DIY printable games
Best for confident hosts who want instant access, printable materials, and a complete mystery kit they can run at home, at a venue, or around the braai.
Murder mystery games for real people
Pick Your Poison.Printable murder mystery games
Explore original printable murder mystery games for 8 to 12 players, available worldwide with instant digital delivery through Etsy. Choose your theme, gather your suspects, and turn one ordinary evening into a gloriously suspicious one.
Established 2010
Original human-written mysteries
Secure checkout through Etsy
Instant digital delivery
Available worldwide
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How to choose your mystery
Start with the humans. Then pick the crime.
Some groups want silly accusations and easy hosting. Some want dark corners, tangled motives, and dramatic evidence. Start with player count, choose the vibe, then decide whether you want a DIY download, hosted support, or a custom world.
Hosted mystery experiences
Best for groups who want more support than an instant download. Choose hosted help when you want structure, character guidance, and someone else keeping the plot goblins in line.
Custom scripts
Best when the event needs to feel tailored to your team, theme, product launch, leadership offsite, or private joke archive. Deliciously specific, less template goblin.
Planning a bigger event?
Need this hosted, adapted, or custom-written?
If you are planning a corporate event, venue night, private celebration, or custom mystery experience, explore hosted murder mystery events and custom games before you choose your case file.
DIY game catalogue
Choose your printable game.
Use the filters to narrow the field. These are the DIY and enquiry-led catalogue titles. The Team Orange exclusive experiences have their own spotlight below the line.
Showing 34 DIY games
Instant download
8 players
A Marvellous Death
8 playersNoviceModern / TimelessCorporate-friendly
A comic-con Zombie Walk descends into panic when one of the undead collapses for real. Fandom rivalries, obsession, and costume-clad grudges surface as the crowd realises this death is no act.
Instant download
8 players
A Noble Scandal
8 playersTricky1920s
A polished 1920s manor dinner unravels when the Lord of the Manor is discovered in his study with an umbrella lodged in his back. Beneath impeccable manners lie family feuds and motives sharpened by inheritance and pride.
Instant download
8 players
A Recipe for Murder
8 playersTrickyModern / TimelessProudly African
A high-stakes South African cooking competition spirals out of control when a contestant mysteriously disappears before the final tasting. Rivalries simmer, tempers flare, and the truth behind the missing chef grows harder to swallow.
Instant download
10 players
An Electrifying Performance
10 playersNovice1980sCorporate-friendly
An 80s talent competition erupts into chaos when a contestant collapses mid-performance under the stage lights. Big hair, bigger egos, and fierce rivalries electrify the mystery.
Instant download
8 players
An Enchanted Nightmare
8 playersTrickyModern / TimelessLovers of Horror
A tense will-reading twists into a surreal nightmare when guests are drawn into an alternate realm where the family’s darkest secrets refuse to stay buried. Reality bends, loyalties warp, and every clue feels a little enchanted… or cursed.
Instant download
10 players
An Uninvited Guest
10 playersAdvancedModern / TimelessLovers of Horror
A brooding mansion’s dinner is disrupted by an unexpected visitor who brings more than rain on their coat. Shadows lengthen, alibis crumble, and supernatural whispers unsettle even the bravest guests.
Instant download
8 players
Arctic Psycho
8 playersNovice1980sLovers of HorrorPlay the Saga
A remote Arctic research station descends into paranoia when a team member is found dead in the frozen wasteland. Cut off from the world and surrounded by endless night, every crewmate carries a secret sharpened by isolation.
Instant download
8 players
Art of Civilised Bushwhacking
8 playersAdvanced1940s
A high-stakes 1940s poker game doubles as a covert spy operation, but the evening collapses when one of the players is found dead. Every bluff, alliance, and quiet glance becomes a clue in this Cold War game of deception.
