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Get ready to channel your inner Agatha Christie with a murder mystery party — we’ve got the clues.
Invitations
Call in the suspects with an Evite invitation, like this free “A Murder Mystery” invitation or one of these intriguing invitation designs.
Decorations & attire
Let your theme be your decorating guide. For a relatively inexpensive way to transform your space, try scene setter rolls or backdrops and add relevant props. If you’re throwing a period party, move or cover evidence of modern technology like computers or TVs. Amp up the party atmosphere with theme-appropriate music. By all means, dim the lights for that air of mystery, but keep in mind that the murder mystery game requires guests to do a fair amount of reading (instructions and clues), so don’t make the room too dark.
Since your guests will come dressed to kill, costumes will also go a long way toward setting the scene. You may want to have a few accessories on hand like hats, wigs or fake mustaches in case anyone shows up without a proper costume.
Games
Get a murder mystery game at almost any store that sells board games or download one online. The ones available online are often more detailed and feature more characters; some of them are for as many as 40 players and may require a lot of printing and organizing all the game elements (character guides, instructions, clues, etc.). On the other hand, the box games come with everything you need and are typically designed for only eight players. First-time players will likely find the simplicity of a box game appealing, though they may prefer an interactive downloadable game once they’ve become, ahem, serial killers.
There are period games, pirate games, holiday-themed games and games designed just for women or kids—and that’s only the beginning. Choose a theme you think your guests will get into and invite friends who enjoy dressing up.
Tips
Send out an Evite invitation four weeks in advance to the maximum number of guests your game suggests (if the game is for six to eight players, invite eight). In addition to the theme of the party, let guests know that it’s important to be there for the entire evening, since the game doesn’t work with latecomers or early departures. Ask guests to RSVP within a week. If fewer than the minimum number of players say they can come, invite more until the required number of players RSVPs yes. Check that those who haven’t replied aren’t planning on coming before extending the invitation to others, so you don’t end up with too many players come party night.
Read the host instructions well in advance. They’ll typically provide ideas for your menu, decorations, costume ideas and brief character bios to give you an idea of who to assign which characters. But if you plan to join in the game (most box games allow the host to play too), don’t read the full character guides or you’ll spoil the mystery for yourself!
Once you have confirmed your guest list, send each guest the information included with your game so guests learn a little about the character they’ve been assigned and can dress accordingly. Guests should receive their character info at least two weeks in advance to give them time to get a costume together.
When guests arrive at the party, give them name tags so everyone knows who everyone else is supposed to be, then follow the game instructions. With most box games, not even the murderer knows whodunnit until the very end of the party!
Activities
The game instructions will give you an idea of how the evening will proceed. Most games suggest serving dinner, though you can find some games online for larger groups that don’t. Either way, expect lots of in-character repartee, especially if you have theatrically inclined friends.
Capture all your guests’ to-die-for costumes with a photo booth, including a theme-appropriate background and props to make the pictures even more brag-worthy. Be sure to get one of the whole group too. After the party, upload your party photo album to your Evite invitation to share the best shots with your guests.
Hand out prizes at the end of the night for best costume, best sleuth, best actor and best accent (if appropriate). Some games come with prize certificates, but you may want to supplement them with small gifts, like a bottle of champagne or something appropriate to the game’s theme.
Food
Murder mystery games often include menu suggestions, and part of the fun is eating party food that fits your theme. However, remember that if you’re playing as well as hosting, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy besides cooking, so it’s best to make something you can throw on the stove or in the oven and leave to cook, like lasagna, quiche, stew or prime rib. If you’re playing a game designed for a large group, consider a potluck buffet of finger foods like stuffed mushrooms or mini pizzas, since you probably won’t have seats for everyone. For dessert, serve a deadly chocolate cake.
Drinks
Let your game’s theme suggest a signature cocktail for your party; for example, if you’re hosting a spy game, you might mix martinis (shaken, not stirred, à la James Bond).
Or, instead, focus on the murder element of the party and have a Bloody Mary or red wine sangria. Just be sure to have water and non-alcoholic options on hand too.
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a SignUp Sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a SignUp Sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
