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Eight people.
The number the cases are written for.
If you asked us to pick one number, it is eight. Eight is big enough that the room splits into factions and alliances, and small enough that everybody still gets heard. Six of the eight carry the story, two have room to play, and one cancellation does not cost you the case.
Eight is the best group size for a murder mystery party. At eight, six roles are core characters and two are flexible, so the case is fully staffed and a late cancellation is absorbed without breaking the solution. Runs two to three hours, plays from a TV and everyone's phones, $29 a case.
Enough people to argue with.
Six people investigate. Eight people take sides. That is the difference, and it is the whole reason a murder mystery is worth doing rather than just watching something. At eight there are enough competing stories in the room that guests start forming theories about each other rather than working through the evidence in one orderly line.
- Two flexible roles. Six core characters carry the solution. The other two have real secrets but the case does not collapse without them, which is exactly the slack you want.
- A cancellation is survivable. Drop to seven and the night runs unchanged. That alone makes eight less stressful to host than six.
- The table splits, usefully. Eight is the largest number that still works as one conversation, and the first number where side conversations start happening. Both are good.
- Dinner is still dinner. Eight plates is a dinner party. Twelve is an event.
Who to give which role to.
You do not need actors and nobody performs a monologue, but eight roles are not identical and you know your friends. The app assigns roles at random by default, which is fine and often funnier. If you would rather cast it yourself, the host pack lets you.
- Give the biggest secret to the quietest guest. This is the single best casting decision available to you. It hands them a reason to talk and the whole table a reason to listen.
- Do not give the loudest person the most complicated role. They will run the table with it and everybody else becomes an audience.
- The person who says they are bad at this is usually the best liar. They are not performing, so nobody can read them.
- Late arrivals take a flexible role. Assign the two flexible characters to whoever you are least sure about.
Cases with eight distinct agendas.
These cases have a full set of competing interests at eight: a courtroom's worth of people who all want a different outcome.
Every one of the 26 cases runs at 8. See the whole catalogue →
8 players, answered.
How many people is best for a murder mystery party?
Eight guests plus a host. At eight, six roles are core characters and two are flexible, so the case is fully cast, everybody still gets heard, and one cancellation does not break the solution. Six works and twelve works, but eight is the number that asks the least of the host.
Does the host count as one of the eight?
No. The host plays the victim, which means you are in the room all night without a role to run and without a secret to keep. Eight guests plus you is nine people at the table.
Can we play with 7 or 9?
Yes. Every case runs anywhere from six to twelve, and the app casts to the number you enter. Seven is eight with one flexible role removed. Nine is eight with one added.
How long does a night with eight take?
Two to three hours including dinner and the accusation. You can pause between acts, eat, and come back to it. The app holds the state, so a break does not cost you anything.
Book the night.
Not the actors.
Pick your case, send the invitations, and say nothing else. $29, instant delivery, and the access code is in your inbox before your guests have replied.