How Your Management Skills Can Help Become an Expert at Hosting Crime Dinner Parties
How to plan, host, and participate in the game
Crime dinners are a fun activity for family friends and even teams. Playing them at home makes them more personal and cheaper than booking them at a venue.
Organizing them is a little complicated when you do not know what to expect.
I have organized several crime dinners in the last 4 years and really enjoyed them. Every brand is different and with each new game, you have to prepare in a different way.
I use basic project management skills to pick, plan and conduct crime dinners.
I will explain how to find the right game for you, the basic preparation, and what to look out for during the game.
Picking the Right Crime Dinner for You
Each game box comes with instructions, scripts, and solutions. Sometimes you don’t know if you are the murderer at the beginning of the game.
With every project you want to know what you are getting into. Picking a crime dinner is the same, make sure you know what you are looking for and what fits your purpose.
- How many people is the crime dinner for? It usually ranges between 5–10 people.
- What language do I want to play in? I often organize German crime dinners. Those who do not speak the language can google translate their script and the discussion takes place in English.
- What theme appeals to me?
- How long should the crime dinner take? It often says 3–4 hours on the box, but we mostly take 5–6 hours — so plan in some extra time.
According to your criteria, you can buy crime dinners on any retail website or game shop. Since the game is only played once, you can easily find crime dinners second-hand as well.
Planning Ahead
After picking the crime dinner, you need to plan ahead and yes, as an organizer you can also take part in the game.
Pick a role for yourself and look into the script. This is where you find out if your role is the murderer or not. This information is displayed on the first pages and means that the murderer knows at the beginning of the game if it is them.
If you cannot find this information, do not check other scripts. This lack of information often means the murderer does not know until the end and can suspect themselves as well.
Here comes the tricky part. Find a date you like and make sure that everyone you want to invite can attend. This is the deadline for your project.
This is crucial because you do not know who the murderer is — so you don’t know who to leave out if somebody doesn’t show up.
You can help your guests prepare by giving them the following information beforehand. This is like scheduling a meeting.
- Send them the date, time, and address.
- Send them instructions on what to expect — this is like your agenda. For example; They will get a three-course meal, and get an assigned role with a description. They will get the script on the date.
- Inform your guests on what to prepare. The dress code to follow and if they should contribute to the dinner or drinks.
It is important to be on time, otherwise, the whole game is delayed. When assigning characters to each person, don’t be afraid to have them take up roles of different genders.
Encourage everyone to get into character with their description and dress code. I would not send out the script beforehand. Usually, the short role description is enough for people to get dressed up.
Preparations on the Day
Crime dinners are structured around dinner and usually entail a three-course meal.
It takes me 3–5 hours to prepare everything from shopping, and cooking to setting the scene. There are usually suggestions on the box. If you do not want to cook for this many people, you can always order take-out.
Make sure you have enough room at your venue. We often have to set up an extra table, extra chairs, and mix-and-match bowls. This also takes prep time. If you enjoy decorating, you can get creative with the theme here.
Pro Tip: Place cards are not as effective as name tags. We use packaging tape.
Playing the Game
Now is the time to have fun. As host your role is to guide people through the experience as well. Like an event manager or meeting facilitator.
Ask one of your friends to co-host with you, so the transitions are smoother.
Welcome your guests and remind everyone of the rules and the scene of the crime. You can read this from the instruction manual.
Courses always start with reading the script or revealing information to your guests. This is followed by a discussion.
Consult the hosts guide book throughout the dinner, so you don’t miss giving out hints.
Pro Tips:
- Ask specific questions to get the conversation going — “Where were you at the time of the crime?”
- Encourage people to stay in character — get creative by giving accents or catchphrases. Set an example and don’t be embarrassed to start.
- Conclude scenes by asking everyone if they have revealed all their information
Ending and Reflections
When all the information has been revealed and the discussion has subsided, it is time to reveal the murderer.
This is done by writing the suspect and motive on a sheet of paper. When everyone has noted their suspicions, everyone has to explain their theory and reasoning to the whole group.
The murderer can now reveal themselves or read the solution out loud.
The tension is over, and the murderer and the motives are revealed. It is fun to add another 30min to reflect on the game.
Take the time for people to talk about the shared experience they just had. Their perception and opinion of the storyline, the lying, and the reasoning.
This is the feeling they will take home and bring friends, family, or teams closer together.
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