Direct enquiry
8 players
Art of Civilised Bushwhacking — Singapore Edition
8 playersAdvanced1940s
In colonial-era Singapore, a high-stakes poker game masks a covert spy exchange until one player is discovered dead. Heat, intrigue, and shifting loyalties sharpen every hand dealt.
Instant download10 players
Asylum of Murder
10 playersNovice1920sLovers of Horror
At Bedlam Asylum in 1920s England, a controversial therapy session ends with one patient dead and every guest trapped in a straitjacket of suspicion. Eccentric characters, strange clues, and dark humour make this a deliciously odd mystery for hosts who want vintage drama with a gothic wink.
Instant download10 players
Big Apple, Shaken Not Stirred
10 playersNovice1960sCorporate-friendly
After a mission goes wrong at a top-secret lab, 007 is presumed dead and M gathers the usual suspects in New York to flush out a mole. Expect spy glamour, shaken martinis, Cold War cool, and guests who will absolutely enjoy looking suspicious in sunglasses.
Instant download
10 players
Black Gold: Rigged for Disaster
10 playersNoviceModern / TimelessCorporate-friendlyProudly African
An offshore African oil rig braces for inspection when a senior engineer is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Corporate pressure, clashing loyalties, and dangerous secrets churn beneath the surface.
Ask first
8 players
Black Pearls (Rewrite in Progress)
8 playersEasy1920sMurderless Plot
At a 1920s-themed charity auction hosted by a Chicago private school, a priceless necklace vanishes moments before bidding begins. With everyone holding the safe combination, the race is on to uncover who took the Black Pearls — and why — before the auction collapses.
Instant download
8 players
Death of a Cheerleader
8 playersNovice1990sCorporate-friendly
A 1990s high school is rocked when the star cheerleader is found dead on campus. Cliques close ranks, rumours spread, and teenage rivalries turn deadly serious.
Instant download
8 players
Fraud Most Foul (Main: Louisiana Edition)
8 playersTricky1920sCorporate-friendly
Just weeks after Diane’s staged funeral for an insurance scam, her real body is discovered in a lodge steam room. With her double-death exposed, everyone who knew her must confront what they truly stood to lose.
Direct enquiry
8 players
Fraud Most Foul — Shanghai Edition
8 playersTricky1920s
In 1920s Shanghai, Diane’s second death shocks those who believed her already buried. When her real body is uncovered in a bathhouse, suspicion spreads through a web of secrets and shifting alliances.
Instant download
8 players
Horrific Hieroglyphics
8 playersNovice1940sPlay the Saga
Fresh from celebrating a major discovery along the Nile, an archaeological team is stunned when death interrupts their triumph. Ancient warnings, rivalries, and buried truths mark the opening chapter of the Saga.
Instant download10 players
Murder on Safari
10 playersNovice1970sProudly African
On a luxurious 1970s safari, the British Ambassador is discovered dead in the conservatory with a Maasai spear in his back. Vintage travel glamour, colonial intrigue, and dangerous secrets turn the savannah sunset into a hunt for a killer hiding in plain sight.
Instant download
10 players
Murder on the River Styx
10 playersTrickyModern / TimelessLovers of Horror
Chaos grips the underworld when the ferryman of the River Styx is found murdered, leaving souls unable to pass on. Old grudges, forbidden bargains, and divine suspicion fuel this mythic investigation.
Instant download
8 players
No Parley for the Dead
8 playersNovice1800s Pirate AgeCorporate-friendly
A fragile pirate truce shatters when one of the crew is found dead and the parley broken. With treasure at stake, every buccaneer has reason to lie.
Instant download
10 players
On a Slippery Soap
10 playersAdvancedModern / Timeless
A soap opera set implodes when star diva Melody Chandler dies mysteriously during filming. Backstage rivalries, tangled scripts, and melodramatic grudges turn the studio canteen into a nest of suspicion.
Instant download
8 players
Raiders of the Golden Incan Tombs
8 playersNovice1970sCorporate-friendlyPlay the Saga
A daring expedition into ancient Incan territory takes a deadly turn when a shocking discovery halts the adventure. Ambition, rivalry, and long-buried secrets turn the treasure hunt into a race for the truth.
