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Murder Mystery Party Games for Adults

A murder mystery party game for adults gives every guest a character with a secret, a motive and something to hide, then lets the group question each other over three rounds until everyone votes on who did it. Sleuth Night puts the whole game on phones: each guest gets a private link with their character, clues show on your TV, and the host plays too.

The stories are written for grown-ups: affairs, debts, blackmail and a fair amount of drinking, with no gore. There is nothing to print and no box to wait for. Set up free, add your guests, and pay $29 once, when you press Start Round 1 on the night.

Set up this party, freePay $29 once, when you press Start. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Recommended mystery

Death at the Speakeasy

1920s · 6–16 players · about 2 hours

Death at the Speakeasy is the one we point most adult groups to: a 1920s Chicago bar, bootleggers and a cop on the take, and the widest range at 6 to 16 players. Want it darker? Murder at Blackwood Manor is a Halloween séance in a gothic manor, 6 to 14. Want it festive? Silent Night, Deadly Night is a snowed-in family Christmas Eve, 6 to 14.

Read the full mystery page

✓ 16 characters, choose 6–16 on the night
✓ Each guest gets a private link: character, secret, objectives
✓ Host runs three rounds from a phone; TV shows the clues
✓ Everyone votes on their phone; reveal on the screen
✓ Print view included as a backup

What the night looks like

Chicago, 1927. Vinnie Marlowe, owner of The Velvet Hour, is found poisoned in his office during a false police raid. The singer, the bootlegger, the cop on the take, the rival club owner: everyone in the room had a reason.

Guests read their character on their phone before the party and arrive dressed for it. The host presses Start. Each phone shows that round’s objectives, the clues come up on the TV, and people corner each other for answers. After round three everyone votes on their phone and the reveal plays on the screen.

Three rounds of 20 to 30 minutes, about two hours in all. Plan a drink on arrival and food you can eat standing up.

Tips for a adults murder mystery

Pick by group size first

Six to eight people suits any of the three. Nine to fourteen, any of them, with optional characters filling the extra places. Fifteen or sixteen: Death at the Speakeasy. More than sixteen: seat two people on one character, or run two rooms.

Then pick by tone

Speakeasy is loud and boozy. Blackwood Manor is the darkest: a séance, a forger and a house the family says is haunted. Silent Night is a family Christmas with a will and a Secret Santa. None of them has gore or bad language.

Nobody has to act

Reading your lines and asking questions is enough. The phone tells each guest what to find out each round, so quiet guests always have something to do.

Cast the loud ones well

Give your biggest characters to the people who will enjoy them. Check the character list on the host page before you send the links.

Questions hosts ask

What is the best murder mystery party game for adults?

For a first party, one where every guest gets their own instructions, so the host is not reading rules aloud. Sleuth Night does that on phones, for 6 to 16 players. If you want paper in the hand, a printable or boxed kit suits better; our guide to the best kits compares them.

Is it OK for a mixed group of adults?

Yes. The secrets are affairs, money and lies, with no gore and no bad language. The character text is gendered and pronouns are shown, and optional characters can be swapped before the party.

How many people do I need?

At least six for the full mysteries; up to 16 for Death at the Speakeasy and 14 for the others. For four or five, Dead Stop is a free one-hour mystery that plays the same way.

Can teenagers join?

We suggest 15 and up, with an adult hosting. The stories involve a death, some drinking and grown-up motives.

How much does it cost?

Setting up is free. You pay $29 when you press Start Round 1, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Set up your adults party, free.

Two minutes to set up. Pay $29 once, when you press Start.

Set up a party, free