How to host a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving murder mystery

Decide when you eat and when you play

Choose one of two simple schedules and tell guests which. Either works with a big meal.

Option one is dinner first. Everyone eats together, then you clear the table and play the rounds over pie and drinks. The mystery starts when people are relaxed and full.

Option two is dinner during the game. Open with round one, serve the meal, then play round two over it and finish with round three at dessert. Guests stay in character while they eat, which suits a table of talkers.

• A Quick game is one to two hours over two rounds, ideal if the meal is the main event.
• A Classic game is two to three hours over three rounds and the most popular.
• An Epic game is three to four hours over four rounds, best for a long afternoon.

Keep the cooking and the clean-up manageable

Make the host's job smaller by sharing the meal. Friendsgiving is already a potluck for most groups, so ask each guest to bring a dish. Use your own time for the turkey and the table.

The host guide is read once, and you do not need to memorize anything. Print the kit a day or two ahead and put the name tags and table cards out as place settings. Each carries a QR code that opens that guest's own character page.

Party mode lets you step through the game on your phone while you finish dessert. Each guest's page unlocks round by round, so nobody reads ahead during the meal.

Keep guests engaged between courses

Use the gaps in the meal for the rounds. While a casserole rests or pie cools, run a short discussion round. People talk, trade clues and hunt for the killer between bites.

Choose Casual or Standard difficulty. A big meal and good company make a complicated plot harder to follow, and a straightforward mystery lets everyone enjoy both.

For the tone, campy suits a warm, funny gathering. A family-style Thanksgiving setting has plenty of feuds to play with, with the will, the gravy and the seating plan all fair game.

Costumes, invitations and a few seasonal notes

Ask guests for autumn clothes they already own. Cardigans, flannel, scarves and a statement hat give a good costume with no shopping.

Send invitations three to four weeks ahead, since November fills up with travel and family plans. Booklets can go out one to two weeks before so guests can plan outfits; remind them to keep their secrets to themselves.

Add each guest's first name and one detail about them, such as the friend who always carves the turkey. The details stay affectionate, never embarrassing.

Themes that fit

• Thanksgiving Family Dinner: A family dinner where the gravy is passed and so is the blame. It suits Friendsgiving because the table is the setting. Create this one
• Vineyard Harvest Party: A harvest-time party with an autumn feel, good if you want food and wine at the center without a Thanksgiving story. Create this one
• Renaissance Banquet: A long feast table in a banquet hall, a natural match for a big meal that runs through the game. Create this one

Questions hosts ask