How to Host a Murder is a long-running series of boxed murder mystery games published by Decipher, Inc. Players take on the roles of suspects after a murder has occurred, all attempting to expose which one of them is the murderer. The setting is supposed to be humorous, with players dressing in costumes and overacting their parts.
The first game in the series, The Watersdown Affair, was published in 1985. Sixteen other How to Host a Murder games have been published since, and the line has also spun off into lines like How to Host a Teen Mystery, a single adult How to Host a Mystery, the kids games How to Host a Kids Party & How to Host a Scavenger Hunt, and the more romantically inclined How to Host a Romantic Evening. The last release was in 2003, but Decipher announced in 2012 new material relating to the series would be appearing on their website, suggesting new releases may occur soon. Decipher's website was updated to announce that these new games would be coming in 2017.Decipher announces howtohostamurder.com< Retrieved 10 January 2018
Games
How To Host a Murder Editions Episode numberName of episodeYear created 1The Watersdown Affair 1985 2Grapes of Frath 1985 3The Last Train From Paris 1985 4Archaeologically Speaking, it's The Pits (AKA Matter of Faxe) 1986 5The Chicago Caper 1985 6Hoo Hung Woo 1986 7The Class of '54 1987 8Power and Greede (AKA The Hollywood Premier) 1985 9The Duke's Descent 1990 10The Wall Street Scandal 1991 11Roman Ruins 1996 12The Good, The Bad, and The Guilty 1996 13The Tragical Mystery Tour 1998 14Maiming of the Shrew 2000 15Saturday Night Cleaver 2001 16An Affair to Dismember 2003 SpecialAll My Children 1991 SpecialStar Trek: The Next Generation 1992
How To Host A Teen Mystery Editions Episode numberName of episode 1Hot Times at Hollywood High 2Barbeque With a Vampire 3Roswell That Ends Well
Reception Creede Lambard reviewed The Watersdown Affair in Space Gamer No. 76, and commented that "And the verdict? I cannot recommend this game highly enough. If your dinner parties are becoming a bit dull, or if you and seven or more of your friends want to have a great time one evening, buy The Watersdown Affair."
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