St. Cakes – Murder Mystery Game
$74.99
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English public school St. Cakes has seen better days. The only thing it’s now good at is being terrible at everything.
Setting: Every year on Founder’s Day, the staff and students of St. Cakes gather to honour Bishop Cakes, who founded the school in 930 A.D. It’s supposed to be a day of celebration, but things don’t always go as planned – especially for the headmaster!
Plot: Expect a mix of school nostalgia with a touch of Hogwarts and St. Trinian’s. And be prepared — things are never quite what they seem at St. Cakes!
At the end of the event, accusations fly, the murderer is revealed, and the best song is chosen. The whole experience lasts about 3 hours and can be part of a meal or a standalone event. Fancy dress is optional, but it definitely adds to the fun.
Characters: Everyone attending is assigned to a team or “house” and may even get to play a special character, like the ambitious Head Girl Charlotte Lemon or the dull but well-meaning science teacher, Ernest Stevens. And there’s a twist. Someone in the group is a murderer! The different houses compete to figure out who it is while also taking on a special “St. Cakes Challenge,” which includes writing a new school song.
Time Period: There’s nothing modern about St. Cakes school. Its traditions and teaching methods are firmly stuck in the past. As a result, this is a murder mystery which works best when it’s set in the present day but can work for other times, too.
For instance, you might choose the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s or whenever you were at school. Just let everyone at your party know which period you’ve selected and warn them to disregard any modern references within the story.
How the Game Works
Some guests have named characters to play in this plot. One of them is, of course, the murderer. Everyone else still has plenty of ways to get involved as a pupil or teacher. Each has a team or “house” to which they belong. Different teams have different bits of information about what has been going on. Talking to people, finding out what they know, trading clues – this is how teams can unlock the mystery. Some clues are more important than others. Some secrets are harder to uncover than others. But the plot is not just about solving a crime. We give the “houses” other challenges to tackle, too. Including coming up with a new school song!
Character Roles & Participation
This game has 8 characters in it for guests to play. Each may be a suspect in a murder. All are either pupils or teachers at the school or members of its staff. They are:
Clovis Boreham: The school secretary
Kendal Pilkington: The school bursar
Raymond Ashmole: The headmaster
Nancy Ashmole: The headmaster’s wife and head of music
Grant Browning : The headboy
Charlotte Lemon : The head girl
Ernest Stevens : Head of science
Fifi Stevens : Teaches French and life skills. Ernest’s wife.
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 to those also playing characters.
Those who don’t have named characters to play are put into different “houses” (teams).
If you’re having a meal, this section often happens over drinks beforehand.
The Game Unfolds
The headmaster makes a short speech boasting about the school’s achievements. As it finishes, someone lies dead on the floor. The organiser explains to everyone what will happen next. Envelopes are given to each team. The information and instructions inside are shared out and the investigation gets underway.
A police inspector arrives, takes over and helps each team pursue their own enquiries. Some clues are on slips of paper which teams trade with each other. Others are uncovered by questioning the key suspects. New evidence emerges and is shared with everyone by the Inspector.
While this is going on, teams also have two other assignments: completing the St. Cakes School Challenge (a collection of riddles and puzzles of the sort a school like this might set its pupils); writing a new school song.
If you are having a meal, this section often happens after the first course is served and runs through till dessert.
Final Accusations & Reveal
Another tragic event happens then, somewhat bizarrely, teams get the chance to perform their new school song to everyone else. A winner is declared.
Next, people decide who they want to accuse, This is also done in teams. Then the police inspector reads out the only and only correct solution. Prizes may be given out to the Best Team of Detectives and Best Actor. 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 set in a school, you may be tempted to run it at a school. Or for young people or as a charity fundraiser. If you do so, please be aware that the teachers and pupils at St. Cakes do many things they really, really shouldn’t. Pupils fancy some of the teachers and teachers fancy some of the pupils. Their behaviour is terrible and sets a very bad example.
If anyone is likely to be upset or offended by this, don’t choose this plot. If not, bear in mind that nothing is taken too seriously and the main purpose of the game is for those playing it to have fun. Even so, because of how some of the characters behave, we consider it best suited to those aged 15+.
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
This plot lends itself particularly well to people wearing fancy dress. Old school ties and old school uniforms are regularly worn for it.
People don’t have to dress up but encouraging them to do so will add a lot to the fun. Getting them to wear what they think those in this plot 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
If a prop is easy for you to provide – a drink or a sweet, for instance – we’ll include it on the checklist and expect you to provide it. Some props – e.g. blood – may be optional. For anything else, we’ll make it available as a printable picture in the mystery pack you download when you buy the game.
Feel free, too, to add props which will help set the scene for you. 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 (e.g. a Coroner’s Report), the solution and instructions for the organiser to read out publicly.
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
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 40 to 200 players. If numbers drop below 40, you should still be OK providing you stick with putting people into at least 5 teams. 8 people have characters to play. If any of them drop out, you will need to replace them.
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 (if there is one for them). 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?
This game is set in a traditional English school. Dressing up is optional but highly encouraged, and costumes add a lot of charm to the event.
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. Also, because it’s played in teams, allow a different table for each team.
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.