The Last Gasp – Murder Mystery Game
$44.99
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Someone is murdered in front of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. She is not amused. This gripping Victorian murder mystery is perfect for those who enjoy intrigue, scandal, and a touch of Gothic drama.
Setting: A send-off party for a dissolute Earl. You’ll question suspects, uncover secrets, and try to solve the crime. Can you do that before the night is over? Or will the Earl’s dark past claim yet another victim?
Plot: George Sweet, the 5th Earl of Coddingham, has lived a scandalous life filled with excess and misdeeds. But now, with the law closing in, he plans to flee abroad. Before he vanishes, he’s hosting one final party — The Last Gasp — as a chance to make amends with those he has wronged.
Characters: Everyone has a character to play in this plot. All are guests at the Earl’s Last Gasp party: ex-wives, current wife, ballet dancer son plus staff and local villagers.
Time Period: This plot is set in Victorian England in 1899. Bodices, petticoats, bustles and full skirts for the ladies, tail-coats, smoking jackets and cravats for the gents.
How the Game Works
Everyone has a character in the plot. One of them will be the murderer. The others all have information about themselves and other characters that may or may not be relevant to the murder itself. Talking to people, finding out what they know – this is the key to unlocking the mystery.
As well as trying to identify the murderer, every character has other objectives to pursue. These lead them into making deals, sharing information, and getting involved in plenty of fun and games along the way.
Character Roles & Participation
Which characters are in your game will vary, depending on your final numbers. Among them will be high-born members of the English aristocracy and the low-born folk who serve them and work for them. All have different information and personalities and different reasons for being at the wicked Earl’s send-off.
George Sweet, 5th Earl of Coddingham: Dashing, fabulously wealth host of the party. His family motto is: “nothing succeeds like excess”.
Florence Sweet: The Earl’s darling first wife, daughter of the late Marquis of Sleasby. Florence is the mother of George’s only child, William.
William Sweet: George’s sole heir. William’s desire to succeed as a ballet dancer has made him a disappointment to his father.
Dawn Sweet: The Earl’s dear second wife, daughter of the late Harold Knight. She now devotes her life to charitable good works.
Lady Coddingham: The Earl’s delightful third wife, once married to Bernard Fry. When she and the Earl first met, she was an exotic dancer known as “Babylon Jojo, Dynamite on Legs”.
Bernard Fry: Lady Coddingham’s ex-husband and the Earl’s ex-best friend. Always willing to forgive and forget, Bernard was recently let out of prison.
Jarvis: The Earl’s wonderfully deadpan butler. Very loyal to his master.
Daniel Worsley: The Earl’s gardener. It’s said that many of the plants Daniel cultivates are more intelligent than he is.
Sam Jenkins: The Earl’s legal advisor, Sam has succeeded in keeping George out of trouble on many occasions.
Captain Philip Ratliffe: Cavalry officer Philip has a devilish way with women. Invited to all the finest parties, he also writes a gossip column for “The Gentleman” magazine, which his father owns.
Dr. Hammer: The Earl’s private physician. It’s entirely thanks to the doctor that George is now clean of all drugs.
Martha Dooley: Dim but eager to please, Martha is the Earl’s young maid. Can be relied on to do a bit extra, when required.
Remington Hope: A distinguished writer, now working on the Earl’s biography. Remington has spent the last two years as the Earl’s house guest.
Lord Blenkinsop: Many people regard Blenkinsop as pompous and self-important, but that is perhaps too generous. He was present at an unsavoury incident three months ago, when some chap got shot.
Dame Marjorie Blenkinsop: Blenkinsop’s charming mother, the Dame is getting on in years and can be forgetful, but still likes to attend important social functions.
Harper Dinsdale: A stranger to most people here, Harper seems particularly interested in gambling and gamblers.
Ruby Lipgood: Young housewife Ruby lives in London with husband Lenny. Despite Lenny’s lowly job, Ruby always manages to dress very fashionably. No doubt she is good with money.
Lenny Lipgood: Lenny loves Ruby so much, it hurts – especially those who have to listen to him going on about it. He works nightshifts in a bottling factory.
Bellamy Bunting: Bellamy is the chief reporter on the Coddingham Gazette and wrote all the stories that appear on the front page of the latest issue.
Her Gracious, Glorious, Sublime Majesty, Queen Victoria: Our noble Queen. What an honour it would be if she accepted George’s invitation to attend this gathering.
Humphrey Trippington: A member of the Royal Household staff who rarely leaves the Queen’s side. He always makes sure people behave properly in her presence.
Lady Masheter: Fifi Masheter is a society hostess and organised the recent gala dinner in London which Queen Victoria attended. Fifi is well known for her immense wealth and snobbery.
Lord Masheter: His Lordhip is the long-suffering husband of society hostess Fifi. She treats him worse than a dog. He seems to enjoy it.
