TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF SUSPECTS - FOR THE HOST (INCLUDES REQUIRED VS. OPTIONAL DESIGNATIONS) 2 NAME TAGS 5 HOST INSTRUCTIONS 7 EXAMPLE TIME LINE FOR THIS MYSTERY PARTY 13 HELPFUL HINTS ON HOW TO PLAY A MYSTERY - GUESTS INSTRUCTIONS 14 OPTIONAL PRE-GAME STARTER ROUND 15 ROUND ONE 20 ROUND TWO - DO NOT VIEW THE CARDS IF YOU WANT A SURPRISE – REVEALS THE VICTIM 24 VICTIM SIGN (ROUND TWO) 29
FORENSIC ANALYSIS REPORT (ROUND TWO) 48 ROUND THREE – DO NOT VIEW THE CARDS IF YOU WANT A SURPRISE – REVEALS THE MURDERER 49 MENU SUGGESTIONS 53 BONUS ACTIVITIES 58 ANSWER KEY – DO NOT VIEW IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE MYSTERY A SURPRISE. 62 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – DOES NOT NEED TO BE PRINTED 63
SYNOPSIS
The Anonville Historical Society is hosting the annual masquerade charity event known as The Abby Manor Masquerade Ball. The estate, built in 1842,
requires constant maintenance and restoration due to the age of the property, and because it is the town of Anonville's treasured landmark.
This event is the talk of the town and attracts the most intriguing party guests. It will be an exciting evening full of glam and glitz as the guests reveal their
fabulous masquerade masks! You have purchased a ticket to the ball, and this is where your story begins...
LIST OF SUSPECTS - FOR THE HOST’S EYES ONLY 8 players are required (4F, 3M, 1either) & 10 optional (5F, 4M, 1either)
All costume suggestions are ‘masquerade formal’ and a masquerade mask. As an alternative, ask your guests to dress in normal cocktail party attire with a masquerade mask – or – let them pick a costume
true to their character! The sky’s the limit and there is no right or wrong way!
SUSPECT BRIEF BIO Yuna Verz
Astronaut
REQUIRED FEMALE
Yuna Verz is a seasoned astronaut who sincerely believes she has the highest IQ in the entire galaxy - and she might be right!
Nevertheless, you should watch out for this brainy diva, as she’s known to be grumpy if things don’t go her way.
Sherlock Tracy Homicide Detective
REQUIRED MALE
Sherlock Tracy is an infamous homicide detective. In recent years, he’s had a reality television crew following him around at the station
for his reality show, Big City Cops. The producers love it when Sherlock talks in clichés and performs rhymes, which he does
constantly! It makes for good television!
Dolly Dee Seiner
Doll Designer
REQUIRED FEMALE
Dolly Dee is the prim and proper doll designer and dedicated friend to everyone. If you need a shoulder to cry on, choose Dolly’s. She’s known for giving excellent advice and is the most comforting person around! She’s a talented designer, but the theme of her recent doll
line is raising eyebrows.
Mag Niffie Optometrist
REQUIRED FEMALE
Dr. Mag Niffie is the rudest optometrist in Anonville. Her address book is a barren wasteland, as she doesn’t have a true friend
besides Bameril Lacrosse. Mag’s a difficult person to get along with - but she is a fabulous eye doc, so her appointment calendar stays
booked.
Bameril Lacrosse
Celebrity Chef
REQUIRED MALE
Bameril Lacrosse is the quirky and skittish celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He’s best known for his
five-star restaurants in hot spots around the globe, and for the hit cooking show, The Essence of Bameril.
Jackey T. Pressen
Owner, Madison Dry Cleaners
REQUIRED EITHER
Jackey Pressen owns the only dry cleaning shop in town, Madison Dry Cleaners - lovingly named after Jackey’s first grade teacher, Martha Madison. Jackey is fun-loving, sentimental, and loves to dance - but lacks a shred of talent when it comes to cuttin’ a rug!
Cheque´ Penne
Banker
REQUIRED MALE
Originally hailing from France, Cheque´ Penne is a frugal personal banker at the First Bank of Anonville. Townsfolk often spread
strange rumors about him, since nobody truly knows the real Mr. Penne.
Pepper Keegrip is the neurotic television producer who sings her words instead of speaking them. She produces both Bameril
Lacrosse and Sherlock Tracy’s reality television shows, and is a stressed-out workaholic.
Blondie Fawn Hollywood Actress
Optional Female
Blondie Fawn cringes at the phrase has been, as her time’s up on the Hollywood scene. In her last movie, she played the role of a
grandmother, which killed her ego, as she’s only forty! This former star’s a tad delusional, so be careful what you say to her – drama is
her middle name.
