''How to Host a Murder'' is a long-running series of boxed
murder mystery game
Murder mystery games are a genre of party games where one of the players is secretly playing a murderer, while the other players must determine who among them is the criminal. In some styles of game, the murderer may be aware that they are the ...
s published by
Decipher, Inc. Players take on the roles of
suspects after a
murder has occurred,
all attempting to expose which one of them is the murderer. The setting is supposed to be humorous, with players dressing in costumes and overacting their parts.
The first game in the series, ''The Watersdown Affair,'' was published in 1985. Sixteen other ''How to Host a Murder'' games have been published since, and the line has also spun off into lines like ''How to Host a Teen Mystery'', a single adult ''How to Host a Mystery'', the kids games ''How to Host a Kids Party'' & ''How to Host a Scavenger Hunt'', and the more romantically inclined ''How to Host a Romantic Evening''. The last release was in 2003, but Decipher announced in 2012 new material relating to the series would be appearing on their website, suggesting new releases may occur soon. Decipher's website was updated to announce that these new games would be coming in 2017.
Decipher announces howtohostamurder.com<
Retrieved 10 January 2018
Games
''How To Host a Murder'' Editions
''How To Host A Teen Mystery'' Editions
Reception
Creede Lambard reviewed ''The Watersdown Affair'' in ''Space Gamer
Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...
'' No. 76, and commented that "And the verdict? I cannot recommend this game highly enough. If your dinner parties are becoming a bit dull, or if you and seven or more of your friends want to have a great time one evening, buy ''The Watersdown Affair''."
Notes
References
{{Decipher, Inc.
Decipher, Inc. games
Live-action role-playing games