Johnny Pigge: A surly, aggressive man who was clearly never taught good manners. No one knows why George invited him.
Reverend Oliver Twite: The local vicar. He often comes to call on George but has never yet been asked inside.
Pat Hartley: Patient and kind, local school teacher Pat does not need a cane to get the best out of pupils.
H. Mersey: Times journalist Mersey reports for the paper on crime and is always first with the top stories.
Sir Huxtable Ratliffe: Huxtable doesn’t take nonsense from anyone, least of all his son, Captain Ratliffe. He once thrashed his servant Gibbet within an inch of his life, just for being slow with the sherry.
Gibbet: Sir Huxtable’s manservant, Gibbet has worked for him for many years and has yet to receive a pay rise.
Dodger: Chirpy, cheeky young Dodger is the local grocer’s boy. He is often seen on his delivery bicycle, whistling at all the girls.
Shylock Nomes: Shylock claims to be the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character. Like Sherlock, Shylock has a brilliant mind which can unlock even the most challenging mystery.
Pfeiffer Pfifer: Friendly, courteous and hard-working, Pfeiffer is an academic based at the local University.
Maggie Struthers: Maggie’s darling husband died three months ago, at the gambling club where he worked. The police decided his death was suicide, but Maggie is far from convinced.
Alfred Smart: Owner of Le Monsignor, the club where Maggie Struthers’ husband died. George Sweet is a club member.
Gertrude Pendle: Gertrude is new in the area. Although fallen on hard times, she has the airs and graces of a very well-born lady.
Edward Pendle: Gertrude’s son Edward is a professional musician and composer. Firmly convinced of his own genius, he gets very impatient with those who don’t recognise it.
Marchmain Pierrot: One of life’s losers, Marchmain worked in a lowly position at Le Monsignor club for several years. In a lucky change of fortune, Marchmain has just been taken on by George as his “dresser”.
Sterling Verity: Local landowner Sterling is bossy, haughty, tactless and thoroughly unpleasant. It’s amazing what you can get away with when you are rich.
Rumbold McManaman: Rumbold is Sterling Verity’s neighbour. They have been feuding for many years, following a disagreement about a hedge. Anything Sterling can do, Rumbold can do better – including being obnoxious to everyone.
Game Running Order
Timings vary every time a game is played but allow yourselves about 3 hours if it’s happening over a meal. This sample running order gives a rough idea of what you might expect.
Before The Event
The organiser prints out all the necessary paperwork and gets the plot ready following our instructions. They also send out invites about a week in advance, using pages in the downloadable free intro.
Arrival & Introductions
The organiser has their own character to play and starts by welcoming everyone to the event. Character name badges and character envelopes are given out. If you’re having a meal, this section often happens over drinks beforehand.
The Game Unfolds
People open their envelopes, read the information inside and start playing.
New pieces of evidence – a Will, perhaps, or a Coroner’s Report – emerge and are read out to everyone. At this stage, people also busy themselves in small groups as they question and interact with each other in character. They may have secrets to conceal or reveal, items to buy or sell, people to find or avoid, information to obtain or share.
If you are having a meal, this section often happens after the first course is served and runs through till dessert.
Final Accusations & Reveal
Everyone gets the opportunity to make their accusations. Usually, they do so in teams and agree on a team solution which they think best fits all the facts. A Team Spokesperson shares this publicly with everyone else then the police inspector reads out the correct solution. Prizes may be given out to the Best Team of Detectives, Best Actor and Best Costume. The murderer is arrested.
Almost the end, but not quite… Before leaving, people often talk over what they did during the game, what scrapes their character got into, how they interacted with others. Big secrets and funny things that happened can at last be shared and discussed.
Age Rating
Because this is a murder mystery, the characters in it are often guilty of behaving badly. They may lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, be rude about the Queen. They might even commit murder.
While what they do is scurrilous, we don’t believe it will cause any major offence to those taking part. However, our plots are primarily aimed at adults. We therefore consider this game suitable for those aged 12+.
Occasions
Our games are perfect for every kind of party, social event and business function. They work brilliantly for private dinner parties, company team-building events, fundraisers, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, stag dos, hen dos. They bring people together and get them talking and having fun.
Costumes
People don’t have to dress up in fancy dress for our murder mysteries. However, encouraging guests to do so will add a lot to the fun. Getting them to wear what they think their character might wear also means you’re sure to end up with some amazing photos.
Useful links for costumes
The Cutter’s Guide is a magnificent free resource full of pictures and information about
what people wore when. Be inspired!
Amazon, eBay and Etsy are all great online places to go looking for costumes you can
hire, make or buy.
Sewdirect is also somewhere we recommend visiting if you fancy having a go at making
your own costume.
Props
Some games have props in them which become part of the plot. In our Auction game, for instance, some “antique relics” are sold off during it.