Bryan Seafoam Radio DJ & Television Host
Optional Male
Bryan Seafoam is the outgoing radio disc jockey and host of the reality television show Big City Cops. Bryan’s charisma fills the room, but he’s got a bad habit of projecting his voice too loud!
Mike Robes Bioterrorism Researcher
Optional Male
Mike Robes is the inquisitive bioterrorism researcher. He’s invented mind-blowing bioterrorism counter devices that you’d never imagine
could exist! Some say he’s an utter genius! Mike can let his paranoia get the best of him, so while you’re around Mike, try to put
his thoughts at ease!
Bill Shananagan
NFL Coach
Optional Male
Bill Shananagan is the obnoxious National Football League coach of the Anonville Cheetahs. Bill is one of the best coaches in the
league, but has a difficult time leaving his coaching techniques on the field. Bill can be quite boorish and bossy in person!
Roxy Rich Heiress
Optional Female
As long as you don’t mind being judged, Roxy Rich is a good friend to have. An opinionated heiress, Roxy’s the biggest socialite in
town! She knows nearly everyone in the town of Anonville – including most of their secrets. Roxy can be a bit of a gossip at
times.
Luke Fude Food Inspector
Optional Male
Luke Fude is a hilarious guy. He’s a knee-slapping comedian by night and a serious-minded food inspector by day. Luke’s best pals
beg him to break into standup comedy, as he constantly makes everyone laugh.
Cha-Cha Merengue
Ballroom Dance Instructor
Optional Female
Cha-Cha is the beautiful ballroom dance instructor. She’s a little hyperactive, and rarely stands still—especially if there’s music
playing! This fiery instructor dances nonstop! Where does she get the energy?
Pawnie McQueen
Professional Chess Player
Optional Female
Pawnie McQueen is a professional chess player. This Queen of the Knights will tell you how it is with her blunt honesty! Some say she uses the candid approach to throw off her competitors. Since she
Jamie Bond is the mysterious secret agent. Jamie hails from Anonville, but moved away years ago after landing a job with the
government. Nobody knows who she works for, and she often travels with many of her colleagues.
*Can be expanded to up to 15 (M/F) characters.
Tele N. Ewe Investigative Field Reporter
Optional Either
Tele N. Ewe is the does what it takes investigative field reporter for CBC News. Tele is no stranger to the eye of a tornado, a foreign battle ground, and even a riot or two! Tele will do anything to get
the scoop! Sometimes, this ambitious journalist travels with a dedicated news crew - especially if there is a potential for a story to
break out. *Can be expanded to up to 15 (M/F) characters.
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
Get ready for an exciting murder mystery party! This party is an intriguing mystery game where the players act the roles of interesting personalities while sleuthing the captivating story line. This is an excellent choice for your next get together! PREPARING YOUR KIT: The party pack (this document) needs to be printed in advance of the party. Cut out the clue cards, slip them into envelopes labeled with the appropriate round and character for each round of the party. It is optimal to choose different colored envelopes for each round and you can purchase the exact amount needed for your game on the http://mymysteryparty.com/props/ site in the Mystery Prop Emporium section. For economy’s sake, an alternative is to scroll the clues and fasten with a ribbon. Be sure to label the outside of each scroll with the character/round. We demonstrate how to do this in our instructional videos at www.mymysteryparty.com/videos In these instructions, however, we will assume you are using the envelope method for each character, each round. GENERAL HOSTING: During the party, your job as the host player is to make sure the rounds flow properly. As the host, you may choose to play any character you wish – and we encourage our hosts to play the game! You will pass out the clue-containing envelopes to the guests at the appropriate times. Everyone will have a blast; the game’s story will unfold as it goes along. As the mystery progresses, check on your guests to see if they are discussing the clues / implementing any tasks on their clue cards. Encourage them to mingle with all of the other players, and to take their time and not rush anything. It’s all about gossiping and sharing secrets! They should speak to every other character once – if not twice – during each round. They are to ask questions, tell secrets, and have fun!
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
How to host a large game: >140 players. 23 unique, and the rest are on teams (see character list for details): • 18 unique players from the main game – this file • 5 unique players from expansion pack #1 (purchased separately) • Up to 15 duplicate Federal Agents led by Jamie Bond, Main Game. (this file) • Up to 15 duplicate Reporters led by Tele Ewe, Main Game. (this file) • Up to 15 duplicate Entourage Members led by Jon Volta, Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately. • Up to 15 duplicate Henselman Family Members, Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately. • Up to 15 duplicate Bodyguards led by Malev O. Lent, Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately. • Up to 15 duplicate Sous Chefs, led by Chef Ramsey Gordon Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately. • Up to 15 duplicate Anonville Historical Society Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately. • Up to 15 duplicate Anonville Police Officers Expansion Pack #1 – purchased separately.
