Mystery solved: Your next games night sorted!

Are you tired of making the same plans with friends and family, over and over? Look no further! We’ve put together a handy guide on how to throw a games night that will make your next gathering a real thriller.

Breaking the cycle of meeting at the usual places or hosting the same old dinner parties can be difficult; everyone has different tastes and budgets. One way to ensure that your plans will suit everyone, is to do something completely different.

This is why we think a games night is the perfect answer. It can suit any occasion, whether that’s catching up with your best friends or hosting a double date night, a bit of friendly competition livens up any event and is sure to make some great memories. Not to mention, hosting a games night in the comfort of your home will be a lot cheaper than a night out on the town.

How to Start

The first step is to pick a game, use that as a theme and go from there...

How many times have you watched a gripping crime drama or detective series and thought, “I knew it”, when it comes to the big reveal? Well, now’s your chance to prove it to everyone you know! Introducing Evidence: Hush Money - a tense murder mystery that is the perfect focus for your next gathering.

Hush Money transports players to a dark Chicago alley, where an unidentified body is discovered... All that remains at the scene is the victim’s wallet. You’ll need to use the items inside the wallet to unlock clues and gain access to the Online Detective Portal where you’ll find statements, photos, emails and more. In this interactive game, you, and up to 3 other people take on the role of lead investigator to examine the evidence and ultimately reveal the killer. More than three people you want to invite? Up the ante, and split into teams to make things more interesting by working together to solve the murder.

The game itself will take 90 minutes, but why stop there?

It doesn’t have to be a cold case... Using Chicago as the theme, here are some of our top tips for elevating your games night and making it a memorable experience whatever the occasion:

Set the (crime) scene

Using decorations can be a great way of reinforcing a theme, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. The more immersive the better - a Crime Scene Kit could be a great visual cue to get everyone in the mood. Another tip if you have a screen nearby, use YouTube to find a video of a Chicago cityscape to play in the background, this can help develop an air of mystery even more.

Threads of evidence

Fancy dress isn’t for everyone, but you can’t argue that it automatically makes an event feel more special, while also giving you some great talking points. Using Hush Money as the inspiration, why not encourage your guests to don their best detective get-up? Even something as simple as glasses and a police badge, coupled with a shirt and a blazer, will have you ready for the Chicago PD!

Fuelling the fun

Preparing a meal can be the most time-consuming part of hosting a get together; sometimes you just need something simple so that you can concentrate on having a good time! As you’re probably aware, Chicago is famous for deep-pan pizza, but did you know it also has its own style of hotdog?

This is a great option for something quick and easy, that guests can even put together themselves to save you the bother! And a food warmer is that much-needed helper for stress-free serving, leaving you more time for super sleuthing.

Not to mention that hotdogs are synonymous with American detectives. If you’re in need of a sweet treat for afterwards, donuts could complete the police precinct stereotype while keeping everything simple!

Pour decisions

Beer is a great pairing for pizza and hotdogs and is an easy way of keeping things low key. Depending on the occasion, you might want to shake things up with a few cocktails. The Chicago Fizz, a rum based cocktail named after the ‘windy city’, could be a great way to kick off proceedings!

Set the mood with killer tracks

A party isn’t complete without music, and if you thought it would be hard to keep the theme going into song, you’d be wrong! Chicago has produced some unbelievable artists over the years, from the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire to the multi-award-winning Jennifer Hudson.

Click here for our Hush Money playlist, featuring an eclectic mix for the perfect soundtrack to your gathering. You may hear tracks that you had no idea had a Chicago connection. Don't forget to follow our Spotify account so you never miss a beat on theme music collections for your next gathering.

Keep the plot twists coming

If the tension is too high while playing, or you need a brief interlude, turning your games night into a movie night could be an excellent way to keep the fun going. Chicago has been the setting for many films over the years, did you know that the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off took place there?

If that doesn’t make you twist and shout, then there’s always the 2002 film adaptation of Chicago the musical. If you’re familiar with the story, you’ll know it fits very well with the murder mystery theme! And of course, who can forget the tail-feather-shaking, Blues Brothers.

The final verdict

Ultimately, meeting up with friends and loved ones is all about making memories, it will give you a shared experience that you can talk about for years to come. Personalising your own gathering is a great way to do this, why not use this guide as inspiration and give some of these steps a go at your own event?

Get the party started and invite your friends now with one of our very own templates made for sharing via WhatsApp/SMS:

Evidence: Hush Money could also make a great gift for that super sleuth in your life. Is your partner a know-it-all? Did they guess the ending to Line of Duty before anyone else did? This is perfect for them.

If you need any more ideas for gifting or things to do, you can explore our range of other games and puzzles here. To stay up to date with everything quirky, and for more useful tips and tricks, you can also subscribe to our newsletter.

We'd love to see your celebrations in action, and you can tell us who the victor was in your party, - no spoilers though please, you have been warned. Simply tag us @quirkybirdemporium in your Facebook or Insta posts.

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Image credits: Thanks to Elle Katie, Gerd Altmann, Markus Kammermann, Hannah Chen and Zozz_