New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Party Games

New Year's Eve murder mystery party games for 6 to 14 players: a penthouse gala, a honky-tonk rodeo ball or a Y2K bash. Play on phones or print.

Solve the case before the ball drops

A New Year's Eve party has a built-in deadline, so use it. In a New Year's Eve murder mystery, each guest plays a suspect, and the group has until the countdown to work out who did it. It gives the hours before midnight something better to do than watch the clock. We have three New Year's Eve games, each with a different party for your guests to dress for.

New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Party Games: The Games

Which New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Should You Host?

Murder at Midnight: black tie in the penthouse

A billionaire is poisoned during his midnight toast, in the ten seconds a power surge knocks out the cameras. Set in a glass-walled penthouse ballroom above a neon city, this is the glamorous choice for a dressed-up party. See Murder at Midnight.

Last Rodeo: boots and rhinestones

A beloved honky-tonk is holding its last New Year's Eve rodeo ball before it's bulldozed, and the ruthless buyer is found dead as the countdown begins. Pick this one for a louder, sillier night with a country-western dress code. See Last Rodeo.

Y2K Millennium Madness: party like it's 1999

It's New Year's Eve 1999 at a futuristic Los Angeles mansion, and a legendary music mogul is found dead as the year 2000 begins. Pick this one for a group that would love to dig out their '90s outfits. See Y2K Millennium Madness.

Timing Your Party Around Midnight

A game takes about two and a half hours, so plan backward from the countdown. Start around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. and you can hold the final accusations until just before midnight, then do the reveal and the toast together. Serve food between rounds, and keep the champagne for the end, when your guests finally know who to trust.

If you have guests arriving late from other plans, give them a character anyway. Late arrivals can catch up from their phone, and a suspect who turns up at 10:00 p.m. with no explanation is only going to make everyone more suspicious.

New Year's Eve 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.

What if we're hosting a big party?

In large group mode, some guests 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.

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 you can send invitations the same day.

Looking for more? See our Christmas murder mysteries or all our holiday murder mystery games.

Have a different theme in mind?

Any of our games can work for New Year's Eve with a change of costumes and decorations. Browse the full collection to find the story that fits your group.