Game night
When friends become villains – that’s how much fun a crime dinner is
At a crime dinner at home, one of the players becomes the perpetrator. But who?
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Creative ideas for a game evening with friends and family provide variety. One of them is called: a crime dinner. You and your friends eat together, slip into different roles and solve a murder case.
Time with friends and family is valuable, you get together, talk, cook or play together. If the usual program is too boring for you, you can look for inspiration for new events. How about a crime dinner? Here you can find out what you need to know about grueling fun and which tips can be helpful to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
This is how a crime dinner works
A crime dinner is an original game night at home, in which hosts and guests do a role play. We also dine together, so that dinner and game merge. The exact sequence of a crime dinner varies depending on the chosen scenario, so no two games are the same in terms of content and you can play them again and again. As the host of a crime dinner, you take on the organization. All players only receive an invitation to dinner in advance. They find out what role they play in the game, receive suggestions for costumes and initial information on the murder case, as well as the time and place of the game evening. This means that the preparation effort is very low, because everyone does not receive the more detailed role books until the evening of the game. In the course of the evening, the criminal case unfolds gradually as the players start talking and reveal the background to each role. The investigation succeeds with the help of heated dialogues, hidden clues, tell-tale letters, shocking photos and mysterious documents.
Crime dinner: three ideas
Here you can find inspiration for three different scenarios.
1. “Murder by Prescription”
Five to seven players | from 16 years | three to four hours
It’s New Year’s Eve and a well-known celebrity chef has invited everyone to his elegant restaurant in the Alps to celebrate the New Year with the family. The chef wants to retire in the New Year and wants to announce his successor on the evening of the event. Not only are the chefs in the restaurant competing for the job, the family members also look suspicious when the celebrity chef is found dead on the terrace of the restaurant. The crime dinner “Murder by Prescription” is suitable for a number of players between five and seven and should last three to four hours.
2. “Deadly Alpenglow”
Six to eight players | from 16 years | three to four hours
Even at the crime dinner “Deadly Alpenglow” Another murderer sits at the table. As a player you will find yourself in the Allgäu. Franz’s body is found behind the stable. The large farmer Huber and his strikingly young wife are suspect. Just like other residents of the farm in the idyllic Alps. The criminal case is planned for six to eight players and should last between three to four hours.
3. “The Backstage Case”
Six to eight players | from 16 years | three to four hours
The thriller dinner is glamorous “Backstage” hence, because it takes the player into the dazzling world of the pop singer Miss Loco. The star is on a world tour and the opening concert is completely sold out. After the performance, however, the diva’s manager is found murdered, despite the strictly guarded backstage area. The artist’s companions such as lover Dizzy D or ex-boy band member Tom Crush are suspect. The role play requires six to eight players and three to four hours of playing time.
Three tips for a crime dinner at home
The following tips make the crime dinner even more entertaining and exciting.
- Dressing up is not an obligation, but advisable. In this way, every player can immerse himself better in his role and embody it authentically. The costumes do not have to be elaborate, a funny accessory such as a pearl necklace or a glued-on mustache is enough to set the mood.
- Digital edition: Crime dinners are also possible in times of avoidance of contact. An exciting evening can also be organized via video chat.
- Pay attention to that Number of players, which is intended for the crime dinner. In order for the game to be dynamic, you need a certain number of players. In most cases, an indication of the gender of the roles is also given. However, it does not matter which person you embody, men can take on female roles and vice versa.
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