Christmas toyshop mystery party
A fun family Christmas non-murder mystery party for 7-20 players, all ages (however- under 12 years of age will require some help sleuthing) set in the North Pole! Five characters can be expanded and played as teams during the mystery party, so you can invite 100+ players to your Christmas bash. This is the instant download upon purchase version of the game - no waiting, no shipping fees! Easy to host, easy to prepare. This is the traditional in-person, mingling format. If you need a virtual game for Christmas to play on Zoom or other video chat platform - we got your back. Click here for the virtual selection.
There are four PDF files to download with this game - a host instruction file, printable file, solution key, and an optional free invitation file. You must use Adobe Reader (free software that you can download at Adobe.com) to view the PDF file, as a PDF is an Adobe product.
Format: this is a traditional, mingling, clue-based game (downloadable version) for in-person groups. For virtually-formatted games that are ideal for video chat platforms, click here.
Gifting: the standard game license does not allow transfers, so you cannot purchase a download as a gift. For gifts, click here for gift certificates, or use the link below for the boxed version of the game (party pack).
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Helpful Links:
- Host character list
- Game trailer video
- Free, printable invitation
- Sample game materials
- Free pre-game site for your players
- Boxed version - My Mystery Party staff prepare your kit
Mystery Synopsis:
Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again! The annual pre-Christmas toy production meeting in Christmas Village is just around the corner. Get ready to deck the halls and jingle all the way! Mrs. Claus has pulled out all the stops for this meeting. There will be meaningful business discussions, and she's kicking things off with a sleigh full of fun. We're talking Christmas games, mouthwatering holiday treats, and, of course, a little yuletide gossip.
Not to stir up any sugarplum drama, but let's be honest, this year hasn't been without its challenges. We've had more hiccups in toy production than Santa's belly laughs. The sleigh's navigation system has been more tangled than a string of Christmas lights. And let's not even get started on the reindeer dynamics—it's been a real reindeer rodeo.
But fear not! We're here to save Christmas, one mug of eggnog at a time. We need to put our candy cane-filled heads together and find solutions to these holly-jolly hurdles. Because, let's face it, Christmas calamities are about as welcome as a fruitcake at a gingerbread house party.
And hey, speaking of fruitcakes, some anonymous voices in the workshop think the Naughty and Nice List needs a check-twice makeover. They're not pointing fingers, but let's just say they have some beef with Good Ole St. Nick's management style. It's time for an elf intervention! So, my fellow workshop warriors, let's gather in the toyshop boardroom and sleigh this meeting like Santa on Christmas Eve. We'll tackle the challenges, spread the holiday cheer, and ensure this year's toy delivery is smoother than Santa's beard after a fresh trim.
Remember, we're a team—Santa's merry dream team—and together, we'll make this the merriest and brightest Christmas yet! Deck the halls, and let's rock this meeting!
How to Host a Larger Party:
Invite the following guests to play the roles below:
- 20 unique main game players
- Up to 20 duplicated toyshop elves that report to Dank the Elf
- Up to 20 duplicated assistants and employees as Ebbie Smooge's Entourage
- Up to 20 duplicated office employee elves and employees of Pax the Elf
- Up to 20 duplicated Santa's Bag Stuffing Crew members reporting to Lun the Elf
- Up to 20 duplicated reindeer on Santa's Sleigh Team with Rudy Reindeer as their leader.
The expandable players will receive the same materials as their team during the game. The receive name tags, and cards for each round - just like everyone else. They play like the unique character roles, but do not have a unique storyline and are non-suspect players - but their team leaders are suspects. These roles are great to expand the guest list while giving everybody a role in the game. Assign the most outgoing players to the unique players and the more shy/reserved guests - or tentative RSVP guests - to the expandable players.
If you wish to host this (or any other) game for profit &/or in public &/or as a benefit to your business or organization, you will need a commercial license - click here.
- Minimum age:
- All ages (younger players may need assistance)
- Difficulty rating:
- Moderate, 4/10
- Gender of players:
- Co-ed
- Number of players:
- 8-20 players
- Available expansion pack:
- Not available at this time
- Expandable team players?:
- Expands to over 100 with 5 teams of up to 20 each
- Game publication:
- 10/1/2007, revised on 6/27/23 and will not be seamless with previous versions
- Unique content:
- Non-murder game. Printable illustration of the nice and naughty list to hunt for at the conclusion of the game.
- Game license:
- Single, private use. See the game license's Terms and Conditions below.
- AI Use:
- Use of the game materials, including but not limited to its use in artificial intelligence (AI) systems, machine learning models, or any other purpose without our prior written consent is forbidden. Unauthorized use may result in legal action.
Reviews
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Great family fun
This was a really fun experience for multiple ages. We played with ages 7-adult, with the 7-year-old needing a little assistance. I recommend breaking up the rounds with either bonus games or other activities. To fit in with the mystery, I added added to my elf role the task of managing a North Pole company retreat where we decorated gingerbread houses and then as tensions increased throughout the night, we broke and settled disputes by playing “reindeer pong” aka bouncing ping pong balls into cups and then distributing shots (to adults, obviously). Creating a mug shot lineup was a lot of fun too!