Murder Aboard – Murder Mystery Game
$37.99
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Death strikes on the ocean wave in this mystery set aboard a luxury yacht.
Setting: Rich and powerful guests – duchesses, lords, movie stars, and millionaires – are mingling aboard the luxurious yacht Dolphin. But their glamorous voyage takes a dark turn when an elderly passenger mysteriously falls overboard. First Officer McTavish heroically saves him, but what seemed like a drunken accident now looks like something more sinister.
Plot: Someone on board has dangerous intentions, and on a yacht in the middle of the ocean, there’s nowhere to run. The tension casts a shadow over the grand party about to take place. But surely, with so many people around, everyone is safe… or are they?
Characters: Inspector Darling of Scotland Yard is determined to keep the guests alive long enough to reach shore. But solving the case isn’t the only challenge. Every passenger has their own secrets and personal goals. Who’s drowning in gambling debt? Is everyone as wealthy as they claim? And, just in case, are there enough lifebelts for everyone?
Time Period: Step aboard Dolphin for a thrilling mix of romance, blackmail, and intrigue. The seas are rough, and murder is in the air…
Although this plot is set in the modern day, it isn’t hard to make it work for different eras, too. It has a very period feel to it. Pretending it’s happening in the 1920s, 1930s works fine, too. Or any other time in which you might find the super-rich having fun aboard a luxury yacht.
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 the ship’s crew (Captain, First Officer, Entertainments Officer, etc.) and the passengers (a movie star, a honeymoon couple, a Lady, a birdwatcher, etc.). They all have different information and personalities and different reasons for being onboard.
A Character Selection Guide comes with the game. This guides you on who to keep and who to drop. One person gets to play two characters!
Dee Bartholomew: The Entertainments Officer aboard the Dolphin, Dee creates laughter and good times all over the ship and regularly pulls people out of their deck chairs to include them in some fun-packed activity.
Major Batty: This frail old chap has become a fixture in the bar where he regales fellow passengers for hours with tales of army life. He is currently recovering from his dramatic plunge overboard.
First Officer Robert McTavish: Dashing Robert is a real hit with the ladies and, following his brave rescue of Major Batty from the sea, is now everyone’s hero.
Hilary Hughes: Wealthy Hilary is the brains behind Underwarm, a company which makes underwear which is both stylish and practical. Financial success, says Hilary, is down to ‘having just one good idea’.
Inspector Darling: The inspector was enjoying a well-earned break from crime-solving on this trip but duty now calls and Darling is ready.
Winona Fanini: Movie starlet and party girl Winona adds glamour everywhere she goes. She is relaxing away from her gruelling schedule of filming, drinking champagne and being temperamental.
Lady Brabbington de Whitter: Rarely absent from the gossip pages, Lady B. moves in the highest circles. She provides a great role model for young women who want to be famous without doing very much.
Captain Suffield: Captain of the good ship Dolphin, Suffield is a delightful old fellow. He does like the odd drink but this in no way impedes his ability to pilot the ship. The incident with the harbour wall when leaving the Bahamas was entirely down to bad luck.
Chris Turveydrop: Assistant Entertainments Manager Chris does everything that Dee can’t or won’t do. A versatile performer, Chris never misses an opportunity to do a song-and-dance routine.
The Countess of Barchester: Despite her supposed connections to royalty, Her Ladyship is very approachable – as long as people remember to curtsey and say ‘ma’am’ whenever they see her.
Jordan Jackson: Jordan is Winona Fanini’s personal manager and agent. Jordan has worked with all the greats in the business and is an inveterate name-dropper.
Barry Smiley: Newly married to Jenny, Barry is thoroughly enjoying his first cruise. Always outgoing and friendly, he is making the most of all the splendid entertainment facilities on the ship.
Jenny Smiley: Jenny is on honeymoon and is devoted to her new husband, Barry. She is still very excited about the wedding and the cry ‘I’m the bride!’ is often heard ringing around the ship.
Lee Ball: Lee is a keen birdwatcher and spends most of the trip with binoculars in hand, scanning the skyline. There was great excitement when Lee spotted an albatross. Until it turned out to be a soggy pile of newspapers.
Blair Pinkerton: The Dolphin still relies on ship telegrams for all its communications and shy Blair is the radio operator who sends them out and receives them.
Dr. Timbers: Ship’s doctor S.M. Timbers is rarely troubled by any medical emergencies on the Dolphin and prefers to spend time in the casino instead.
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
Many of the characters in this plot are bad people. They behave badly and at least one of them is a murderer. They lie, cheat, steal, blackmail, double cross and backstab.
Playing characters like these is great fun and we don’t believe what they get up to will offend anyone. However, because the content is primarily aimed at adults, we believe this plot is best suited to 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, charity 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 7 to 16 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?
Dressing up is optional but highly encouraged, and costumes add a lot of charm to the evening. Are you the ship’s captain? Ship’s doctor? Or a rich guest? Wear what you think your character would wear. 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.