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JESS’S MURDER MYSTERY HALLOWEEN PARTY: SLAUGHTER AT THE CIRCUS
EEK! Happy Halloween ya’ll! On Saturday the day had finally arrived when I would throwing a murder mystery party! I had always wanted to host one of these and Halloween seemed like the perfect excuse to get everyone together to play such a fun game! So a few months ago I started trawling through the web to find out everything I could about throwing a murder mystery party and how they worked! I knew everyone would be given characters and we would have to figure out who was the murderer!
I Looked through so many websites with murder mystery games that you could download and saw so many different themes, there a lot of 1920s, great Gatsby style games but it didn’t really feel like us and I wanted something that could actually be made a bit spooky! There was also Las Vegas style ones, hen party games, but nothing seemed to fit until I came across ‘Slaughter At The Circus!’ Perfect I thought, circus’s are super colourful and fun, plus the costumes could definitely be creepy! I bought this game, and while the graphics were absolutely shockingly terrible within the pack the whole storyline was there and looked like great fun! I redesigned the invitations, and decided which of my friends would work best playing each of the characters! There were clowns, fortune tellers, acrobats, a ring leader, a lion tamer and so much more to choose from and let me tell you, the girls did not disappoint! Everyone went to town on their costumes!
Obviously for me, one of the most important things of the night was the decorations, we decided to hold the party at my parents place since there would be more room for all of us and they have white walls everywhere! This was a huge space to fill though and the lighting down was also shocking as we found out once the party had commenced! ha!
I’m not exaggerating when I say I started my Pinterest board back in August for this haha I then narrowed it down to a list of decor that I wanted to make that could fill a big space, I decided I would take down the artwork on the walls and replace them with spooky canvases instead, so I painted one that said ‘WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW’ and another fortune teller type canvas to fit with the mystical side of the theme. I went to a bunch of local charity shops too and picked up any bottles that I thought would look cool distressed, the crystal decanters were from the charity shops too and I just used the Cricut machine to cut out some fun puns to stick on them!
Next it was time for the pumpkins! I think these are such a great and cheap way to add to the decor of the place, I just bought a bunch of them for under a tenner and painted them instead of carving them! I created 3 Tim Burton inspired pumpkins (see the tutorial here) see they look a bit circus-y, I spray painted some other pumpkins plain gold and lilac and left them as they were, others I used the Cricut again to stick on some fun vinyl slogans and for the small pumpkins I hand painted them in rainbow circus colours!
For the cocktails I decided to create 3 different drinks for the night, all vodka based. I named them all Halloween themed so we had ‘Vampires Kiss, Black Widow and Pina Ghouladas’. And of course I had to make a cute bar sign to go along side this! I used the same idea for our DIY Cocktail Menu sign, but painted the back of it gold and used the Cricut to cut out the drink names and ingredients in black vinyl.
I also put up our DIY Sugar Skull Wreath as part of the decorations, luckily my neighbour is an awesome baker so she made us some Halloween themed vegan cupcakes and I made a bunch of ‘Twisted Circus’ popcorn boxes out of paper and filled them with some popcorn for snacks! You probably spotted our DIY striped candles in their candelabras too! They were a great addition to the table and our styled areas, perfect for adding that pop of colour where things were looking a little too dark! The amazing Pinyatay sent us the awesome skull piñata as well! This was a custom design that she created for us and she has a bunch of amazing ones on her website too! (The rainbow is one of my faves)
To really create a big impact on the plain white walls I used the Cricut to cut out and giant and small stars out of colourful card and simply blue tacced them to the walls, I did the same with gold stars and black bats to make it a little more ‘spooky’, this was one of the easiest DIYs out of all of them because I just let the machine do the work cutting them all out while I cracked on with other things! I also printed out giant letters on plain white paper saying ‘A LITTLE PARTY NEVER KILLED NOBODY’ and again just blue tacced them to the walls with a few stars and bats around it! I thought it would be fun too to make some ‘wanted’ posters of each of us, since we were all suspects in the murder so naturally I trawled through Facebook trying to find the funniest/scariest photos of us all that I could use! The balloon garlands were probably my favourite part of the decorations, super easy to make too, I just followed our tutorial from earlier in the year using colourful and black balloons!
My character for the night was ‘Ermitrude, a smiling, too good to be true clown’, I wanted to find an outfit that I could preferably wear again so I opted for this awesome polka dot dress from Asos, I then added in clip in colourful extensions to my pigtails and of course, I turned to The Gypsy Shrine for glitter and gems for my face so that I could make a crazy colourful clown look!
And what’s a party without goodie bags am I right!? I decided to go really simple with these, so I bought some plain white paper bags from amazon and used a sharpie to draw on some ghosts faces! I then filled them with giant swirly lollipops and chocolates from Tiger, some Halloween themed socks and our DIY Halloween bath bombs (the perfect hangover cure if you ask me!)
