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Office Christmas Party Murder Mystery

An office Christmas party murder mystery is a two-hour game where every colleague plays a suspect, questions the others, and votes on who did it. One person sets it up, everyone gets a private link on their phone, and the clues go up on the meeting-room screen. No facilitator, nothing to print.

It beats another round of Secret Santa because it gives people a reason to talk to someone outside their own team. The quiet analyst who remembers what everyone said in round one usually wins. Setting up is free; you pay $29 once, when you press Start on the day.

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

Recommended mystery

Silent Night, Deadly Night

present day · 6–14 players · about 2 hours

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a Christmas Eve whodunit at a snowed-in lodge: a department-store fortune, a Secret Santa, and a Santa who never makes it to the tree. It plays 6 to 14. For a team of 15 or 16, or a team that would rather not play a family, Death at the Speakeasy takes up to 16.

Read the full mystery page

✓ 14 characters, choose 6–14 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

Christmas Eve at Hollybrook Lodge. Reg Ashworth, who owns a chain of department stores, is snowed in with his family, his doctor, his driver and a few guests. The man playing Santa does not make it to the tree. Everyone had a reason, and everyone was somewhere during the Secret Santa.

Each colleague opens their link before the party and reads a short bio, a secret and a costume note (an ugly sweater counts). On the day, the host presses Start and runs three rounds of 20 to 30 minutes from their phone: introductions and alibis, new clues on the screen, then accusations. Everyone votes on their phone and the reveal plays on the screen.

About two hours in all. It fits a long lunch, an afternoon in the office, or the first part of an evening before people head out.

Tips for a work christmas murder mystery

Pick a host who will play

The host is a normal character, not a facilitator standing at the front. Advancing a round is one tap. Choose someone organised who will also enjoy lying.

Cast across teams

You choose who plays whom. Put the CFO with the driver and the new starter with the patriarch. The game is better when the org chart is gone for two hours.

Use the meeting-room screen

Open the screen link on the room display. Clues appear when the host advances a round, so nobody reads from a sheet. The host dashboard holds the solution, so do not share that one.

More than 14 people?

Use Death at the Speakeasy for up to 16, let two people share a character, or run two parties in two rooms with two hosts. Nothing goes above 16 in one game.

Questions hosts ask

Is a murder mystery OK for a work Christmas party?

It is written for adults: a death, some drinking and family secrets, with no gore and no bad language. Nobody has to act; reading your lines and asking questions is enough. Read the mystery page first if your office is cautious.

How many colleagues can play?

Silent Night, Deadly Night takes 6 to 14. Death at the Speakeasy takes 6 to 16. For 20 to 30 people, play in pairs or run two rooms, each with its own host.

Do we need a facilitator or an app?

No. Guests open a private link on their phone, with nothing to install. The host runs the rounds from their own phone and plays a character too.

Can we expense it?

Yes. It is $29 per party, paid through Paddle, which emails a receipt. Setting up is free, so you can look at everything before anyone pays.

Can remote colleagues join?

Yes. Guests open their links anywhere and the host shares the screen link on the call. See the Zoom page for how to run it.

Set up your work christmas party, free.

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

Set up a party, free