Home›How to host›Casting roles
Cast the room,
not the actors.
You do not need to know who can act. You need to know who talks too much, who goes quiet, and who is likely to cancel. This guide covers how roles scale with your guest list and how to hand them out.
Each case has core roles, which carry the solution and are always dealt, and flexible roles, added as the guest list grows. The app deals roles to match the number of guests, and hosts can cast by hand instead. Give big secrets to quiet guests, keep flexible roles for maybes, and cast any role to any gender.
Core first, then flexible.
The table below comes from the game's own cast lists. Guests are counted without the host, who plays the victim and then runs the inquiry.
| Case | Guests | Core roles | Flexible roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poisoned at the Priory | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Not Proven | 6 to 12 | 4 | 8 |
| Curtain Call | 6 to 12 | 5 | 7 |
| Providence House | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Red Velvet Swing | 6 to 12 | 5 | 7 |
| The Cellar at Hilldrop | 6 to 12 | 3 | 9 |
| Under the Crab Apple Tree | 6 to 12 | 4 | 8 |
| A Death in the Family | 6 to 12 | 4 | 8 |
| Operation Nightfall | 6 to 12 | 4 | 8 |
| The Cipher at Bletchley | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Paris Safe House | 7 to 12 | 7 | 5 |
| The Lisbon Handover | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Cairo Conspiracy | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Admiral's Dinner | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| A Body Under the Tree | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| A Cold Christmas | 6 to 12 | 5 | 7 |
| The Carol Singer's Secret | 6 to 12 | 3 | 9 |
| The Twelve Suspects of Christmas | 11 to 12 | 11 | 1 |
| Tinsel and Treachery | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Yulefest | 7 to 12 | 7 | 5 |
| All Hallows at Blackthorn Mill | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Ghost Season at Gallows Hill | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Anatomy Theatre | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Light at Skerry Point | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Masque at Carfax Hall | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
| The Séance at Ravensmere | 6 to 12 | 6 | 6 |
What changes as the table grows.
- At 6: every guest you invite matters. Invite seven, and give the extra guest a flexible role. Six guests →
- At 8: the core cast plus room for flexible roles. A cancellation is absorbed. Eight guests →
- At 10: the table splits into conversations. Cast quiet guests between generous talkers. Ten guests →
- At 12: every role is dealt. Plan more time for the accusation. Twelve guests →
Four casting rules that work.
The app deals at random by default, which is often the funniest option. If you would rather choose, these hold for every case.
- Give the biggest secret to the quietest guest.It gives them a reason to talk and the table a reason to listen.
- Keep the most complicated role away from the loudest guest.Otherwise they run the table and everyone else becomes the audience.
- Put your maybes on flexible roles.If they cancel, the case does not notice.
- Cast across gender freely.The dossier updates the name and pronouns for that guest, and the plot stays intact.
Roles, answered.
How do you assign roles for a murder mystery party?
The app deals roles for you, matched to the number of guests you enter. If you would rather cast it yourself, give the biggest secret to a quiet guest, avoid giving the most complicated role to the loudest, and keep flexible roles for guests you are less sure will come.
What is the difference between core and flexible roles?
Core roles hold the evidence the solution depends on and are always dealt. Flexible roles have real secrets but can be left out without breaking the case. When numbers fall, flexible roles drop first.
Can men play women's roles and women play men's?
Yes. Roles are not tied to gender. When a role goes to a guest of another gender, their dossier shows the name and pronouns changed, without touching the plot, the clues or the solution. A few roles bound to the plot keep their name.
Does the host get a role?
The host plays the victim, which sits outside the cast. The host is at the table all night and holds the run sheet on their own phone.
Cast them.
Pour the wine.
Pick a case, enter your guest numbers and let the app deal. A$39, instant access.