Instant download
8 players
Shipwrecked and Under Suspicion
8 playersNovice1800s MaritimeCorporate-friendlyProudly African
After a nineteenth-century voyage runs aground off the African coast, the survivors find themselves bound together by suspicion. With tensions rising and trust eroding, every castaway has something to hide.
Instant download
12 players
Taking Out the Trailer Trash
12 playersEasyModern / TimelessProudly African
A rowdy trailer park erupts into chaos when one of its residents turns up dead. With a large cast of loud personalities and tangled grudges, accusations fly faster than common sense.
Instant download
8 players
The Bloody Grail
8 playersNovice1950sPlay the Saga
A controversial relic draws scholars together, but intellectual rivalry turns deadly when one of them is killed. Obsession, theory, and ambition collide in this mid-century mystery.
Instant download
8 players
The Haunted Masquerade
8 playersNovice1920sLovers of Horror
A glamorous 1920s masquerade descends into fear when a guest is found dead behind the masks. Beneath the silk and champagne, something far darker stalks the ballroom.
Enquire first
8 players
The Pink Swan
8 playersNovice1920sCorporate-friendly
In a smoky 1920s revue bar, a performer’s death exposes mob ties, jealous ambition, and backstage betrayal. The spotlight hides more than it reveals.
Instant download
10 players
The Show Must Go On
10 playersTrickyModern / TimelessLovers of Horror
Guests are drawn into a chilling mystery when they become trapped in a moment from a century-old circus fire that was never solved. As the cursed Big Top relives its final night, clowns, performers, and spirits alike demand answers before the horror repeats itself forever.
Instant download
8 players
The Tokoloshe Murders
8 playersAdvancedModern / TimelessProudly AfricanLovers of Horror
A rural community is shaken when a death is linked to Tokoloshe legend. Fear, folklore, and family tension blur the line between superstition and human cruelty.
Instant download
10 players
The Unusual Suspects
10 playersAdvancedModern / Timeless
An animal sanctuary is thrown into crisis when one of its own is found dead. Ethics, rivalries, and hidden agendas complicate this advanced eco-mystery.
Instant download
8 players
Toxic Striptease — Hen Party Edition
8 playersEasyModern / Timeless
A glamorous hen night spirals out of control when secrets surface and tensions explode. Friendship, jealousy, and sharp tongues drive this high-energy mystery.
Instant download
10 players
Voodoo in the Big Easy
10 playersNovice1960sLovers of HorrorPlay the Saga
Mardi Gras celebrations grind to a halt when death strikes amid the music and masks. Jazz-soaked streets and old grudges frame this eerie chapter of the Saga.
Instant download
8 players
Wanted: Dead or Alive
8 playersTricky1800s Wild West
In a dusty frontier town, a tense standoff ends in death. Old feuds, outlaw justice, and survival instincts shape this Wild West mystery.
Instant download
10 players
Masked Massacre
10 playersNoviceModern / TimelessCorporate-friendly
Detectives arrive at a grisly crime scene where two bodies lie bearing identical wounds to the neck. As forensic teams work the house, suspects are gathered for questioning and a chilling pattern begins to emerge behind the mansion’s closed doors.
No games matched that filter. Try choosing a broader category.
Not sure which mystery fits your group?
Send your date, location, group size, and whether you want DIY, hosted, or custom. We will help you choose without making you interrogate the spreadsheet goblin.
Ready to buy? Etsy handles secure checkout and delivers the digital files directly after purchase.
Below the line
Team Orange exclusive experiences.
These two mysteries are not available as instant downloads. They are exclusive hosted experiences played through Team Orange, designed for groups who want the full event treatment rather than a DIY kit. Expect venue-ready drama, guided structure, and a mystery night that arrives with its own orange little glow of theatre.
