Murder In The Woods
You and your spouse and a few other couples may have decided to rent a group of cabins this winter. Being secluded in the woods and relying upon basic instincts could prompt you to set up a game that involves solving a faux murder. A team murder mystery game, which involves assigning couples as teams and providing the players with some eerie settings and cryptic clues will supply you and your peers with an interesting evening.
Set The Mood
Getting the participants in the mind frame associated with a scary story will require you to set up the cabin where the game is taking place and the outdoor area that surrounds the cabin. Flickering candles or low wattage bulbs that are installed inside of a set of vintage lamps will prompt creepy shadows to appear on the inside walls of the room where everyone is seated.
If you want to add an element of surprise during the initial gameplay, record some scary-sounding noises, such as the wind whooshing or someone whispering, and play this recording, right before the game is to begin.
Have Your Characters Provide Visualizations
Get acquainted with the storyline of a murder mystery game, either through the instructions that are provided with a board game or by coming up with an idea of your own. You can also combine a board game and its features with some of your own ideas. If there are enough people who will be participating in the game, designate some of them as the key players. These people can be provided with speaking lines or live acts, which will aid in the other participants solving clues.
For example, if some of the details involved in the storyline include permanent fixtures within the cabin where the game is being played and outdoor features that are on the grounds, have each speaker provide an elusive description and an act, which pertains to the storyline. Give the other game players some notepads or graph paper, to assist with keeping up with information that they witness during the beginning of the game.
Add Some Effects
Raw meat that is inside of a bowl with ketchup poured on it or bloody footprints, which are created with the use of food coloring, will add a creep factor to the murder mystery that you are sharing with your friends. Come up with some additional aesthetical features, which will promote the storyline that you chose.
For more ideas, check out murder mystery party games at local game stores or online.