OPTIONAL PROPS: We also offer mystery props on the My Mystery Party site in the Prop Emporium including a thunderstorm ambiance 10 minute sound wav to play in the background, crime scene barrier tape, crime scene balloons, mystery investigation pens, white face makeup for the victim, victim t-shirts, victim’s halo, chalk line body silhouette and even instrumental rap beats as a downloadable mp3 for the optional but highly suggested bonus game rap contest. We sell envelope packs in different colors for the 4 rounds. There is a ‘Do You Think You Can You Dance’ mp3 track for the Do You Think You Can Dance challenge as well. Feel free to set up a mock crime scene using the crime scene tape, body silhouette mat and evidence marker cards available at our prop store. However, only set up the crime scene after the victim is unveiled and do not use for sleuthing – it’s just for a fun effect and photo opportunity for your guests. GAME STRUCTURE: The game is organized into four rounds and is structured as follows:
these optional pre-game tasks are to be delivered to each guest before the party or OPTIONAL PRE-GAME TASKS: give them to the guests as they arrive. All pre-game materials are optional and do not alter the mystery and are intended to enhance the pre-game build up for the event. These tasks are not vital to solving the mystery and omission of them does not alter the mystery in any way. Also, encourage your guests to view the Your Mystery Party http://yourmysteryparty.com/abby website to get them excited about your game (this has shown to decrease the amount of no-shows to your party).
Deliver these clues as your guests arrive. APPETIZER (COCKTAILS 4 ADULTS) HOUR / ROUND ONE: Deliver these clues while you serve dinner (optional) to your guests. DINNER HOUR / ROUND TWO:
Deliver these clues with coffee/hot cocoa and dessert. DESSERT, AND THE BIG REVEAL/ SOLUTION ROUND THREE:
Note: you do NOT have to serve dinner, this is only suggested and the instructions tell you ‘when’ to serve it and what to do around the time you serve it. You also do not have to serve dessert – again, it is only a suggestion. You can simply skip both without a problem and just serve snacks/appetizers the entire time.
For further questions, check out our FAQ web page at http://mymysteryparty.com/how-to-host-faq/ If your question is not listed in our FAQ, contact us at the email addresses below.
For more information on how to host, here are some helpful videos and articles for you to view (click on the following links):
• How to Host a Murder Mystery Party Instructional Video • How to Plan a Murder Mystery Party Instructional Video • How to Host in Ten Easy Steps Article • How to Host a Phenomenal Event Article
ASSIGNING CHARACTERS: you assign the character roles – do not send your guests the invites or link to the guest pre-game site and have them choose their characters. This is far too much work, confusing for everyone, and nearly impossible for them to all choose a separate character and fill in your required player spots. You assign the players from the host character list in this file. First, fill in your required spots with your most outgoing and dependable players. Then, use the optional players in any combination. They won’t know they were optional, however, so no worries. If you have time, it’s great to send a ‘save the date’ email/card at least a month prior to your party. That way, you can see if your intended date will work for you to have enough players. No time for that? No problem! Just text your closest invitees and ensure they’re able to attend so you can assign them to a required player. If you are hosting this for an event and will not be familiar with the guests, you will likely have enough players to play, so this is a moot point, as well. INVITING GUESTS: Before the party, encourage your guests to view this mystery on the guest invite site at http://yourmysteryparty.com/abby website and use the My Mystery Party invitations as they have each of the characters included. This way, before the party, they can get familiar with their character they are to play at the party. The invitations are located on the page where you purchased this game – click on the link that says ‘free, printable invitation’ to download. Using the Your Mystery Party site and doing the pre-game tasks in advance of the game have shown to reduce ‘no-shows’ to the party. The free, downloadable invitation is among the files you can download with your purchase. They are also located http://mymysteryparty.com/abby-manor-masquerade-ball-murder-mystery/ Scroll to the center of the page under the helpful links section and click on the link that says ‘free, downloadable invitation’ to download the PDF file. Important – you must first save to your hard drive. Reopen with the most current version of Adobe Reader or you may face issues. If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can use the text fields - fill in your information in the text fields and either print or save to your hard drive. You can email these invites to your guests to save paper costs. You will need to enter your information in the text field and save one on your hard drive for each player, changing the character to be played on each invitation.
