
Yes. They are written with AI. Software then checks each one: for every possible guest list, every innocent suspect can be cleared and the clues point to one culprit. The ready-made mysteries are also given to AI test readers one round at a time, without the answer, to see whether they can be solved. The About page has the details.
How long does it take?
About an hour with up to eight suspects: three rounds of 12 to 15 minutes, then the vote and the reveal. With a full table of ten suspects and six witnesses, allow about 75 minutes. The host moves things along, so you can stretch it over dinner or keep it quick.
Is there a free one I can try?
Yes. The Case of the Missing Marrow is free for 4 to 6 players and takes about 34 minutes. No payment and no account: start it from the Free mystery page and share the link. It is shorter and simpler than the full mysteries, which play with up to 16 characters.
Do I get to choose the mystery?
Yes. Every mystery has its own page and its own buy button, and you get the one you pick. Nothing is random. If you change your mind before your party starts, the host screen lets you swap to another ready-made mystery at no cost.
Is it suitable for kids?
The family mysteries have no murder, nothing scary and short, simple clues. They work well from about age 7, with a grown-up nearby to help younger readers. The grown-up mysteries are PG-13: a comic murder, no gore.
What do I get for $24.99?
One party: a private party code, every character and clue for up to 40 guests, the host controls and the reveal. It is one payment for the whole group, not per person. You can swap to a different ready-made mystery free of charge any time before your first game starts.
I lost my host link. What now?
Use Find my party with your party code, which is on your receipt, and the email address you paid with.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, if your party has not started yet. Write to us within 14 days of buying and we will refund you.