1920s New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Party

6–12 players · about 2 hours · the host can play.

New Year’s Eve, 1926. The rooftop ballroom of the Hotel Belvedere glitters with champagne and jazz. At five minutes to midnight, the owner, Augustus Hale, raises his gold-rimmed coupe for the toast. He drinks. Five minutes into 1927, he is dead, and every guest at the party had a reason.

Murder at the Midnight Gala is an original, clean 1920s murder mystery party game for 6 to 12 guests. Your guests are the suspects and the detectives. The mystery has one solution, and the clues prove it: no guessing, no “gotcha” ending.

THE GAME

• 6 core characters plus 6 optional characters, so it works for any group from 6 to 12
• Every character is written so anyone can play it, and every name is fillable: rename anyone once and it updates on every booklet, name tag and the cast list
• The host can play: the Manager’s booklet is written for you, the scripts are spoiler-free, and the solution sits in a separate sealed reveal file
• Three rounds of evidence, read-aloud scripts for each, then accusations, the reveal and awards
• PG-13 at most: the death happens offstage, with no gore and no adult content

WHAT’S INSIDE

• Host guide: the game at a glance, casting chart for 6 to 12 players with a fillable casting worksheet, planning countdown, print guide, run of show (dinner party or countdown to midnight), house rules and host questions
• 5 read-aloud scripts: the opening, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and the accusations, each with hand-out lists and “if the room stalls” prompts
• 12 character booklets: secrets, goals, what they know, costume ideas, “say this” lines and round-by-round instructions. Only the murderer’s booklet says so
• 22 clue cards with round and holder printed on each, so you can sort them without spoilers
• 4 evidence props: a telegram, a torn letter that really tears into three pieces, a fold-over gala menu and a cocktail-napkin note
• 16 name tags (12 characters + 4 blank), accusation sheets and award ballots
• 4 award certificates: best dressed, best actor, master sleuth and life of the party
• Costume ideas for all 12 characters, plus five-minute 1920s looks from any closet
• A 1920s supper for 12 with quantities and a make-ahead plan, classic cocktails and zero-proof drinks, decor ideas and a 1920s playlist
• Sealed reveal: the read-aloud reveal, the full solution, an answer key for scoring the master sleuth and an optional confession
• 13 invitations in two versions: printable 5 × 7 and phone-size to send by text. Type the date, time, place and RSVP once and every invitation fills in

NEED MORE PLAYERS?
The Expansion Pack adds 8 more suspects for up to 20 players without changing the solution (sold separately).

SIZES AND FORMATS

• 5 PDF files: the party kit in US Letter and A4 (63 pages each), the sealed reveal in US Letter and A4, and the invitations (5 × 7 print + phone)
• Fillable in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader: character names, invitations, casting worksheet, award names and checklists
• Ink-friendly black, ivory and gold art deco design on a light background

PLEASE NOTE

• This is an instant digital download. Nothing will be shipped.
• For personal use only. Please don't resell or share the files.
• Colors can look a little different depending on your screen and printer.
• The story, characters and artwork are original. No trademarked names or brands are used.
• Designed by Rooted & Refined with help from digital tools; cover and listing photos are editorial concept images created with digital tools.