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Murder Mystery Dinner Party Kit
A murder mystery dinner party kit gives every guest a character, a secret and a reason to question the others between courses. With Sleuth Night the kit is on everyone’s phone: each guest gets a private link, the host runs three rounds from their phone, and the clues show on your TV. One round per course, then a vote and a reveal over dessert.
There is no box to wait for and nothing to print. Set up the dinner free, add your guests, and send the links a few days ahead. You pay $29 once, when you press Start on the night.
Recommended mystery
Death at the Speakeasy
1920s · 6–16 players · about 2 hours
Death at the Speakeasy suits a dinner best: a 1920s Chicago bar, cocktail food that matches the setting, and 6 to 16 players, so it works for a table of six or a buffet for sixteen. Hosting at Christmas? Silent Night, Deadly Night is the Christmas dinner version, 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 at your table had a reason.
Drinks and introductions as guests arrive. Round one with the starter, round two with the main, then clear the plates for round three, which is accusations. Everyone votes on their phone, the reveal plays on the TV, and dessert comes out while people argue about it.
Three rounds of 20 to 30 minutes, about two hours of game. With dinner, plan three to three and a half hours from the doorbell.
Tips for a dinner murder mystery
Eight or fewer: sit down
Plate a course per round. Guests talk across the table and stand up for round three. More than ten? Lay out a buffet before round one so nobody is plating during a round.
Cook ahead, play too
The host is a character. Pick dishes that sit in a low oven or the fridge, so you are at the table when the clues come up, not at the stove.
Seat suspects apart
Check the character list and split up people who will want to question each other. It gets them moving between courses.
One batch cocktail
A jug of something 1920s, plus wine and a soft drink. Nobody wants the host mixing drinks during round two.
Questions hosts ask
What comes in a murder mystery dinner party kit?
With Sleuth Night: a character for each guest with a bio, a secret, round objectives and a costume note; three rounds of clues for the TV; the vote and the reveal; and a print view with clue cards if you want paper on the table. It all runs in the browser.
How does the game fit around dinner?
One round per course. Starter with round one, main with round two, plates cleared for round three, dessert after the reveal.
How many guests can come?
Death at the Speakeasy takes 6 to 16. Corked, a Bordeaux harvest dinner, is written for a small table of 4 to 6. The others take 6 to 14. For a bigger dinner, seat two guests per character.
Is there a free version to try?
Dead Stop is a free one-hour mystery for 4 or 5 players, good for a small dinner or a trial run. It plays through the same app.
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.
Read next
- Murder mystery party food ideas
- How to host a murder mystery party
- Free murder mystery for 4 or 5 players
- Murder mystery party for 10 people
Other occasions: Halloween, Christmas, Birthday, Bachelorette, Team building, Zoom / virtual, Teens, Work Christmas, Adults
Set up your dinner party, free.
Two minutes to set up. Pay $29 once, when you press Start.
Set up a party, free