Tween Mystery Party Game | Echo Spy Academy
Spy Mystery Party Description:
An intriguing tween non-murder mystery party for 8-16 players, ages 11 to adult, in a teen spy academy/castle setting. Expansion packs are available and purchased separately - #1 adds 8 suspect players, and #2 adds 8 more suspect players, totaling 32 available roles when the main game and both expansion packs are purchased.
With younger groups (11 years), it is best to have a parent host/older teen to assist them in case they need help. Please review the sample game materials to see format, readability, and plotlines before purchasing. This will be an easier sleuth for adult groups, but a great choice if you need a lesser difficulty and want some lighthearted fun. The mystery involves solving the case of a stolen piece of spy technology.
There are four PDF files to download with this game - host instructions, printable materials, answer key, and the 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. This is the instant download upon purchase version of the game. There's nothing to be shipped, as you'll have everything you need with the download - no waiting, no shipping fees! Easy to host, easy to prepare. For the boxed set, see the party ready pack link under the helpful links section below.
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).
Tween Spy Mystery Party Helpful Links:
Sample game materials (This shows you the format, the contents, and some plotlines on the example cards pulled from the game.)
8 character Expansion pack #1- Purchased separately. Play the packs in order.
8 character Expansion pack #2 - Purchased separately. Play the packs in order.
Boxed version - My Mystery Party will prepare your party ready kit
Pinterest Board - DIY suggestions
Direct your guests here - the corresponding pre-game site at Your Mystery Party
Tween Spy Mystery Party Synopsis:
At the Echo Spy Academy, secrets and shadows are part of the curriculum. It's not just any school - it's the premier spy training ground for teens, where mastering the art of deception is as essential as acing your finals. Every year, the Academy's highlight is the dinner party, an event shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
You and your fellow students will perform covert role-play for this special night. Dean Shadow will assign you a new identity. The challenge? Stay utterly convincing in your disguise throughout the evening. After all, in the world of espionage, the next mission might require you to become someone entirely different.
This year, the Academy is buzzing with a thrilling twist. The rumor is that someone is planning to sabotage the dinner party. Who could it be? What could it entail? The air is thick with suspense. Every conversation might contain a potential clue, and every glance could carry a hidden message, adding an extra layer of excitement to the evening.
As you enter Mirage Hall, you'll realize this isn't just another dinner party. It's a gateway to a thrilling mission, a test of your abilities, and a playground for your skills. The game is on, and how you play it could change everything. This is where your most exciting story begins.
Your Purchase will include (PDF files):
- Host instructions including an example timeline, player instructions, and a detailed walk-through on how to host this theme.
- Bonus game instructions
- Suggested menu
- A host character list (also available above under 'helpful links.')
- A class roster/guest list for reference at the party
- A pre-game, round one, round two and solution game card for 16 players (64 cards total)
- 16 name tags
- 16 investigation sheets
- A Quantum Decoder cut-out
- A torn book page (part of the group challenge)
- Three scavenger hunt cards
- A forensic report
- A separate PDF file with the group challenge solution and the game's solution
- A free printable invitation (available above under 'helpful links.')
- A free player pre-game site (link above under 'helpful links.')
Commercial licensing:
If you wish to host this (or any other) game for profit, you will need a commercial license - click here.
- Minimum age of player:
- 11 years (need an adult host with younger groups).
- Difficulty:
- 4/10 - moderate difficulty level.
- Gender of character roles:
- Flexible - genders are not written into storylines
- Number of suspects in main game:
- 8 required to play, 8 optional (16 players total)
- Expansion packs:
- #1: 8 characters, #2, 8 characters (play the packs in order).
- Expandable teams:
- No
- Date of publication:
- 4/25/24
- Unique content:
- Non-murder, group challenge, scavenger hunt
- Game license:
- Single, private use. For the game license Terms and Conditions, see below.
Reviews
-
11 year old bday party
Our 11 year old invited 21 kiddos to her birthday party, everyone RSVPd yes (so I purchased the expansion pack), and everyone showed up! I was nervous about having to "recast" the main characters, but this wasn't an issue. The pre-game interactive contact so-and-so was difficult because there were two distinct friend groups, and I got a lot of questions about how to do that. (It was just to encourage excitement.) The kids showed up in costume and it was really cute although I'm not sure they really understood the acting portion. The instructions were clear for hosting. I appreciated the ideas for cute food names (Detective Dogs, Secret Agent Sliders, etc) and the bonus game ideas were great (we only did one- the Disguise game with toilet paper, which was super fun). Organizing the round cards into envelopes the week before was helpful. Really, 16 kids max would have been my preference as 22 was quite a lot to handle. And, they needed a hint to solve the cipher code, but after that, they were able to easily figure out who the guilty party was. Extra fun that the guilty party also had no idea, and a few kids were absolutely convinced that it was them, and trying to convince others of this as well. For decorations, I had a welcome table with a letterboard instructing the kids to Check-in, submit for photography and fingerprinting, pick up agent IDs (lanyards with a cartooned photo of them, their class, Echo Spy Academy from the photo provided and a place for their fingerprint), welcome drink (Truth Serum) and proceed to Mirage Hall. I made a castle door as the entrance, Suspect boards (with their photos, red yarn connecting them, fingerprint cards and a clue envelope with TOP SECRET), and a "class list" with a photo of the four different classes and the surrounding agent's IDs. Red table cloths covered with TOP SECRET papers. For goodybags, I used brown craft bags with TOP SECRET on the outside, included an invisible ink pen, sunglasses, a mini flashlight, a notebook that my kid decorated for each individual, and a magnifying glass (all from Amazon in bulk so not too pricey). Overall, for 11 year olds, this was a fun non-murder party, the kids had a blast even if they needed a little help, and it was a successful party themed in a unique way that no one in her school had ever done before!