How to host a Valentine's or Galentine's murder mystery

Choose how couples play: together or apart

Decide whether couples sit together or split up, and tell guests in the invitation. Both work, and they feel different.

Separate characters make for more suspicion. Partners get their own secrets and goals, and the fun is watching your date accuse you. Playing as a pair makes for a gentler night, with each couple sharing a booklet and whispering theories.

Each guest gets their own character booklet in the kit, so splitting couples is the default. If you prefer pairs, set the player count to the number of couples, so each pair shares one character and one booklet, and ask them not to show it to the room.

Group sizes: even numbers, and what to do with odd ones

Couples' nights usually land on an even number, such as 6, 8, 10 or 12 players. The kit is written for the exact headcount, so there are no spare or filler characters.

If you have an odd number, nothing breaks. Four couples plus a friend is a nine-player game, and the kit is written for nine. A single guest gets a character as important as anyone else's.

A date night for two does not work, since the minimum is 4 players. Double date with another couple and the kit fits.

• 4 players: two couples, a double date.
• 6 to 8 players: three or four couples, or a group of friends.
• 10 to 12 players: a bigger dinner party with couples and singles mixed.

Keep it romantic and mysterious

Set the mood with candles, a playlist and a dinner you can cook ahead. A Classic game runs two to three hours across three rounds and sits nicely around a long, slow meal.

Dress up from what you own. A suit jacket, a dress, red lipstick or a scarf make a good costume. Booklets can go out one to two weeks ahead so guests can plan outfits.

Tone matters here. Campy is fun and playful. Dramatic suits couples who like a darker, moodier evening. Ask each guest for a first name and one detail, and the story will tease the room affectionately.

Galentine's, singles and mixed groups

A Galentine's night is a normal murder mystery with a friend group. Pick a theme with some glamour, add each friend's name and a detail, and the kit does the rest.

Singles are never extra. Everyone is a suspect with a real role, so a mixed table of couples and singles plays just as well as a table of pairs.

If you want more personal touches, the premium kit ($29.99) adds a painted portrait of every character, inside jokes and a personal subplot for each guest.

Themes that fit

• Valentine's Day Dinner: Roses, rivals and a matchmaker whose last match was fatal. It is written for the holiday, and it works for couples and for Galentine's. Create this one
• Venetian Masquerade Ball: Masks, gowns and secrets behind every face. It is a glamorous, romantic setting, and masks are an easy costume. Create this one
• Hollywood Premiere: Red carpets and rivalries suit a dress-up night out, and it works well for a Galentine's group. Create this one

Questions hosts ask