Playing together
A murder mystery game night with friends
Looking for a different kind of evening, during Ramadan or at the weekend? Solve a crime together.
October 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Why classic murder mystery parties often fall flat
In a classic murder mystery party, everyone gets a role, learns a script and acts. But most people don’t enjoy acting, and the evening stalls every time someone forgets their part.
In a case-file game nobody acts. You are all detectives looking at the same file: you read, you argue, you disagree, then everyone votes on the culprit.
How does an investigation room work?
- One person opens the case and creates a room, which gives them a 6-character code.
- They send the code or the link to their friends, who join from their phones without an account.
- Up to 6 detectives per room. Everyone sees who is reading which document.
- When one of you solves a puzzle, the new documents open for everyone.
- At the end everyone votes, then the host reveals the result to the whole room at once.
There is no chat in the room, on purpose: you talk around the table, or on a WhatsApp call if everyone is at home.
Tips for a Ramadan evening
- Start after tarawih and allow at least two hours.
- Split the documents: one person on statements, another on photos and plans, a third on messages.
- Take a big sheet of paper and draw a timeline of events.
- Don’t vote until everyone has explained their suspicions out loud.
- If the case runs long, stop and finish the next night: the room stays open.
A warm-up puzzle
Before the real case, try this one together. Who gets it first?
Small puzzle
The last piece of qalb el louz
After iftar, one piece of qalb el louz (an Algerian almond cake) was left on the tray. When their mother came back, the tray was empty. Three kids were in the room, and only one of them tells the truth.
- Amine: “Riad ate it.”
- Riad: “Amine is lying.”
- Sara: “I didn’t eat it.”
How much does it cost?
One purchase covers the whole group: the host buys the case and everyone else joins for free. Split the price and each share costs less than a coffee. The first case is free, so you can try a room without paying anything.