Murder Mystery Themes:
Something that absolutely baffled me when we started out with Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries was the lack of diversity in other murder mystery company’s themes. Before we even thought about writing our own games we were already well versed in a plethora of games from other organizations. I have to say, almost every single theme we had encountered was incredibly mundane. When we conceived of Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries it wasn’t primarily because we were running out of games to play from other companies, but more that we were getting very bored with the theming. Let’s be honest, after you’ve dealt with the umpteenth Titanic-themed murder mystery or tried to solve what happened during the Halloween bash for the billionth time, it starts getting stale. I was sick of Christmas parties and roaring 20s extravaganzas. I couldn’t tolerate any more New Year’s Eve bashes or Cold War espionage games. And while I do love dressing up like a pirate, I have my limits. Now don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy these themes and you can certainly expect to see Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries with less esoteric themes in the future, but when we started out writing out games we had a drive to create something different. Our games jump off the page with exciting themes that are unlike the murder mystery games that other companies have produced. Online murder mystery themes should be no different. As we were forced to move to an online venue, we determined that the standard and generic themes for murder mysteries were not the absolute best way. Sure, you can host some kind of murder mystery on the Titanic, but in a way, talking through video chat somewhat breaks the spirit of games with theming like that.
It’s time to let the the Titanic murder mysteries sink… once and for all.
We wanted to create new themes and new concepts that were not only conducive to being played at home through video chat, but actually created ambience through a virtual setting. In games like A Game of Mutually Assured Destruction, you each play an isolated individual in a remote bunker communicating through video chat. In Pandemic Murder Mystery a similar theme is utilized where individual researchers are located on the far reaches of the world and their only means of communication is through videoconferencing. Not only are themes like this conducive to video chat, but they can be quite immersive as well. Even Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries games that aren’t specifically created to be online exclusives like Serial Killer Social have a theme that is absolutely unlike anything I’ve seen from previous murder mystery companies. Although Serial Killer Social is designed to be played online or in-person, the theme of serial killers meeting up along with their doctor to discuss their progress is just as hilarious as it sounds.
Beyond stretching the boundaries in relation to online murder mystery themes, we’ve also tried to fiddle around with the basic conceptualization of how murder mystery games are played. As someone who’s been playing role-playing games for well over 20 years, I knew that it was just about time to start to bring in some of the concepts that I had picked up from years of dungeon mastering. At the end of the day, most of the murder mysteries that we had played before in-person ended up being a combination of a D&D style RPG mixed in with a lot of drinking, partying, and just a touch of live-action role-playing (no, we won’t make you shoot magic missiles). The idea behind any good murder mystery first and foremost is to be easily accessible for new users and individuals who have never played games of this style before. This easy accessibility is not to be confused with ease of the game itself. While gameplay should be easily accessible, the actual riddle scenario, conundrum, or situation being faced by the players should in no way be toned down and soft-balled in just because there are new players. If there is one thing that dozens of playtests has taught me, it’s that in many ways the newest players are the ones who research the background and their character the absolute most. The new players are the ones that you actually have to watch out for when you play one of these games, because they are the ones that will strive the hardest to actually solve the puzzle. Many of the seasoned gamers that we’ve played with oftentimes fall short in their preparation phase for the murder mystery and are easily flummoxed by the newbies. For this very reason, toning down difficulty has never really been something that’s predominantly on our minds when creating games.
Too many murder mystery themes are mundane and boring.
Murder Mystery Accessibility:
When I’m discussing the topic of murder mystery accessibility, I’m referring to a broader sense than the difficulty of the game. One of the biggest issues that we had faced from other companies was trying to get together groups of players that conformed to the criteria for the games. Many of these games require a very ridged number of players with set genders. This isn’t to say that there aren’t several Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries that have set numbers of players and gender specific roles, but we have strived to increase the accessibility within our games. Single Tractor Mingle, for example, is a game that can be played with anywhere from 6-20 players and every single role inside the game is unisex as well. Not only is Single Tractor Mingle flexible in it’s game play, but it also throws the traditional concept of a murder mystery game on its head. The basic theme involves a rural speed dating event and a slew of hilarious concepts. Making the game even more versatile is the fact that it’s designed to be played either online or in person. There is one limitation on all games from Dastardly Deeds, however.
