Peek Behind the Curtain at Courtney’s Glamorous Murder Mystery Birthday Bash
We love it when a first-time host goes all in, and featured host Courtney absolutely delivered! For her very first murder mystery party, she turned to Behind the Curtain and Foulplay Games to create an old Hollywood birthday celebration none of her friends will ever forget!
Keep reading for Courtney’s take on hosting her first murder mystery party, plus her tips and tricks for creating an unforgettable night of glitz, glamor, and murder!
Why did you decide to host a murder mystery party? Why did you decide to use Foulplay Games?
“Two of our friends in the group of 8 share a birth week, and we wanted to incorporate things that they would both like. I had gone on a Reddit deep dive searching for a murder mystery game that had an assigned murderer and stumbled across Foulplay in the process.”
Two birthdays in one makes for an amazingly special birthday party! It’s music to our ears that good reviews and community feedback are what made the difference in choosing the perfect murder mystery game to celebrate her friends’ birthdays!
But that’s not all, as Courtney shares:
“What resonated the most with not only myself but the entire group was the fact that this is a PNW local women-owned business, with the cherry on top being the inclusivity of character assignments.”
Always wonderful to feel the local PNW love! We’re so glad to bring people together like Courtney’s friend group for an unforgettable night, and we’re proud to say that all of our games feature gender-neutral characters exclusively, so everyone can get in on the action!
“It was my first time hosting a murder mystery party. My husband and I had gone to one a few weeks prior, but it lacked the aspect of an assigned murderer, so the game ended up feeling more random with clues that were too broad.”
At Foulplay Games, we are intentional about designing our game structure to include everything you need, including a murderer with a real motive! In your game, you’ll find the character list broken down by major and minor characters, so you’re never left wondering how the night’ll turn out!
How did the game go overall?
“My friends and I had an absolute blast doing "Behind the Curtain". It was so well done and thoughtfully put together. As the host, I was able to fully participate and had the same shocked expressions as the rest of the group when the murderer was revealed.”
We love hearing that! Creating an experience where the host can fully jump in is something we’re really passionate about!
Everyone, including the host, gets to experience the twists together, and with Behind the Curtain there’s no shortage of scandal to untangle.
Were there any extra touches you added or fun memories or stories to share?
“We really decided to go all out and immerse ourselves as much as possible in the game. We booked out a space at the Tin Lizzie Lounge located inside of the MarQueen hotel in Queen Anne, and that had the best 1920s atmosphere. We also set up more decor in the lounge to set the mood.”
What an amazing location to travel back in time! Ambience like that can really heighten the mood of the game, as Courtney shares:
“I think that extra element really helped everyone sink into character more.”
Courtney also shared a fun twist on casting the murder victim:
“The highlight of the night was definitely the Halloween decoration we got to play the murder victim’s body!”
Any suggestions, recommendations, or tips for folks wanting to host their own murder mystery game?
“For anyone on the fence about hosting, DO IT! Lean in and have fun, you won't regret it. We loved every second of the game.”
We agree! So glad to hear you and your friends had a blast, and are grateful you chose to share your experience with us!
Where to find Courtney
You can find Courtney online @spookydolphin. The photos in this post were taken by @connor.carpenter.
Big thanks to Courtney for sharing her glamorous old Hollywood birthday party with us and her tips for other first time hosts. If you’re ready to call action on a killer night, Behind the Curtain is available for instant download now!
