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Run the food
through the game.
The mistake most hosts make is feeding everyone first and then starting the game, which turns the evening into a show with an audience that has already eaten. Put the courses between the rounds instead. Food gives people something to do with their hands while they lie.
Serve food through the game, not before it: something to pick at while the case opens, the main course between the evidence rounds, and dessert after the verdict. Choose dishes that sit on the table and need no plating, so the host stays in the room. The host controls the pace, so each course happens when the table is ready.
Two to three hours, in five moves.
Nothing on screen moves until the host presses Next, so these are cues rather than clock times.
- Arrivals, with drinks and something to pick at.Guests read their briefs and introduce themselves in character. A board of bread, cheese and cured meat is ideal: no cutlery, no plates to clear.
- The case opens.The victim is found. Keep the first round going while people still have their drinks.
- The main course, between the rounds.Pause after the first evidence round. A main that sits in the middle of the table keeps everyone seated and talking.
- The last evidence, then the accusation.Clear plates first. The accusation is the best part of the night and deserves everyone's attention.
- Dessert after the verdict.The case is settled, and the argument about whether it was settled correctly starts over pudding.
Food that looks after itself.
- Grazing boards. Built before anyone arrives, eaten across the first hour.
- One pot mains. A braise, a pie, a curry. Anything that can sit in a low oven and be put on the table in one move.
- Finger food for big tables. At ten or twelve, a sit down dinner turns into catering. Share plates are easier.
- A dessert that is already made. A tart, a trifle, a pudding. Nothing that needs finishing.
- Skip anything that needs the host in the kitchen. The host is the victim, and the victim is needed at the table.
A few easy period touches.
Entirely optional, and a nice way to set the room.
- Victorian and Edwardian cases: a pie, a roast, a trifle, port with cheese.
- Wartime cases: simple country cooking, and gin for the Cairo and Lisbon files.
- Christmas cases: whatever you would serve anyway. Mulled wine suits the Christmas in July cases.
- Costume goes with it. What to wear →
Food, answered.
What food should you serve at a murder mystery party?
Food people can eat while talking: something to pick at while the case opens, a main that can sit on the table between rounds, and a dessert held back for after the verdict. Avoid anything that needs carving, plating or the host in the kitchen.
When do you eat during a murder mystery party?
Through the game, not before it. Nothing on screen advances until the host presses Next, so the host decides when to pause for each course.
Should the host cook?
Only what can be done before guests arrive. The host plays the victim and should be at the table. A slow cooked main, a grazing board or a caterer's tray all work.
How long should we allow?
Two to three hours including dinner. Twelve guests take longer than six, mostly because the accusation takes longer.
Dinner is sorted.
Now pick the case.
The host plays the victim and holds the Next button, so the night runs at the speed of your dinner. A$39 a case.