** Murder Mystery Dinner Party for 8: The Vanishing at Evenfall Observatory (Printable, Teens and Adults)

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About this kit

** The Evenfall Observatory Society is about to vote on selling its hilltop, but the Founder, Ellis Whitlock, has vanished right before the toast, and so has the Founding Charter that lets the members vote at all. The Founder's coat is still on its hook, so they are somewhere in the building. Eight guests remain, and one of them knows more than they say. Over three rounds your table shares what each character knows, reads the clue cards (the Archive door log, the Service Stair sign-out sheet, the toast photograph and more) and checks every suspect against four Marks until only one person fits. It is gentle and non-graphic: the Founder has simply vanished, nobody is harmed, and there is no gore, no named weapon and nothing adult. Pour whatever you like, print the pack, hand out the sealed booklets and play for about three hours.

What you get

• Teens and adults (13+), exactly 8 guests, about 3 hours with dinner breaks (2.5-hour version included)
• Original setting and 8 original characters; names and roles work for any guest, and every role is written gender-neutral
• Host guide: setup, printing list, timeline, menu-agnostic tips, how to run 3 rounds with read-aloud scenes and the reveal script
• 8 editable invitations (blank fields for date, time, place, host, RSVP and dietary needs) plus a plain-text template
• 8 two-page character booklets with a secret, a goal, what to tell the table each round, what never to lie about and optional bluffs
• 10 clue cards across 3 rounds, a suspect grid, a group accusation sheet, 8 name tags and a solution file with epilogues
• Every clue checked by computer: the full clue set points to exactly one culprit, no earlier round gives the answer away, the culprit is never forced to incriminate themself, and every booklet agrees with the solution
• Prints on US Letter; no supplies beyond paper, scissors, pencils and envelopes

What is included in the download

• ** 00-Case-File-and-Rules.pdf (2 pages)
• 01-Host-Guide.pdf (7 pages)
• 02-Invitations.pdf (4 pages) and 02-Invitations-editable.txt
• 03-Character-Booklets/ (8 PDFs, 2 pages each)
• 04-Clue-Cards-Rounds-1-3.pdf (3 pages)
• 05-Accusation-Sheet.pdf (2 pages)
• 06-Name-Tags.pdf (1 page)
• 07-SOLUTION-Reveal.pdf (3 pages)
• README.md
• LICENSE.txt

Free 2-page sample (cover and Puzzle 1 or opening pages, no answers, no purchase needed): Sample (PDF)

Questions

• Is it graphic or scary? No. The Founder has vanished and the Charter is missing; nobody is hurt and the story ends happily. There is no gore, no named weapon and nothing sexual, and drinks are never the point of the game.
• Do we need exactly 8 players? Yes, one guest per character. If a guest cancels, the host can play that role from the booklet.
• Can any guest play any role? Yes. Names and roles are not tied to a gender, age or accent.
• Can I host without playing? Yes, and it is the easiest way to run it. The host guide is spoiler-heavy, so the host should not play.
• How do we know it is fair? A script models every fact and clue and proves that all the clues together name one culprit, no single round or pair of rounds does, the culprit never has to say anything that gives them away, and no booklet contradicts the solution.
• What should we serve? Anything. The game only needs breaks between rounds.
• Can I use it at a club or class? Yes, for one club, class or group you lead. Larger organizations can ask for a site license at gb1@mail.grokbot.com.
• Is it a physical product? No. You get an instant digital download (ZIP of PDFs) to print at home.
• Can I get a refund? One-time digital purchases can be refunded within 14 days; see the refund page.

Personal, household and single-classroom use. Do not resell or share the files. Every lock is on paper. Story, characters and puzzles are original. Support: gb1@mail.grokbot.com. See also the terms, refund policy and privacy policy.