You shouldn’t have to plot and plan to get a themed game running.
Age Restriction and Content:
As clearly stated on all of our games, most of our articles, in our FAQ, and of course in our disclaimer, all Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries games are intended for adult audiences. If you’re looking for a fun game for little Billy’s birthday party, look elsewhere. The themes in our games are not suitable for young audiences. Along the same lines, our games are not intended for people who are easily offended. The context in many of our games are not for the faint of heart. Genocidal space aliens, drug addicted Hollywood stars, sex-crazed sentient barn animals, and murderous serial killers are just not for everyone. While we haven’t intentionally created any of our games to offend anyone, there is a high probability that if you’re squeamish you won’t like the scenarios in many of our games. You have been warned! Please be sure if you are casting one of our murder mysteries as the host that you take into consideration some of your friend’s comfort levels. While everyone we have playtested with is absolutely fine playing characters that are either intended to be the opposite gender or have a different sexual orientation than themselves, I know this is not the case with everyone who may want to play one of these games. Just keep this is mind as a host and also take content in consideration before casting any murder mystery game. Think about which individuals will be portraying characters that are in relationships in the game, as this could cause some trouble depending on your group of friends. You don’t want to cast that super jealous husband and wife couple as being in love with other characters. C’mon, you know the couple I’m talking about. It just won’t end well. Just food for thought when you’re planning on hosting a game of your own.
Inclusivity and Cultural Representation:
The last thing I’d like to touch on about Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries games is the inclusivity of different cultures into our games. Individuals from multiple different nations are represented in our games. Inclusivity and cultural representation is a tricky bridge to gap when you’re crafting murder mystery games. We have intentionally tried to include a variety of characters with drastically different ethnic and cultural backgrounds for this reason. It is intended in our games that players should be comfortable portraying people with different backgrounds than their own. Please keep in mind when you are casting or portraying any parts in any of or games that you could easily be offending another player with your character or acting choice. Please take note and be sensitive when you’re deciding how to cast your murder mysteries. Some individuals may be uncomfortable trying to portray people of a different culture, ethnicity, or descent. On the flip side, when you are trying to portray one of these characters, please practice your best sensitivity as well. While in many groups putting on a fake French accent maybe hilarious and absolutely fine, for some people they could find this potentially offensive. These are all things to think about when you choose how to cast your first murder mystery.
Always be respectful if representing different cultures.
Knowing your players ahead of time and knowing their limitations can be a great way to start off from smooth ground. With all of this in mind, I’d also have to take a step back and say none of this is to be taken seriously. At the end of the day, these games are crafted for you and your friends to enjoy either online or in-person. There’s no one easy way to assure that everything we write is PC and there is no way to ensure that the players that you are gaming with won’t be offended or offend others based off potentially mundane aspects of any given game. Remember at the end of the day, that is exactly what these are, games. This style of acting game gives many people the ability to put themselves in the shoes of someone they’ve never been before and experience what it potentially could be like to live the life of someone else outside of their closed circle. If cast with sensitivity in mind and with a pre-planned design of how you would like to interact and how you would like your players to interact with one another, Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries can be an exercise in tolerance and accepting. Just remember, at the end of the day, everybody poops… That didn’t come out quite right. Just know that whoever you’re playing with might have different ideas of what is acceptable and what is not and try to plan accordingly. Keep all of this in mind and enjoy unique and exotic themes from Dastardly Deeds Murder Mysteries! Experience different styles and unique gameplay that will put you in the shoes of someone you never thought you’d be. It’s time to ditch the wrote and stale murder mystery games of the past!
