I thought about skipping over this post on the blog but I feel like having a Murder Mystery party is too fun not to share and seriously, I can’t recommend throwing one enough. If you’re more into the outfit game, I’ll be back to that tomorrow – promise.

I love a good costume party. Nothing like dressing up in something fun on a random Saturday. Also everything is funnier in a costume.

My friends and I had been wanting to throw a Murder Mystery Party for FOREVER so this past weekend we finally bit the bullet and put one together. Granted it was a little last minute but it was crazy fun and a good learning experience for when we, inevitably, want to have one again.

I had never thrown, or gone to for that matter, a Murder Mystery Party but as a long time lover of both the game and movie Clue – I figured it would be a lot of fun. Luckily my pals were on board and after a little internet searching (what did we do before the Googler), I found a kit that we all agreed to. The crazy fun/good thing about these is you can find a “murder” for almost any party theme. There’s 80’s, Old West, Luau, Toga, Prom, I could go on.

Initially we thought we might have more people, so I bought a party kit for a larger group that was Dallas (the tv show, not the city) themed. We all loved the theme but when we didn’t have the right amount of people, I bought this one instead. The Murder of Millionaire theme still fit with our over-the top 80’s Oil Baron/Cattle Rancher theme so it worked out perfectly. I think we also clearly have a bit of a Dynasty vibe going too.

If you’re thinking about throwing one (I HIGHLY recommend it), I’ve included some tips after the pics (sorry for the pic quality – it was hard to focus on taking pictures with all the ridiculousness).

Oh and if you’re in Louisville, there’s only one place to get a seriously bad-ass costume – The Nitty Gritty.

Here’s my quick tips/instructions on How to Host a Murder Mystery Party:

* Require Costumes. Seriously, it’s no fun if you’re the random person dressed in regular jeans and a t-shirt when everyone else is decked out.

* Pick a Host who can Keep a Secret. In some kits, the host knows the entire story so you’ll want someone who’s hair is big enough to hold all the secrets. In others (like the one we did), the host can assume a role and play along.

* Get everyone their roles in advance. I wish I had delivered the identities a little sooner to all the players but getting the characters out early helped everyone pick out a great costume and prepare for their role.

* Make sure everyone can come on time. You can’t roll in thirty or 45 minutes late or you’ll miss a huge chunk of the party and make it a pain for everyone else playing.

* Have Name Tags at the Party. Even if you only are playing with eight people, you’ll forget people’s character names. Name Tags are key.

* Encourage everyone to stay in character until the end. This is big time. It’s way more entertaining and hilarious is everyone stays in their character the whole night. Give awards at the end of the night to whoever played their part the best.

* Serve Drinks. Often and Early. No but really, after a drink or two everyone got WAY more into their parts.

Throw your own: Murder of a Millionaire Party Kit