I had THE BEST night, was so worth it! And now that it’s actually Halloween I’m going to spend the evening watching Stranger Things 2 on Netflix with a ridiculous amount of popcorn! I might even try and make some pumpkin katsu for dinner! What’s your plans on this hallow’s eve?! If you’re throwing a get together then don’t forget it’s not too late to download our printable Halloween Photo Booth props! And if you’d like to see more of our Halloween DIYs then click here! Happy Halloween ya’ll! xxx
SUPER SUPPLIERS:
Slaughter At The Circus Game: Merry Murder // Pumpkins: Tim Burton Inspired DIY // Cocktail menu: DIY here // Jess’s Dress: ASOS // Sugar Skull Wreath: DIY here // Striped candles: DIY here // Skull piñata: Pinyatay // Colourful stars: Made on Cricut Maker // Face gems and glitter: The Gypsy Shrine // Bats: Made on Cricut Maker // Bath bombs in goodie bags: DIY here // Pumpkin & Crystal bottle puns: Made on Cricut Maker // Balloon garlands: DIY here //
Tips for Planning a Murder Mystery Halloween Party All By Yourself!
Planning a murder mystery Halloween party is like solving a jigsaw puzzle, except you’re the one making the pieces. You want it to be thrilling, a little spooky, and, above all, unforgettable. So, let’s talk about how to orchestrate a night where your guests laugh, scream, and whisper in corners—possibly questioning who they can trust.
The first time I threw a murder mystery Halloween party, I thought, “How hard could it be? Just a little murder here, a touch of mystery there.” Spoiler alert: it’s both harder and more fun than it seems.
Crafting the Perfect Mystery
The murder mystery is the heart of the party, so get that right, and everything else falls into place—kind of like nailing the punchline in a joke. The plot should be layered. You don’t want the murder to be too easy to solve because, honestly, where’s the fun in that? But if it’s too complicated, your guests will zone out, wishing they were home eating leftover Halloween candy. It’s about striking a balance, like a good thriller where you can’t quite figure out who did it, but you’re having a blast guessing along the way.
What I’ve learned: steer clear of overly convoluted plots. One year, I went with a theme involving a cursed necklace, three suspects, and a 17th-century pirate backstory. It took me half the night to explain the rules. Keep it engaging, but simple enough that guests don’t need a detective degree to follow.
Costumes & Atmosphere
Here’s the thing: Halloween demands costumes, but a murder mystery Halloween party demands them with flair. People need to feel like they’re stepping into a world where danger is lurking, but so is ridiculousness. You want someone in a top hat, maybe someone else as a wicked ghost bride, and a few characters who are absolutely ridiculous—like a butcher who seems suspiciously cheerful. Think of the costumes as setting the mood: the weirder and more detailed, the better.
A friend of mine came dressed as an eccentric billionaire, complete with a monocle and a pet ferret (stuffed, thankfully). He was the prime suspect the entire night—not because of any clues, but because he looked guilty. And that’s part of the magic of a good murder mystery Halloween party: you start second-guessing everything.
Food & Drink: Fuel for Fear
Now, the food—oh, the food. A murder mystery Halloween party demands creepy yet delectable treats. One year, I served “severed finger” hot dogs, and honestly, the realism was too much for some of my guests. There’s a fine line between fun-scary and “I’m too grossed out to eat.” Go for Halloween-themed treats that won’t make people lose their appetite. Playful but edible is the goal.
As for drinks, serve something sinister—think blood-red cocktails with eerie names. You could even hide clues on the drink labels, if you’re feeling especially diabolical. It adds to the drama when someone stumbles onto a clue while refilling their glass.
Balancing Suspense with Humor
Here’s a tip: murder mysteries should never be too serious. Sure, there’s a dead body (metaphorically speaking), but the vibe should be more “Clue” than “CSI.” A touch of humor goes a long way in keeping the night light and fun. People should be on the edge of their seat, but they should also be laughing when someone dramatically accuses their best friend of being a cold-blooded killer.
I once had a guest pretend to faint when accused, falling dramatically onto my couch and shouting, “But I’m innocent!” It was hilarious and completely in the spirit of the night. Don’t be afraid to encourage over-the-top theatrics; it makes the mystery all the more entertaining.
The Pros & Cons of Surprise Endings
Do you want a surprise twist at the end? I’ve done parties where the murderer wasn’t revealed until the last second, and others where it became apparent halfway through. Both have their pros. The twist ending can create a “gotcha” moment that everyone will remember. But, if too many guests figure it out early, you might lose the suspense.
A surprise ending that no one sees coming is gold—unless it’s so far out of left field that people feel cheated. I once made the victim the killer, and while it was a neat twist, I could see people’s eyebrows raising in confusion rather than awe. Sometimes, you want to surprise them just enough to keep them on their toes, but not so much that they leave wondering if they missed something.
Final Thought
Throwing a murder mystery Halloween party is all about walking the line between spine-tingling suspense and sidesplitting laughter. It’s not just a party—it’s an experience. Each year, I learn a bit more about what makes for a killer night (pun intended). Keep your plot tight, your costumes wild, and remember: the goal is for everyone to have fun, even if someone does end up “dead” by the end of the night.
