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Give them a birthday
where somebody
gets murdered.
The friends are in the same room they were in last year, eating roughly the same thing. This is the version where one of them has a secret, all of them are lying to each other by nine o'clock, and the birthday guest spends the whole night being interrogated by people who love them.
A murder mystery is one of the best adult birthday parties at home for six to twelve guests. The birthday guest plays a character rather than hosting, so somebody else buys the case and plays the victim. Roles go to phones, the case plays on the TV, and delivery is instant, so you can buy it on the day.
The birthday person
should not host.
This is the one piece of advice that matters and it is easy to get wrong. The host plays the victim, which is genuinely the best seat in the house, but it is also the quietest role in the case. You are the reason everybody is there and you never have to keep a secret.
That is a lovely thing to be at your own dinner party. It is a slightly odd thing to be at your own birthday. So have a partner or a friend buy the case and host it, and give the birthday guest a real character with something to hide. They will spend the night being accused of murder by everybody who came to celebrate them, which is a better present than a candle.
- A friend buys and hosts. $29, and they play the victim.
- The birthday guest gets a big role. The host pack lets you assign characters rather than leave it to random. Give them the one with the most to lose.
- Do not tell them in advance. Invitations that say nothing except a date and a dress code are the best part.
- Cake still happens. Between the evidence and the accusation, which is exactly where the natural break is anyway.
Different decades, different case.
A rough guide, based on what actually goes well.
- A 30thBigger, louder, more people who half know each other. The Masque at Carfax Hall or Tinsel and Treachery. Costume optional and usually taken up.
- A 40thThe table that wants to be clever about it. A Death in the Family or The Cipher at Bletchley. Both reward a group that pays attention.
- A 50th or 60thA proper dinner. Poisoned at the Priory or The Admiral's Dinner. Real history, formal setting, and it sits beautifully alongside a long meal.
- A birthday for twoNot everybody wants eight people. Be the Detective is written for two, runs about ninety minutes, and is a genuinely good night in.
Birthdays, answered.
What can you do for a birthday party at home for adults?
A murder mystery is the strongest option for six to twelve adults, because it gives the evening a shape without turning it into an organised activity. Roles go to phones, the case plays on the television, and the birthday guest is not made to perform. Two to three hours, $29.
Should the birthday person be the host or a player?
A player. The host plays the victim, which is a great role but a quiet one, and it is somebody else's birthday. Have a friend or partner buy the case and host it. The birthday guest gets a proper character with a secret worth keeping.
Is a murder mystery good for a 30th, 40th or 50th?
Particularly good, because these are the birthdays where the guest list is a mix of people who do not all know each other. A murder mystery gives strangers a reason to talk to each other within ten minutes, which no amount of good intentions at a normal party achieves.
How far ahead do we need to plan?
You can buy it on the day. Delivery is instant and the access code arrives by email straight away. The only thing worth doing early is deciding the guest number, because the case casts to it.
Throw them a party
they will argue about.
$29, delivered instantly, and the access code is in your inbox before you have finished writing the invitations.