Anonville Expansion Pack

Threw a murder mystery dinner party with this kit and part of the first expansion... it was incredible! Everyone got into character so well and the kit did a great job of making me feel like I could run the show without worry. This is a difficult mystery to unravel and does require guests to really engage with each other and talk through their clues. Only one of my guests got it right (one was very very close) and most of them went for the final red herring. Be sure to encourage a lot of conversation and make sure that clues are shared. Also, don't let the drinks flow to liberally before you get to the final clues :D 5/5 stars - can't wait to do this again!

The expansion pack is awesome for a couple of reasons- allows you to have a bigger party (mine was 25+) while giving each person a character. People didn't like the idea of being on a news crew team, so this worked out nicely to give them their own character. Also, it is fabulous for your somewhat flaky guests or those who are perpetually late. I had four late cancellations and a few very late arrivals. They were all expansion pack guests, so it was no big deal. Follow the directions when assigning your key roles- the people who are reliable, outgoing, and fun are best to put in the main roles. I told these people privately beforehand that they had a key role so that they did not flake out or show up late. It worked like a charm.

I purchased this game for a large Halloween party (25+ people) since it has a ghost theme. I read the other reviews which stated the game is hard... it's REALLY HARD. I bought it because a few of my guests are ridiculously smart people (who also were the people who guessed the mystery correct). I read the outcome beforehand and opted not to play the game so I could facilitate the game. I ended up having to give a lot of hints and clues. People were a little confused as to what they needed to do, so it was a good thing that I knew the answers. In a small group, you could probably manage it better. Everyone had a great time. Pick your most outgoing and theatrically inclined guests for the key roles. My victim put on the best act which made it even better (also freaked out my dogs who then howled after the victim stopped wailing). By far my best Halloween party yet. Guests loved it.

We used Ravenswood mystery party last year and our daughters friends all wanted her to have another mystery birthday party this year too. So it was nice to find a party that could expand to 21 players so she could include more friends.