Crazy Christmas Catastrophe mystery party
A fun family Christmas murder mystery party for ages 12+! This murder mystery isn't a 'serious' murder, so it is safe for family fun! There are 6 required characters in the main game and 6 optional character roles (12 suspect roles) with two five-character expansion packs, purchased separately. The expansion pack #2 has two expandable teams (duplicated, non-suspect roles) so you could cover 70+ players (22 suspects, 50+ duplicated, non-suspect team roles) with the purchase of all packs.
This is the instant download version of the game, no waiting, no shipping fees - everything you need is included in the download. For the boxed version, see the link below under the 'Helpful Links' section.
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).
Last revised: 10/23/24 - previous versions will not be compatible.
Helpful Links:
- Host character list.
- Game Trailer Video
- Free, printable invitation
- Sample game materials - view content, example plotlines and format
- 5 character Expansion pack #1 - Purchase separately, and purchase this one first &/or in addition to #2.
- 5 + character Expansion pack #2 - Purchase after or in addition to Expansion pack #1. This one has optional expandable teams.
- Boxed version - My Mystery Party staff prepare your party ready kit
- Free player pre-game site at Your Mystery Party
Mystery Synopsis:
In Christmas Village, tucked away deep in the North Pole, preparations for the holiday season happen 364 days a year. Each year, the coveted Christmas Icon award is presented to the most outstanding holiday helper. While a toyshop elf usually snags the prize, this year’s competition is tighter than ever! Rumor has it that the race is between Icy the Snowman and the Gingerbread Man, but in Christmas Village, anything can happen—anyone could take the title! The winner of this prestigious award gets more than just bragging rights: a cash bonus, a year’s supply of chestnuts, an extra vacation day, the power to change one Christmas law, and a guaranteed spot in the legendary Claus Hall of Fame. With delivery night fast approaching, the village is buzzing. Silver bells are ringing, and eggnog and sugar plums are plentiful. Mrs. Claus has invited everyone to Santa’s Cottage for a celebration and the big announcement. The townsfolk are perfecting their carols and donning their best holiday attire. Sure, there’s always a bit of rivalry, but the stakes are high. It’s time to put on a jolly face and spread some cheer! Mrs. Claus has personally invited you. There may be a few Christmas characters you’d rather not be around, but when Mrs. Claus calls, you show up—or else! Who knows? Maybe you’ll even snag the Christmas Icon award this year. This is where your story begins.
Hosting a Large Party:
- Main game - 12 suspects
- Expansion pack #1 (purchased separately) – 5 suspects
- Expansion pack #2 (purchased separately) – 5 suspects
- o With expansion pack #2 - Smooge’s team of bankers – up to 25+ team players (non-suspect, duplicated team roles)
- o With expansion pack #2 - Logan’s mechanics – up to 25+ team players (non-suspect, duplicated team roles)
If you wish to host this (or any other) game for profit, in public, or as a benefit to your brand/organization or business, you will need a commercial license - click here.
- Minimum age:
- 12 years for difficulty. This mystery has no inappropriate content, and the 'murder' is family friendly.
- Difficulty rating:
- Moderate, 4/10
- Gender of players:
- Co-ed or All Female
- # of players:
- 6-12 players
- Expansion pack:
- 5 players, and 5 players (purchased separately)
- Expandable?:
- No
- Date of publication:
- 2009. Last revised 10/23/24 - previous versions will not be compatible.
- Unique content:
- Family-safe murder (not 'serious'), Christmas Icon Award Certificate
- Game license:
- Single, private use. See the game license's Terms and Conditions below.
- AI Use:
- All game materials are strictly prohibited from being submitted, uploaded, or incorporated into any AI or machine learning models for any purpose, under any circumstances.
Reviews
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Family Fun
I hosted the Crazy Christmas Catastrophe this week with guests from 9 years old - 74 years old. Everyone had an absolute ball. Was great to see the kids and teens getting into character and also writing down clues, interrogating us all. Highly recommend this for some serious family fun.
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It Works!
I was skeptical that this would provide the level of interaction amongst our group I was looking for, but it did! We played with 12 players. The goal was to do rounds between drinks and meals as recommended, but it was tough with a larger group, so just did all three rounds after dinner. It still worked great. At the end when everyone was sharing their suspect and motive, there was still quite a bit of chatter! Really fun and took just under an hour total in the method we did it.
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Fun Game
We used this for our office Christmas party. It was fun. I wish there were more characters that were gender swappable. Like Mitzy the Elf, we didn't have enough women so we changed that character to Mitchy the Elf. We downloaded the materials. If I would have ordered in time, we totally would have gotten the box set so no one would know who the guilty character was. We used an angel halo headband and caution tape for the victim. It was a hoot! We had a good time with this product and I would highly recommend this.
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Lots of Fun
We have done a lot of Murder Mysteries and I was very pleased with this one. I wanted something that would work for 6 people because we planned to do it after our Thanksgiving dinner. We did it with no advance prep, except for preparing the parts and clues to pass out. Even without costumes or characters having advance notice, it was really fun.
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Silly and Fun Mystery Dinner
Great for small parties. Loved playing over the top characters. Created an incredible experience for all!