Adult Murder Mystery Game: Rushmore's Revenge

THE PLACE: Rushmore Beauty Academy for Women, Staffordshire, England (England is optional).

THE EVENT: A social for graduating class of 1979 (you can set it in modern day if you want).

STORY: Many changes are coming to Rushmore - an institution where nothing has changed in its 80-year history. Men will now be admitted to the school. Bernice Rushmore, whose family founded the school, is resigning from the Board Of Regents and withdrawing her funding. Naturally, it's all very upsetting. So we advise you to watch your back. It's difficult to tell who is friend or foe with the future of this sacred institution at stake.

HOW THIS LARGE GROUP ADULT MURDER MYSTERY GAME WORKS: This game is designed for parties with 20 or more guests. You'll need to select people willing to take part in the mystery as the primary suspects (including victim(s), detective and killer). They will have full knowledge of the script, which means they will know whodunit*. The rest of your guests will take on the role of detective and it will be their job to actively solve the case (by examining the evidence and questioning, eavesdropping on and following the suspects for example). Essentially, everyone will have a crucial part in the mystery.

PARTY TIME: 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

SIX PRIMARY SUSPECTS (woman or men in drag)

MAUDE GREENFIELD: The Chancellor of Rushmore Beauty Academy for Women. She recently decided to admit men for the first time in Rushmore's 80-year history. This has some people very upset.

JANE DODGET: Rushmore's Dean of Students for the past seven years. A refined 'lady' who abhors the thought of men attending Rushmore because females are, as everyone knows, intimidated and distracted by the opposite sex.

OLIVIA DODGET: Jane's rather dimwitted daughter. Olivia isn't attending Rushmore by her choice but by her mother's. She dreams of moving to America and becoming a roller derby queen.

BERNICE RUSHMORE: Chairwoman of the board of Regents. Her family founded Rushmore in 1899, but she's decided to resign from the board (and take her money with her), leaving Maude Greenfield no choice but to admit men.

KAT OVERTON: The top student of this year's graduating class. Kat is trouble with a capital T, just ask Bernice.

GABRIELLE STEELE: Another graduating Rushmore student. Or is she?

SECONDARY SUSPECTS (optional). EVERYONE will be actively involved in this mystery because it will be their job to solve the case and because you'll be encouraging them to come in costume and in character. Use any or all of these secondary suspects if you have "extra" cast members you want to use or if you have some guests who want to take on a character but not take on the full responsibility of a primary suspect. You will NOT give them a script but you will give them a description of their character and let them run with it.

FOR LARGE GROUP MYSTERIES (75 OR MORE): I'd definitely suggest you cast your secondary suspects and give them a script - just like you'll do with your primary suspects.

During the mystery it will be the secondary suspects' "job" to act as general support for the primary suspects. They'll roam the room "gossiping" about the goings-in, quiet the audience down during a main action, answer questions, bring primary suspects to tables for questioning and make sure your guests have seen the physical clues that have been revealed.

Members of the board of regents who are either adamantly for or against admitting men to the school

Other students

Family

Boyfriends

Men who want to enter the academy

Feminists who want to close the school because it's degrading to women.

Protesters against males attending Rushmore.