What is in a murder mystery party kit?
A Gather & Gasp kit has a host guide, one character booklet per guest, name tags and table cards with QR codes, and accusation ballots, all as printable PDFs. It also includes party mode, which runs the evening on phones. Everything prints at home, and you can re-download it from your account anytime.
The printable kit
The kit is a set of printable PDFs. They are written together for your group, so the host guide, the booklets and the ballots all match.
- Host guide: overview and setting, character list, setup checklist, before-the-party steps, props and evidence setup when the story has props, a round-by-round guide, and the solution and reveal.
- Character booklets: one per guest, with backstory, secrets, goals and what to do each round.
- Name tags and table cards: each has a QR code that opens that guest's own character page on their phone.
- Accusation ballots: for the final vote.
Party mode
Party mode is the phone part of the kit. The host steps through the evening on their phone, and each guest's character page unlocks round by round, so nobody reads ahead. The QR codes on the name tags open a secure private link to each guest's page.
The reveal text is never sent to guests' phones, so the host reads the solution aloud at the end.
Printing, re-downloading and sending ahead
Everything prints at home on letter or A4 paper. Color looks best, but black and white works. Your kits stay in your account, so you can re-download them anytime and print as many copies as you need.
You can send the booklets to guests one to two weeks ahead so they have time to plan a costume. Remind them not to share their secrets.
The kit is the story and the materials. Food, drinks, costumes and decorations are yours to arrange, and the host guide lists any props the story calls for.
Standard or premium
Both kits include everything above, and both are written around your guests. Each guest gets a character with their name, and one thing you tell us about each person is woven into their character and the story. You can mark guests as he, she or they, and they are written that way.
A standard kit is $19.99. The premium kit is $29.99 and adds a painted portrait of every character, your inside jokes woven in as clue descriptions, quirks or plot points, and a personal subplot for each guest with callbacks to the others. A 3-kit bundle is $44.99.
See it before you buy
The free sample gives you a complete printable 6-player kit, "The Widow's Glass: A Hollowmere Hallowe'en", with no card needed. It is the quickest way to see the real pages. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee: if you are not happy with your kit, we fix it or refund you in full.
Themes that fit
- Haunted Gothic Mansion: A good first kit to look through: the story is easy to follow. Create this one
- Victorian Manor: A good match for the portraits in a premium kit: period characters look good painted. Create this one
Questions hosts ask
Do I need to print anything?
Yes. The host guide, booklets, name tags and table cards, and ballots print at home on letter or A4 paper. Party mode needs only phones.
Are props included?
The host guide covers props and evidence setup when the story has props. You gather or print what it lists.
How detailed is the host guide?
It covers setup, the characters, a round-by-round guide and the full solution. The host does not memorize anything, and most hosts read it through once.
Can I re-download or print extra copies?
Yes. Kits stay in your account to re-download anytime, and you can print as many copies as you need.
What is the difference between standard and premium?
Premium ($29.99) adds a painted portrait of every character, inside jokes woven in and a personal subplot for each guest. Standard is $19.99.
Build my kit
Written for your exact group, ready in about 20 minutes. Standard kit $19.99. Or see your own friends cast as suspects in the free sample first.