Wherever a prop is needed in a plot, we’ll always make it available as a printable picture in the mystery pack you download when you buy the game. However, if you’d prefer to replace the print-out with a physical item, please feel free to do so.
Toy departments, fancy dress shops, prop hire stores – it’s amazing what you can find in them. And if you know anyone who has access to a 3D printer, get talking!
Useful links for props
Etsy for all kinds of new and second-hand items including props and costumes.
Leafnin Cosplay has some excellent advice on how to make props out of paper mache.
Paperwork
The game consists of various files and documents for you to print out. They include invitations, character information sheets, evidence reports (a Last Will and Testament, perhaps, and a Coroner’s Report) and paper representations of any physical props in the game.
Printer, etc.
A lot of what’s in this game can be screenshot online and sent to people as attachments.
However, things work better if you use a printer. Print out various documents from the PDF file you get when you buy the game. You then hand these documents out to guests while the game is taking place.
When getting the paperwork for the mystery ready using a printer, you will also need paper, envelopes, paper clips and scissors. The amount of printing varies and depends on how many of you there are. Expect to print out anything from 30 – 60 pages.
Names Badges
These can be printed out or made up. Advice on how to do so is included in the game. Also, Canva has some useful free online resources to help you create your own, personalised name badges.
Have Questions?
Whether you’re hosting a murder mystery for the first time or just want to make sure it’s the right fit for your group, our FAQ should cover what you need to know. From what’s included in the download to costume tips and group size flexibility, these answers will help you plan the perfect murder mystery night with confidence.
What’s included in the game download?
When you purchase our game, you’ll receive an email with a link and a password. This should be with you in hours but can take longer if the Internet is misbehaving. The download is a PDF with all the information you need on how to set up and run the mystery. A step-by-step guide on what to do before and during the game, notes for each character, clues and evidence to reveal throughout the evening, and a solution for the final reveal. It’s designed to be easy to follow, even for first-time hosts.
Is this a boxed game? Is it posted to me?
No, no, no, no and no! A downloadable, printable PDF document for you to print out and put together.
How many people can play, and what if my group size changes?
This game is designed for 14 to 40 players. Everyone has their own character to play. Some are essential, some aren’t. This allows you to adjust which characters you use if people drop out or are added later.
Can the organiser play the game, too?
Yes. There is a character for the organiser to play which allows them to be as involved as everyone else in the game. And they won’t find out who the murderer is till the end.
Can I run it over a meal?
Yes, but it’s not essential. It will run quicker without food. The key thing is to make sure people can circulate easily while the game is happening as well as enjoy their food.
What meal works best?
People sometimes hold our mysteries in grand settings with all kinds of exotic food being served. We reckon they work best, though, where the emphasis is on being relaxed and informal. A buffet or food that’s easy to share – these usually work better than a formal, sit-down meal.
Do players need to do or read anything in advance?
We recommend that they do. Everyone should receive an invitation before the event. This gives some background on the plot and tells them which character they will play. Reading it in advance helps create a buzz, allows people time to sort out costumes (if they want to) and means they’ll have less to read at the start of the game.
What does the organiser need to do in advance?
There are invites to put together and send out, character sheets to print out, plus items of evidence to get ready. It’s all clearly set out in a Step-by-Step guide which comes with the game.
How difficult is it?
The game is suitable for players of all experience levels. The information you need to solve the crime is freely available but can only be found by talking to others. The solution is logical and satisfying.
Can I customise it and make changes to it?
No, not really. Doing so may affect something vital in the game which won’t become clear until you play it. Also, the format you receive the game in prevents it from being edited.
Can I play the game virtually, online?
No. It’s designed to be played by everyone gathered together in the same space. Trying to include some players via video link won’t work, either. However, we do have two two games – Murder in the Red Room and The Chocolate Bar Mystery – which are meant to be played virtually online.
What should we wear?
Although this game is set in the present day, many hosts choose to set it in a specific era such as the 1920s, 1930s, or 1950s for a more immersive experience. Dressing up is optional but highly encouraged, and costumes add a lot of charm to the event. For ideas, you can check out the Cutter’s Guide or search online for themed fancy dress options.
How much space do I need to play this game?
Allow plenty of space for it. During it, even if it’s happening over a meal, people will want to be able to get out of their places easily so they can circulate and speak to lots of other people. Don’t cram everyone in round one table and make it hard for them to move around.
Will I need to make the room look different?
No. It’ll work in any kind of room as long as it’s big enough. Dressing yours up to suit the theme is a nice extra touch but – as with costumes and fancy dress – by no means essential.
Can I play the game again with a different group of people?
No. Buying it from us allows you to play it just once and within one year of purchase. If you do want to play it again, you’ll need to buy it again.
Troubleshooting
If you have trouble buying our mystery or don’t receive confirmation that you have bought it or aren’t able to download it, please go here to find help on what to do next.