Featured Murder Mystery Party: Inside Brian’s Wild Wanderstar Space Western Adventure

We’re always amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm our Foulplay murder mystery hosts bring to the table, but occasionally, we come across a party that leaves our jaws on the floor. That was certainly the case with Brian (@brianpatrickwilliams), today’s featured Foulplay host! Brian recently hosted our WANDERSTAR space western murder mystery, taking the event to another level with his incredible attention to detail. When guests arrived, they were transported into a fully realized world—complete with a decontamination chamber! Brian’s commitment to transforming his space into a futuristic frontier was nothing short of spectacular.

Read on for more details about his WANDERSTAR murder mystery party. 

Why did you decide to host a murder mystery party? Was it your first time? Why did you decide to use Foulplay Games?

I've always wanted to participate in a murder mystery game, and I love playing other types of social deduction games (i.e. Mafia/Werewolf, Among Us, etc). Still, no one in my friend group ever took the initiative to host an actual murder mystery party. This year, my partner and I finally decided to host one ourselves so we could play! 

I researched several murder mystery companies and their stories/products and finally landed on Foulplay. I chose Foulplay because the story genres were intriguing to me, they were unscripted and relied heavily on improv–which I regularly love to perform–and because they all allowed the hosts to play along as well! From my research, none of the competitors offered this unique combination, so it was quite an easy decision once I found Foulplay.

WANDERSTAR brings people together! 🌟 This group hosted their space western mystery under twinkling lights, proving the galaxy is always better with friends.

How did the game go overall?

Overall, the game went very well. We had 14 guests and from the feedback we've received, they all loved it and had a lot of fun. Several of our guests said they initially weren't very interested in playing a murder mystery and didn't think they would like it, but then shared that they loved the experience and want to play more!

It was a little tricky, as host, to juggle my character and their objectives and the hosting responsibilities, so I wasn't able to commit to my character improv as much as I would have liked. However, I still had a really fun time, and so did my partner.

We caught the murderer at the end as they did not escape (we used the alternate ending) and got the most votes. And everyone loved the "secret sharing" round. It was really fun to find out what everyone else was busy pursuing or hiding and to understand their in-game behavior finally! 

It’s great to hear that Brian’s Wanderstar murder mystery was so successful! We hear many stories about party guests who are initially unsure about participating in a murder mystery. Still, then they end up really enjoying the experience and are excited to play again. We always say that your friends and family will surprise you! Hosting while staying entirely in character can be tricky, but it’s great to see that Brian still managed to have fun, even with the added responsibility of juggling both his role and the hosting duties. It also gets easier the more games you host!

Were there any extra touches you added or fun memories or stories to share?

According to our guests, I went above and beyond with the decorating, which added a very deep layer of immersion. I don't think this is a requirement at all but it added to the gameplay and helped everyone get into character. Also, we spread out the gameplay area as much as possible so there were plenty of "secret meeting" areas for people to gossip andstrike deals.. This also added to the game's intrigue because you could look across our backyard and see people meeting but couldn't hear them, which increased suspicions and accusations. 

Step into Lone Rock Port, the rugged frontier town at the edge of the galaxy, brought to life by featured host Brian for our Wanderstar space western murder mystery game.

We also added the Ability Cards and the Foulplay Cards into the game play, but unfortunately, these didn't have the effect we were hoping for. I think they're a great idea, but, in our case, the murderer drew the Foulplay card and was already on edge about others finding out, so they didn't use the "extra murder," which led to no one using their ability cards, either. It was the luck of the draw because I do think this extra game mechanic adds value. Next time, we're going to add in at least one other Foulplay card so multiple people can have the extra ability to remove players. I believe this will help these fun and intriguing game mechanics shine more with a larger group. 

Also, it felt pretty easy for a few of us to determine who the murderer was, but I don't necessarily think it's the story's fault. It depends on how well the killer conceals and deflects suspicion. 

We always appreciate any feedback from our Foulplay hosts to help us improve future games! It’s great to hear how Brian’s decorations and "secret meeting" spots enhanced the immersion and entertainment. As for the Ability and Foulplay Cards, we understand how they didn’t have the desired impact this time—that is the chance you take!--but we appreciate his willingness to try it out! Maybe we can get an update on how the second trial goes!! 

Any suggestions, recommendations, or tips for folks wanting to host their own murder mystery game?

If you're on the fence, just do it! Foulplay does a great job laying out all the steps to plan and execute a really fun, successful party! And definitely go all in on the decorating and costumes because it adds much to the immersion.

You can follow Brian at @brianpatrickwilliams.

To host WANDERSTAR, check it out here!

Brian recently hosted our Wanderstar space western murder mystery, taking the event to another level with his incredible attention to detail. When guests arrived, they were transported into a fully realized world—complete with a decontamination chamber! Brian’s commitment to transforming his space into a futuristic frontier was nothing short of spectacular.