Detective and murder mystery evenings have a reputation for being complicated to organize. They're not, once you understand what actually needs doing versus what you just think needs doing. This guide covers the real decisions: how many people, what format, how much preparation, and what makes the difference between a good evening and a forgettable one.
What kind of mystery game are we talking about?
There are two main formats.
- The first is a roleplay version where everyone is assigned a character and you act out scenes, interrogate each other, and eventually vote on a suspect.
- The second is a case file version where players work together as investigators - reading through documents, evidence, witness statements, and working out the answer as a team.
This guide covers both, but leans toward the case file format. It's easier to run, works better for mixed groups, and tends to produce better conversations!
How many people do you need?
Case file games: 2 to 6 people. The sweet spot is 3 to 4. More than 6 and someone ends up watching rather than participating. Fewer than 2 and you lose the back-and-forth that makes the investigation fun.
Roleplay games: 6 to 12. These need a bigger cast because everyone has a character to play. Below 6, there aren't enough suspects to keep it interesting. Above 12, the game becomes hard to manage and half the players don't get enough time to speak.
Do you need a host?
For a roleplay game, yes. Someone has to manage the flow, read out clues at the right moment, and keep things moving. That person usually can't also be a suspect, so factor that in.
For a case file game, no. The materials do the hosting. Someone might naturally take the lead on reading things out or keeping notes, but there's no official role required. This is one reason case file games work well when the organiser also wants to play.
Enigmito makes case file games with instant access (sent digitally and print-to-play), with no need for a host to manage the game. The setup is as easy as it gets - no waiting time and no extra prep needed. See our detective games.
How long does it actually take?
Case file games: Enigmito games are designed to run around 1.5 - 2 hours, just like a good movie. In our experience, this length hits the sweet spot between challenging and rewarding. We also found that larger groups usually take longer than duos - more reading time and more theories extend game length, as well as enjoyability.
Roleplay games: Usually 2 to 3 hours including a meal. Many kits are designed to run over dinner, with clue drops between courses.
Either way, tell your guests a rough time in advance. "We'll be done by 10" helps people commit and shows up in how engaged they are.
Do you need to cook a themed meal?
No, but it helps.
Food gives the evening a shape. It separates the "before" from the "during," gives people something to do with their hands while they talk through theories, and makes the setting feel deliberate rather than improvised.
The easiest approach: set food out before you start so people can pick at it throughout. A board with cured meats, cheese, bread, and a few other things on the table works well for this. It requires almost no cooking and stays edible for a couple of hours.
If you're playing a case file game set in a specific city — like Rome or Mexico City — matching the food to the setting is a nice touch. It's not necessary, but it lands well. Some games include recipe packs for exactly this reason.
All Enigmito games come with bespoke recipes, covering drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), small snack options and a full cooked meal. The recipes are always customized to the city where each mystery takes place, for maximum immersion! See our detective games.
How do you handle drinks?
Have something ready when people arrive. The first fifteen minutes of any social evening involve people standing around working out where to put themselves. A drink in hand solves that.
For a mystery evening specifically, it's worth having a non-alcoholic option that feels as considered as the alcoholic one — not just water or a soft drink from the fridge. A mocktail or a good juice mix shows you thought about it.
Should guests come in costume?
For a roleplay game, it helps. Costumes give people permission to behave differently from their normal selves, which is the whole point of a roleplay format.
For a case file game, costumes are optional and slightly awkward. You're playing investigators, not characters, so there's no clear costume to reach for.
If you want atmosphere without the costume question, set the table with some props instead — a candle, a vintage glass, a manila folder for the documents. It signals "this is a thing we're doing" without requiring anyone to dress up.
What's the right setting?
A dining table works for both formats. Case file games benefit from a surface where you can spread documents out and organize them — a coffee might be too small and a sofa arrangement makes it harder to share materials.
Good lighting matters more than people expect. Reading documents in candlelight sounds atmospheric, but it's annoying after ten minutes. Light the space properly and use candles for decoration if you want them.
Since Enigmito games are print-to-play, you can print multiple copies, which is especially beneficial in larger groups. See our detective games.
How do you handle music?
Put something on before guests arrive and leave it running. Music fills the silence between conversations in a way that makes the room feel less exposed, which matters when people are forming theories and half-talking out loud.
The main thing is to keep it quiet enough that nobody has to raise their voice across the table. Instrumental works best — lyrics pull attention, even when you don't notice they're doing it. Film scores, jazz, and classical all work. The city where the game is set is a reasonable starting point: Roman jazz for a Rome game, Mexican folk guitar for a Mexico City one.
When you buy an Enigmito game, you get a curated Spotify playlist with music from the city / culture where the case takes place. All hand-picked, instrumental tracks that will set the mood without disruptions.
How should you introduce the game?
Keep it short. Tell people what format you're playing, how it ends (i.e. you'll vote on a suspect, or write down your answer), and whether there's one killer or multiple. Then start.
The biggest mistake is over-explaining before anything has happened. Players don't need to understand the whole structure upfront — they need just enough to get going. The game will teach the rest.
One practical thing: if the game has a lot of documents, tell people the order they're meant to be read in, or whether they can read freely. Some games are designed to unfold in sequence. Reading ahead in those can break the experience.
What do you do if the group gets stuck?
Let them be stuck for a bit. Struggling with the evidence is part of the experience, and people often solve things when they step back from a specific theory and reread something they dismissed earlier.
If they've genuinely stalled — nothing new is emerging from another pass through the documents — try asking one question: "Is there anything in the evidence you haven't been able to explain yet?" Usually there's a detail that didn't connect to anything, and that's where the solution is hiding.
All Enigmito games come with online hints that don't reveal the answer, but help progressively steer you in the right direction.
How do you end it?
Agree in advance whether everyone writes their answer independently before comparing, or whether you discuss it and land on a group decision.
Leave time for the reveal. Most good mystery games include a solution document that explains not just who did it but why the clues pointed there and what each red herring was doing. Reading through that together after you've all committed to an answer is usually the cherry on top of a great evening.
What makes it actually fun versus just fine?
People who have a good time at a mystery evening generally do one thing: they commit to reading the materials carefully rather than skimming for the obvious detail. The people who skim tend to guess randomly and disengage once the game resists them.
The other thing that helps is suspicion being social. The game is more enjoyable when people say their theories out loud as they form them — even bad theories, even half-formed ones. That's where the arguing happens, and the arguing is the fun part.
Where can I find a good murder mystery game to run?
For case file games, Enigmito makes detective case file sets, each set in a real city and built around a full investigation with documents, coded puzzles, a themed recipe pack and a playlist to set the mood. The games are designed for 2 to 5 players and run around 1.5 to 2 hours (not including the optional meal prep / eating time). See our murder mystery games.
