COMING SOON
CHICAGO, 1927 // 1920S SPEAKEASY
Last Call at the Gilded Canary
Three murders, one speakeasy, and a killer who doesn't know it yet.
8–20 GUESTS•~2½ HOURS•PG-13
verified
PRINTABLE MURDER MYSTERY PARTY GAMES
Murder mystery parties for 8 to 20 guests.
Hand each guest a character, open sealed envelopes after every murder, and see who cracks the case by last call. Everything prints at home, and the host gets a minute-by-minute script.
8 to 20
Guests, any headcount
0 Spoilers
Host can play along
Print at home
Black and white is fine
COMING SOON
CASE FILE #1927
A Murder Mystery Party
Last Call at the Gilded Canary
Chicago, 1927 · For 8 to 20 guests · About 2½ hours
8–20
GUESTS
~2½ HRS
DURATION
PG-13
RATING
How it works
Effortless Hosting in Four Acts
No rulebook to memorise. You print, you hand out packets, and the host guide tells you what happens next.
01
Pick your headcount
Print characters 1 to however many guests you have, anywhere from 8 to 20. The first eight carry the case; everyone after them gets their own schemes.
group8 TO 20 ROLES INCLUDED
02
Send invitations
Each invitation names the guest's character and what to wear, so people arrive in costume and in the mood.
mailONE PER CHARACTER
03
Run the night
The host guide has the timeline: when to read each murder, when everyone opens their next sealed envelope, what to say.
scheduleMINUTE-BY-MINUTE SCRIPT
04
Vote and reveal
Everyone fills in a ballot: who did it, how, and why. Read the solution, hand out the awards, pour another drink.
workspace_premiumBALLOTS AND AWARDS
The games
Pick Your Murder
NEXT CASE IN THE WORKS
Which party should we write next?
Christmas, Hollywood, a Victorian manor? Tell us the theme you'd host and we'll put it near the top of the list.
Suggest a themeCONFIDENTIAL // EVIDENCE LOG
WHAT'S IN THE BOX // EVERY GAME
Everything Included in Every Download
FORMAT: PDF DOWNLOAD
PAPER: US LETTER, HOME PRINTER
IN EVERY KIT #1
The host guide
A minute-by-minute script for the night: setup, rules, every murder and piece of evidence to read aloud, and the solution on a sealed page.
IN EVERY KIT #2
Character packets
A character card for every guest plus sealed envelopes, opened after each murder, with new secrets, new jobs and fresh gossip.
IN EVERY KIT #3
Man-or-woman roles
Several characters come in a man and a woman version, with their own names and portraits, so you can cast whoever comes.
IN EVERY KIT #4
Evidence
Typeset evidence for every murder, sorted into folders for the host to read out and lay on the table.
IN EVERY KIT #5
Party extras
Play money, action cards, name tags, ballots, awards and posters.
IN EVERY KIT #6
Invitations
One per character, naming who each guest will play and what to wear.
verifiedCHECKED AT EVERY HEADCOUNT FROM 8 TO 20
Cream pages, dark ink, easy on the printer.
Flake-proof guest list
Plays Seamlessly from 8 to 20 Guests
Most kits are written for a fixed number and tell you to "ignore" characters who didn't show. Ours are built so the case never rests on a guest who isn't there.
8 Guests
The core cast
The eight characters who carry the murders and every clue the solution needs. The tightest, most cutthroat version of the night.
check_circleCharacters 1 to 8
12 Guests
Plus four schemers
Each added guest gets their own goals, deals and secrets, and a backup copy of a clue the core cast already holds.
check_circleCharacters 1 to 12
16 Guests
A full house
More people to bribe, bet with and gossip about. From 11 guests, the host stops the music once so the big table catches up.
check_circleCharacters 1 to 16
20 Guests
The whole cast
Every character in play: the full party, with all twenty schemes running at once.
check_circleCharacters 1 to 20
shield
Someone cancels an hour before? Print one fewer.
Characters join in a fixed order, so dropping the last one never removes a clue the case needs.
No experience required
Never hosted before?
Never hosted before?
You're in safe hands.
These games are for people who love the idea of an immersive party but don't want to spend a week learning rules. Read the guide once, set your alarms, and follow the script.
- check_circleMinute-by-minute script: when to read each murder, when the envelopes open, and every line to read aloud.
- check_circleThe host plays too: the solution sits on a sealed page at the back, so you can guess along with everyone else.
- check_circleEasy on the printer: cream pages and dark text that read fine in black and white.
FROM THE HOST GUIDEGILDED CANARY // 7:00
[ 7:00 · DOORS OPEN ]
Hand each guest their packet, name tag and Canary Cash. When most guests have arrived, read the welcome below aloud, then the rules.
"Welcome, darlings, to the Gilded Canary! Knock twice, say the password, and leave Prohibition at the door. Tonight the Canary turns five, and its owner, Viv Ashby, has promised a toast at 9:15 with an announcement that will 'change everything'. The gin is cold, the band is hot, and every soul in this room is hiding something. Mingle, gossip, make deals, and keep your secrets close. By last call, somebody may not be breathing."
[ READ ALOUD, THEN THE RULES ]
Host questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a murder mystery party? expand_more
A dinner or cocktail party where every guest plays a character. Someone gets murdered (in the story), clues come out over the night, and at the end everyone votes on who did it. The host follows a script, and nobody needs acting experience.
How many guests do I need? expand_more
Our games play with 8 to 20. You print characters 1 to however many guests you have, so you don't need the exact number until the day.
What if someone cancels at the last minute? expand_more
Print one fewer character. The first eight characters carry the case, and everyone after them joins in a fixed order with their own schemes, so no clue rests on a guest who didn't come.
Can the host play too? expand_more
Yes. Nobody knows who the killer is, the killer included, until near the end. The host runs the night from the guide and can play a character, as long as they leave the sealed solution page until the end.
Do I print it myself? expand_more
Yes. You get PDFs to print at home on ordinary Letter paper. Pages are cream with dark text and read fine in black and white.
Do guests have to dress up? expand_more
No, but they usually want to. Every invitation names the guest's character and suggests a costume made from things most people own.
New cases
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