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
DÉCOR: The party area is set in a ballroom in the historical Abby Manor in the fictional town of Anonville. You can’t have enough candles (LED preferred so you don’t have to worry about safety), candelabras and cobwebs! Create a masquerade ball ambiance with a Phantom of the Opera soundtrack CD playing softly and the Phantom of the Opera movie playing in the background without the audio if there is a television in the party room. Make a DVD of pictures of you and your guest to play like a slideshow during your party (optional). Great colors for a masquerade ball are majestic purple and gold, or maybe a royal red theme. All senses come into play with your guests during the party – sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound – so you want to aim to captivate all senses so your guests have a memorable time. Remember that food should be part of the décor, so make it appetizing! We have a dedicated Pinterest Page with more DIY party ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/mymysteryparty/murder-at-the-abby-manor-masquerade-ball-murder-my/ GUEST ARRIVAL: Cocktails for the adults and fun party drinks for the teens along with appetizers can be served and a round one envelope should be handed to each guest. Make sure the guests’ instructions and the character descriptions (i.e. suspect list) are available for the guests to review as they trickle into the party. Once everybody arrives, formally go over the guest instructions. Keep the prepared round cards handy, as you’ll be passing them out to progress the game. You can also creatively display the clue-containing envelopes on a table for the guests to locate their own character names. Don’t forget to take both individual pictures of your guests… but also a group picture once everyone arrives - they’ll all want copies of these!
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
ACCUSATIONS: after you collect the mystery investigation sheets, allow the guests to one-by-one accuse who they believe the murderer is and how they did it. Instruct them to also tell the group their guess of the murderer‘s motive. If you are having an awards ceremony using the awards certificates available on the My Mystery Party site in the mystery props section, you can use this round as the final decision maker on the best actor/actress award.
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
7:00 PM: Guests arrive, have their pictures made and enjoy appetizers. Have the guest instructions, and a
character list available for the guests to view.
7:10 PM: The host goes over the instructions for the mystery game. It is optional to have each character
stand up and introduce themselves to the group. You can play the game trailer video for an introduction.
There are also fun news articles on the Your Mystery Party page that you can print and display.
7:20 PM: The Round One envelopes are handed out. The guests mingle and discuss the clues on their clue
cards. Motives for murder will start to unfold during this round.
7:50 PM: An optional bonus game is played.
8:05 PM: Dinner is served. (Dinner is optional – appetizers / snacks can be served throughout the party instead of
serving a formal dinner.)
8:45 PM: Round Two envelopes are handed out, and the guests mingle about with their pre-murder clues.
9:05 PM: The victim is revealed and the investigation of the crime begins. The mystery investigation sheets &
a writing utensil are handed to each guest. The guests discuss their post-murder clues and investigate the
crime by interrogating each other in private / semi-private conversations. Each guest should speak to every
other guests at least once.
9:15 PM: The forensic report is revealed. The guests review it and finalize their best guess of whodunit.
9:20 PM The investigation sheets (guesses of whodunit) are turned in to the host, and the host allows the
guests to one at a time accuse who they believe did it.
9:30 PM: Dessert and coffee (both optional) are served and the Round Three envelopes are handed out to the
guests. The guests sit in a circle and one-by-one, the solutions are revealed by each suspect and the murderer
confesses at the end.
9:50 PM: Allow time for the guests to mingle at the end to discuss the mystery. If you only had the required
players read their solutions, use this time for your guests to mingle & share their solutions to the mystery. You
can use this time to get ready for the awards ceremony (optional).
10:00 PM: Now it would be time for an optional awards ceremony &/or even a bonus game! *Please note: if you want to shorten the mystery party, omit the bonus games, don’t stop for dinner and simply serve appetizers/snacks throughout, omit the accusation round &/or the awards ceremony. If you wish to extend the length of the party, simply add more bonus games! We hope you have a blast at your party. If you post pics and a testimonial on our Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/MyMysteryParty, we will issue you a loyalty coupon code for your next party!
NEW: on Twitter, tell your guests to use #AbbyManorMurder to tweet about your party! But please, no spoilers ;-) Spoilers include any picture or text of who the victim / murderer are – please don’t
HELPFUL HINTS FOR THE GUESTS HOW TO PLAY A MYSTERY PARTY:
You are about to enjoy three rounds of game play. Each round, you will receive an envelope with a card containing the information you need to play the role of your
character.
Full instructions are included in the purchased game.