How this works:
Choose one of the exclusive titles below, send an enquiry with your date, venue, and group size, and we will guide you to the correct booking route.
Team Orange exclusive
10 players
Mystery at the Salamander Hotel
10 playersTricky1920sTeam Orange ExclusiveProudly African
During the launch of the Salamander Wine Range, a ghostly figure appears in the ballroom and a celebration turns into something far less civilised. This exclusive Team Orange experience is made for guests who want wine-estate glamour, old secrets, and a haunting with excellent timing.
Team Orange exclusive
8 players
The Bank Heist
8 playersNovice1920sTeam Orange ExclusiveProudly African
An elegant evening at the renovated Reserve Bank turns deadly when the bank manager is found strangled in the vault, with diamonds and gold missing from the scene. This exclusive Team Orange experience is perfect for groups who want vintage style, high-stakes suspicion, and a crime scene with expensive taste.
Hosted and custom options
Want the mystery handled for you?
Beyond DIY games, we also offer hosted murder mystery events and original script writing for private parties, venues, corporate teams, launches, and year-end functions. Send your date, group size, location, and the kind of chaos you want, and we will point you to the right option.
Established 2010
Creator note
Original stories, written by hand.
Murder Mystery 101 has been creating original murder mystery games since 2010, long before the current AI boom. The stories, characters, clues, motives, alibis, and solutions were written by Lente Keyser, often first drafted with pen and paper before being typed into full game kits. Newer tools may occasionally help with grammar checks, formatting, or polish when older files are refreshed, but the plots, game logic, and deliciously suspicious humans are not AI-generated.
Free host resources
Hosting for the first time?
Download the no-panic hosting guide, detective cheat sheet, and printable awards pack to help your mystery night run smoothly from first accusation to final reveal.
Common questions
Before you invite the suspects...
How do I choose the right mystery?
Start with player count, then choose the theme your guests will enjoy most. If you are new to hosting, pick an Easy or Novice game and let the plot do the heavy lifting.
Do I need acting experience?
Not at all. Guests receive characters, motives, alibis, and secrets, but the games are unscripted. Participation matters more than performance, and enthusiastic nonsense is welcome at the table.
Do guests have to dress up?
No, but it is strongly encouraged. Costumes help guests remember who everyone is, make photos more fun, and give shy players an easy way into character.
Is there an age restriction?
Most murder mystery titles work best for ages 16 and up because the plots may include mature themes. For younger guests, choose a lighter or bloodless plot and use adult supervision.
How many people can play?
Most games are written for 8, 10, or 12 suspects. If you have a larger group, you can run multiple tables or use detective-style roles for extra guests who want to investigate without being suspects.
I have never hosted before. Will I cope?
Yes. The game kits are built for real hosts, not professional performers. You receive hosting guidance, character files, clues, and the solution so you can run the evening step by step. You can also use the free hosting tools for checklists, detective tips, and printable awards.
Will I know who the murderer is?
That is your choice. You can read the solution if you want to stay in control, or follow only the hosting instructions and discover the culprit with your guests.
Does each guest read from a script?
No. Guests do not read word-for-word scripts. They receive character information, secrets, motives, and alibis, then interact naturally as the accusations begin to fly.
What is included in a digital game?
A typical kit includes hosting instructions, the mystery solution, invitations, character descriptions, printable labels, clues, and evidence such as coroner or police-style reports.
Can I email invitations and character files?
Yes. The kits include digital files, so you can send invitations and character information to guests before the event.
Which games work for work events?
Look for the Corporate-friendly tag. These titles are usually easier to brief, easier to join, and better suited to mixed groups where not everyone wants maximum horror before pudding.
Can I use a game for a paid event or fundraiser?
For paid public events, venue nights, or fundraisers, please enquire first. Commercial and non-profit use may require a once-off licence or written permission.
Can I get a refund on a digital game?
Digital products are generally not refundable once downloaded, because the files cannot be returned. If something goes wrong with access or printing, get in touch so the issue can be checked.