T’was a death before Christmas
Every year in the small country village of Mid-Trimming the residents come together to sing carols through the village streets. At the end of their night of wassailing, tradition dictates that they all gather somewhere for a final Christmas party before the big day itself.
This year the carol singers descended on Mid-Trimming Manor, owned by the wealthy miser, Bob Scratchitt. Everyone was surprised when he agreed to play host, but they were even more amazed when he was discovered dead in his own lounge!
So much for being a season of goodwill and glad tidings; this Christmas it looks as though someone had some very ill will indeed! The question is: who?
Hire an actor to play the detective – prices start at £291 contact us for more information.
This Game is Rated:
Teen
What is included?
Example pre-printed boxed set
Character booklets/scripts
Inspector script with QR code to access audio
Instruction book
Decoration and recipe suggestions
Invitations
Character name Labels
Invitation envelopes
Reviews:
8 reviews for T’was a death before Christmas
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Sample
How it works:
Never hosted a murder mystery before?
Don’t panic! There is no special acting required. Guests do not need to memorise any information, and everything they need to play their parts is provided in a handy booklet. The games are constructed so that everyone has to interact, and scripted dialogues are included to help break the ice and get everyone into character. Even total novices get into the swing of things quite quickly!
The game includes both sound files (MP3 with a download or CD with a boxed set) and a script for the inspector character who provides the setting, clues, and summaries for each round, as well as the final solution. This means as host you too can play and remain completely in the dark as to the culprit, or play the inspector yourself and invite an extra guest to the party!
How does a “download and print at home” kit work?
Each “download and print at home” kit is provided as a zip file containing a set of PDF files for you to print at home, and a selection of MP3 files to use on the night.
Each dinner party game requires use of a printer and A4 paper (approx. 80 sheets for a 6 player kit – 240 sheets for a 20 player kit), envelopes so you can send out your invitations, and either a laptop or MP3 player (e.g. an ipod) to play the inspector MP3s; OR a CD burner so you can burn the MP3s onto a CD to run in an ordinary CD player.
When you order the game you’ll be sent a link to download the files you need. The file will be a zip file. This can be opened with a zip compatible program on your computer. If you struggle to open zip files – we can email you the game directly over several emails instead – just contact us after purchase to arrange this.
You will download the following files:
- How to use this game
- Instructions for running the murder mystery
- Making the most of your theme- ideas for decoration / activities.
- Invitations
- Character Booklets (available in single sided printer and double sided printer format)
- Scripted for the inspector character (available in single sided printer and double sided printer format)
- Solution script for the inspector character (needed when printing from the single sided copy)
- MP3 files for the inspector character (dialogue and solution)
- Hints and tips
- Recipe suggestions
- Money off voucher towards next purchase
How does a “Pre-printed box set” work?
This is the easiest way to play. Everything you need will arrive in a box, pre-printed, directly to your door.
You will receive through the post:
- Instruction booklet (includes hints and tips)
- Invitations and envelopes for all the guests
- Character booklets
- Link to the video files of the inspector – email us if you want MP3 after purchase – at the moment the site breaks the links if we link them on check out. Update pending!
- Inspector script in a sealed envelope so you don’t find out the solution by accident!
- Making the most of your theme and recipe suggestion booklet.
- Money off voucher towards next purchase (printed inside the booklets)
We always ship within 24 hours meaning orders arrive as quickly as possible.
As each game is printed on demand, we can also provide a customisation service on any order. See details further down the page on what we can do to tailor this game to your party.
Characters in the game:
Suspects:
Robin Redbreast – Retired teacher. (Gender Neutral)
Bookish, with half-moon specs and dark clothing, Robin Redbreast has a stern countenance and perfect pitch.
Jack Frost – Butcher. (Male)
Straight from work and still in his blue striped apron or white coat, Jack is burly, cheery and friendly and throws himself into any party.
Holly Reath – Postmistress. (Female)
Decked out in festive colours and a Santa hat, Holly is not as prickly a character as you might expect, though she does love to poke her nose in where she isn’t wanted.
Declan Halls – Baker. (Male)
A friend to all, Declan finished work early this afternoon and has come in his winter woollies, prepared to eat, drink and be merry.
Gaye Buntin – Newspaper shop owner. (Female)
Fond of bling and bright colours, Gaye just loves Christmas and really gets into the festive spirit with flashing earrings and reindeer antler headgear.
Chris Tingle- Grocer. (Gender Neutral)
Always armed with seasonal fruit as gifts, Chris Tingle is fond of Arran sweaters.
Customise this game
This game can be customised to fit your event for an additional fee.
It’s hard to give “ball park” figures for what different customisations would cost however we’ve attempted to HERE. Please do contact us for a free quote if you would like any customisations on your game before purchase.
Remember… if you just need 1 extra person, or 1 less person, why not have someone play the inspector role?
The inspector can usually be male or female as the “for real” inspector can simply invent a new name for themselves.
Some hosts prefer to play the inspector role as it means they can work on the catering while the round plays out amongst their guests.
Happy Customer –
My last guest just left and I had to write a review of ‘T’was a Death Before Christmas. We had a wonderful time. This is my second successful Red Herring Mystery Party. We play a variety of murder mystery games throughout the year and tonight was enjoyed by all. Though I purchased the 12 player game, 2 of my guests declined early enough that I was able to edit the party. With a little cutting and pasting, I was able to remake the booklets for 10 players. We had 11 total guests, with myself playing the role of the Inspector. In addition to the game, I also added a treasure hunt between rounds two and three. This was to give the guests a break from questioning each other and getting them up out of their chairs. I pretended the hunt was created by the victim and along with each clue to the next location, I left evidence about the suspects that he supposedly left for them to find. (I tend to read through the materials beforehand, so I knew all the answers to the game and used this to my advantage. I find this works better for me as a host). Knowing the answers, I also recreated the scene of the crime, with plenty of physical evidence to back up the clues written in the game. What I like most about Red Herring Games is they are so easy to use and you get so much in your packet. Not only do you get the game itself, but suggestions for decorating, recipes in keeping with the theme and tips to incorporate other games with your party. It couldn’t be easier and it’s a host’s dream. I had played plenty of Santa Claus/North Pole themed mysteries. This game was a humorous twist on the “Midsomer Murders” TV show. The characters are silly and quite fun to play. Since the cast is a nice mix of eccentric village personalities, costumes are easy to come by and playing your part is very easy. And this is a great game to play during the Christmas season. Plenty of seasonal themes run through the game and the scripted dialogue is quite funny. My guests were laughing and enjoying themselves. I decorate my home for Christmas in a big way, so by simply adding a murder mystery event helped to celebrate the holiday earlier in the month. I also filled stockings with candy and toys for each guest. What fun to see grown adults digging in to their toys. I even bought Christmas Themed Soap Bubbles and throughout the evening the room was filled with bubbles around the table. The game simply couldn’t have gone better. We got a late start (we decided to eat first) and so didn’t begin until 8 p.m. and wrapped up the case by 11:30 p.m. It was a good length and kept everyone interested without becoming dull. Out of ten guests 4 of them solved the crime completely. Everyone was able to figure out the method of murder, but only the four had the entire story correct. Even though this is a high number of people who figured it out, they were quite happy with it. We’ve played a few very complex games and they enjoyed this nice, lighthearted change of pace. I gave away a variety of Christmas gift baskets as prizes for the winning solutions, as well as best actor and best costume. (I got them at a great price). We just had a wonderful time, the games here at Red Herring are well made and are so easy to use, with plenty of extras. It all went so well I’m already up late at night planning our next party. Thank you!