Sit-down dinner

[ashleyginter]

I'm about to host the Four Deuces murder mystery party, but had two questions:

-I want to have a sit-down dinner, but am afraid of it becoming one big group discussion about what they just read in their confidential packages. Is there a way to have dinner sit-down, and still have people secretly sharing? Or should I have people read their confidential information and then mingle all after dinner?

-What are people supposed to discuss during the 3rd and final mingling? The first allows them to follow the instructions in their character booklets, the second share info from their confidential information, but the last just comes after murder and action cards? What's the focus of people's talking here, except to allow someone time to murder another character?

Everyone's excited about the party and I can't wait!

[2coolbaby]

It sounds to me as if you have played one of those murder mystery games that go in rounds. Our games are nothing like that. There is a lot more to the game then dropping clues and trying to solve the murder. Everyone has secrets, schemes and things to do. Things really get hopping AFTER dinner when people are free to start mingling. This is when they start using the information they have, try to get more information, question people, blackmail people, bribe people, steal from people, pursue their objectives and try to fulfill their ambitions.

This game cannot be played just sitting around a table all night. People need to be able to have very private conversations. Just think of this as being a normal party. People arrive, they greet each other and mingle just a little, they have dinner, then they mingle more. This is a normal party and will run like one. The difference is that people are playing characters during the whole night.