Buzz
Are you looking for an easy yet exciting game for your sleepover? You don’t need to wait until nightfall to play 'Murder Mystery at Night' – just find a room where you can turn off the lights and follow the game rules to enjoy some fun moments!
Steps
Prepare the game with playing cards
Remove all Joker (Phăng teo), Ace, and King (Royal cards) from the deck. Then, return one Ace and one King back into the deck, while discarding the remaining Aces, Kings, and Jokers.
Shuffle the deck and distribute all the cards to the players. Depending on the number of participants, the number of cards each player receives might not be the same, but that’s perfectly fine.
Explain the role of each card. In the 'Murder Mystery at Night' game, each player will take on a role based on the card they hold.
- The player with the Ace will be the murderer.
- The player with the King will be the police officer.
- The player with the Jack (servant) will be the detective.
- If the player with the Jack is 'eliminated,' the player with the King becomes the detective.
- If both the Jack and King are 'eliminated,' the player with the Queen (Queen of Hearts) will become the detective.
- Be sure to remind everyone to keep their cards secret so no one knows who the murderer, police officer, or detective is.
Prepare the game using drawing slips
Cut out small pieces of paper. Make enough for each player to have one. Try to cut them small enough that the writing can’t be seen from a distance.
Write the role on each piece of paper. You will need pieces for the following roles:
- 'Murderer'
- 'Detective'
- The remaining pieces will say 'Suspect.'
Place the slips of paper in a bowl. Each player will draw one slip. Remind everyone to keep their role secret during the game.
Start the game
Choose a spacious room free from sharp objects. Be cautious to avoid any injuries from bumping into things while moving around in the dark!
Turn off all the lights in the room. Instruct the players to carefully move around the room, making sure not to cluster together or collide with one another.
Let the killer find their 'victim.' The killer will roam around the room looking for a target. Once they find someone, they will tap the person on the shoulder to indicate they have been 'killed.'
- The killer might whisper 'You’re dead' to the victim.
- The killer can also cover the victim's mouth to prevent them from screaming and then whisper 'You’re dead.'
- The 'victim' can either fall to the ground or scream before 'dying.' The more dramatic, the better.
Scream 'Murder Mystery at Night!' when you pass by someone who has been 'killed.' Upon hearing this cry, the player nearest to the light switch will turn the lights on.
- If someone is standing still, a player can ask, 'Are you dead?' The person being asked must truthfully respond if they are alive or dead to confirm whether the shout 'Murder Mystery at Night!' is correct.
- The killer can use a tactic to hide the recently 'killed' victim in a hidden spot within the room or even in another room. If the killer successfully hides the 'body,' it will take longer for others to discover the victims, and the killer will have more opportunities to kill additional players.
- However, this strategy might make it easier for the killer to be caught due to the distraction of dealing with the 'bodies.'
- Everyone should agree on whether to allow this tactic before starting the game.
Gather all the remaining players in the room where the 'victim' was discovered. Any players who are not present will be considered dead.
- As an additional part of the game, you can search for all the 'dead' players hidden in corners and bring them back to the room.
Guide the detective in finding the culprit. This step can be as simple as making guesses or can become more complex with a questioning session where the detective gathers clues to identify the killer.
- The police officer's role is to enforce commands while the detective investigates.
- If a group decides to conduct an interrogation, the detective will sit before the others and ask questions to all the remaining players, such as: Where were you when the cry 'Murder Mystery at Night!' was heard? Who do you suspect as the killer and why?
- Once enough information is gathered and the detective identifies the suspected killer, they will declare their 'final accusation' and ask the suspect: 'Are you the killer?'
- If the detective correctly identifies the killer, the detective wins the game. However, if the detective is wrong, the killer wins.
- If the detective is killed while the killer is operating in the dark, the player holding the King will replace the detective.
- If no cards are used and the detective is killed in the dark, the game ends and everyone must start over.
Guide the killer to reveal themselves when the game ends. The killer can reveal their Ace to prove their identity.
Advice
- Instead of leaving the detective to investigate alone, all remaining players, except for the ones who are dead, can participate in a vote. Everyone will state where they were and who they saw when the crime occurred. After that, all players will select a few suspects (choices must be seconded by another player), and a vote will take place to choose one suspect. The chosen person must reveal their true identity. If they are not the killer, the game can restart.
- One way to signal that someone has been killed is by pretending to lightly stab their chest, but be discreet about it.
- Avoid sticking together while playing in the dark, as this will make it harder for the killer to strike, and it will reduce the excitement of the game.
- You may add a rule that the 'killer' can lie if the detective has not said 'final accusation' before asking the suspect if they are the murderer.
- If the game allows for 'hiding bodies,' the killer can request that the victim sit in a corner or move to another room.
Warning
- Some people may get scared when the killer covers their mouth and whispers 'You are dead,' especially in the dark. Therefore, make sure all players are comfortable with this before starting the game.
- Remember to let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 30 minutes before moving around the room to avoid any painful collisions.
- Be careful when moving around so you don’t trip over the players who have already been 'killed' lying on the floor.
What You Need
- A deck of cards
- Pieces of paper
- A pen
- Friends
- A dark house or room
