Featured Host: How Bobbie Beat the Seattle Gloom with Murder at Menlo Park
When the skies are gray and the “Big Dark” settles over the PNW, what better way to brighten things up than with a little mystery, mayhem, and murder? For first-time host Bobbie, February was the perfect time to gather friends, throw on some costumes, and dive into Murder at Menlo Park, our steampunk murder mystery game full of secrets, surprises, and over-the-top rivalries!
Read on for inspiration, tips, and standout moments from one unforgettable murder mystery night!
Why did you decide to host a murder mystery party? Was it your first time? Why did you decide to use Foulplay Games?
"We wanted to spice up the 'Big Dark,' which is what we Seattleites call our long, gloomy weather season. It's the perfect time for fun indoor activities, especially themed parties.
It was my first time hosting a murder mystery party, though I've played a couple before.
Foulplay stood out when I was searching for options online because of their fun themes and obvious thoughtfulness and inclusivity. I had no doubt every detail would be accounted for and that the hosting instructions would be easy to understand. When I had a question about our group size, Foulplay emailed me back right away, and I felt like I was in great hands. This feeling lasted through the entire planning and hosting process, even when I was rushing to get everything together the day of the party!"
Bobbie brought a mix of curiosity and confidence to the planning process and quickly discovered that hosting a murder mystery party is easy when you have the right game from the right company!
How did the game go overall?
"Really well! We had 13 players and everyone had a blast, including the friends who were playing 'minor' characters or who didn't know everyone.
While no one guessed the killer exactly, a small group figured out another important mystery that was built into the game about halfway through. At that point we added our own round robin-style sharing session, so we could all make public accusations and defend ourselves, which I fully recommend. Some of the most memorable parts of the night came from that session, with our friends making their cases in character, accents and all."
Fun fact from Foulplay: during our writing process, we aim for about a third of the guests to correctly guess the murderer. We will admit though that Murder at Menlo Park is one of our more challenging games with lots of side plots and mechanics, so sometimes the murderer gets away with it in the end!
Were there any extra touches you added or fun memories to share?
"There are so many ways to level up a Foulplay game, including decorations, props or physical pieces of evidence, money, and Foulplay cards.
We purposely kept things simple for our first time hosting, and it was still so much fun, in large part because our friends really latched onto their assignments and showed up in costume and in character, ready to attack!"
Bobbie let us know for the next party, she is planning to play with the money and Foulplay Card mechanics now that she has more experience balancing the responsibilities of the host. We also have ability cards on our website as an additional layer of fun and excitement for more experienced party hosts and players!
Any suggestions, recommendations, or tips for folks wanting to host their own murder mystery game?
"I highly recommend following Foulplay's tips for assigning characters in the hosting instructions, including 'major' characters which are better for more performative friends and 'minor' characters which are better for hosts, kids, and folks who may not be able to make it to the party. Our group's assignments worked out beautifully and made the whole experience really fun and seamless."
We know every friend group is different, so we try to include a lot of flexibility and information when it comes to assigning characters! We love having answers to any questions our hosts might have and making hosts feel prepared to throw a party that people will talk about!
Want to see more from Bobbie’s party? Follow @bobbienicks on Instagram
