Christmas Murder Mystery Party Games

Christmas murder mystery party games for 6 to 14 players, including one set at an office holiday party. Play on phones or print, and start planning today.

For family dinners, friends and the office holiday party

Give this year's Christmas party a suspect at every place setting. In a Christmas murder mystery party, each guest plays a character with a secret and a reason to look guilty. Over dinner and drinks, your group trades accusations, follows the clues and votes on who did it. We have two Christmas games: one for a festive night with family and friends, and one made for the office holiday party.

Christmas Murder Mystery Party Games: The Games

More murder mystery games to explore

Want more choice? Every Host-Party game works for this occasion with a change of costumes and decorations. Browse all murder mystery games to find the story that fits your group.

How a murder mystery party works

  1. Pick a mystery and invite your guests. Choose a story that fits your group, then send invitations from your Game Room. Each guest gets a suspect to play, with a costume idea and their character background.
  2. Play through the rounds. Clues are revealed round by round, on guests' phones or as printed cards. Everyone questions each other, guards their own secrets and hunts for the killer.
  3. Accuse the killer and reveal the truth. Guests vote on who did it, then the host reveals the full solution. Everything you need is included, so even first-time hosts can run the night with ease.

Which Christmas Murder Mystery Should You Host?

The Grump Who Stole Christmas: for family and friends

The Hootown holiday gala at the Mount Crumpit Lodge promised festive cheer, until a shocking discovery put the town's most disliked mayor, Ebenezer Snoot, at the center of an investigation. This is the silly one, full of grudges, affairs and tinsel. Pick it if your group likes to laugh and ham it up. See The Grump Who Stole Christmas.

The Mandatory Holiday Mangle: for the office party

The annual party at Brickman's Paper & Staples is the usual mix of lukewarm appetizers and forced team-building, until the boss turns up dead. With the building locked down and the police stuck in a snowstorm, the staff have to dig through paper trails and expense reports to find the killer among them. Your coworkers already know how to play these roles. See The Mandatory Holiday Mangle.

Planning a Christmas Murder Mystery Party

Send invitations two to three weeks ahead, since December calendars fill fast. Assign characters when you send them, so guests have time to plan a costume. Serve the meal between rounds instead of stopping the game for it. A buffet or a few big platters leaves you free to run the party, and the night usually takes about two and a half hours.

You don't need decorations beyond the ones already up. Add a red-and-green dress code, or ask everyone to come in their ugliest holiday sweater over their costume.

Christmas Murder Mystery FAQs

How many people can play?

Each game plays with 6 to 14 players. Six characters are included, and you can add up to eight more.

Can we play at the office with a big team?

Yes. In large group mode, some people play the characters and everyone else joins detective teams, for up to 200 people. See murder mystery events for large groups for how it works and which license you need.

Is it suitable for kids?

Both Christmas games are written for adults. For a younger group, see our teen murder mystery games.

Do we need to print anything?

No. Guests see their characters and clues on their phones, and you run each round from the Game Room, with narrator audio and a TV mode. A printable kit is included if you prefer paper.

How soon can we start?

Right away. The game appears in My Games after checkout, so a last-minute party is still possible.

Looking for more? See all our holiday murder mystery games or our New Year's Eve murder mysteries.

Have a different theme in mind?

Any of our games can work for a holiday party with a change of costumes and decorations. Browse the full collection to find the story that fits your group.