Character H OPTIONAL - FOR SOME PRE-PARTY FUN, CONTACT THE FOLLOWING GUESTS BEFORE THE MASQUERADE BALL: Contact the guest playing your cousin (Character Y) and ask him/her to drop the lawsuit over your late grandmother’s estate. The lawyer’s fees are getting expensive. Eventually, both of you will spend more than the amount you are fighting over! (Contact info :______________________________) Contact the guest playing Character O and ask if s/he is coming to the masquerade ball to scoop a story or to finally get out and socialize. Life shouldn’t be all work and no play! (Contact info :______________________________) Contact the guest playing Character W and say you heard about the anxiety detector s/he invented. That’s crazy that a tiny machine can tell you who is acting nervous in the room. (Contact info :______________________________)
Each player will have an optional pre-game
task card in the purchased game.
Names and gender references have been removed to minimize
– cut out, slip into envelopes and label with the character and round.
Character E– ROUND ONE CLUES TO REVEAL DURING THIS ROUND
• Talk to Character I about his/ her next space mission. You are not certain, but you think your supervisors are trying to seal the deal on you riding along on the next launch. You’ve undergone aeronautical training for about two months. You have a few more months to go. You never imagined that just taking a ride up in space takes so much training and acclimatization beforehand! You’re unable to discuss the details of why you might be along for the mission, however.
• Character T is a corrupt police officer. Your agency is seeking any information possible about her/his work ethic. If anyone has any further information on Character T, you’d appreciate it.
• You’re suspicious of the designs of the new Barbara Dolls by Batel Toys. You’re unsure, but you might be on to something with the most recent dolls released by Character S.
• Speak to Character B about the trouble s/he is having at work. You’ve overheard some people speaking about how their bank accounts are ‘off,’ and s/he is their banker.
PERSONAL CLUES TO CONCEAL • You don’t trust anyone besides your partners. • You are an FBI agent. You are in Anonville working on
a few cases – there are many scandalous people living here. They sent you because you’re from here and know people.
Each player will have a round one card in the purchased game.
– Cut out the clue cards, slip into envelopes and label with the character and round.
Each player will have a round two clue card
in the purchased game. Names and
some gender references have been removed to minimize
spoilers.
Character Y – ROUND TWO PRE-MURDER CLUES: • You’ve been stewing about this, so confront Character
L about the time in high school when s/he played against you in the Anonville Chess Tournament. His/her coach instructed every move via signals, and your coach caught it all on film. S/he is very lucky s/he quit the high school chess club because you were going to have her/him thrown out!
• Tell Character M s/he shouldn’t accept all of these negative comments about Madison Dry Cleaners. S/he should get a lawyer and sue everyone who spreads lies about the quality and service of his/her business!
• Ask Character B about what s/he ever saw in Character P—s/he is vile! Character P is a big chess cheater!
POST-MURDER CLUES: The ballroom is where the main party area is, and
some people left the room during the time of the murder.
You never left the ballroom tonight. Character S left the ballroom for a period of time. Character V left the ballroom at least once. The one with the largest motive is most likely the
murderer. The body was discovered in the study, which is
adjacent to the party room (ballroom). Unless the victim died of poisoning, the murderer wasn’t in the ballroom at the time of the murder.
THE FORENSIC EXAMINATION REPORT: Cut it out and slip it in an envelope for Round Two. Note: for adults, you can call this a champagne bottle. For minors, call it apple cider or non-alcoholic champagne bottle – it doesn’t make a difference.
THIS PAGE DOES NOT NEED TO BE PRINTED. THIS IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
HELPFUL LINKS: • The Your Mystery Party guest invite site for this game is at the following web address:
http://yourmysteryparty.com/abby (Note: you’ll have a different link if you use an expansion pack.)
• Your downloadable invitation is located here (*the expansion pack file will have a different link to include the additional players): http://mymysteryparty.com/abby-manor-masquerade-ball-murder-mystery/
• Also, we have a helpful Pinterest page with fun, DIY party hosting tips:
https://www.pinterest.com/mymysteryparty/murder-at-the-abby-manor-masquerade-ball-murder-my/ • The YouTube game trailer for this game is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyrv0zmcir8 • Please follow us on Twitter: @mymysteryparty and use #abbymanormurder to post fun pics about your
game – please, no spoilers! And on Facebook: http://facebook.com/mymysteryparty
FF15BB
http://mymysteryparty.com/bon-blossman
For more party games, themes, etiquette, and more - check out the Official Party Host Handbook and the Official Halloween Party Host Handbook:
Books available on the My Mystery Party site as well as any online book retailers.
