The Night before Christmas -- a Freeform Games murder mystery 
For 12 to 15 guests and a host – costs £20.00 (about 32.67 US dollars)
The Night before Christmas is a dinner party murder mystery game for 12 to 15 guests and a host -- download the free introductory pdf file.
Click here to see previous hosts' stories about their The Night before Christmas parties.
Click here to see the gallery of The Night before Christmas pictures.
In The Night before Christmas, the stage is set for an innocent family gathering, with a few friends and strangers added to make the party go with a swing. However, not everyone is as they seem -- some have dark secrets they need to keep hidden... and someone is the killer. You will be in the middle of the action and it will be up to you to wheel and deal with the other guests. Can you achieve your goals, keep your secrets hidden and survive The Night before Christmas? It's up to you.
The Night before Christmas
It is December 24, 1948. The socialite Evington-Browne family and guests are preparing for the annual Christmas Eve cocktail party, held by tradition at the family's hunting lodge in the White Mountains north of Boston. Snow has been falling for days - a blizzard has now set in - and the party finds itself cut off from the rest of the world. This is unfortunate, as the valet of one of the guests has been found dead in the kitchen! It looks like a heart attack - but is it murder? Can you achieve your goals, keep your secrets hidden and survive The Night before Christmas? It's up to you.
In The Night before Christmas you will discover the following:
- Who has been wearing a Santa Suit to sneak around?
- Who will inherit the Brilliant Diamonds?
- Would the infamous cat-burglar 'the Puma' dare to strike here?
- Are the Evington-Browne family in danger of losing their money, their reputation in society and their sanity?
- Can anyone keep control of Tracy's pet monkey?
- ... and, of course, who killed the valet?
Find out in The Night before Christmas!
The Night before Christmas lasts for about four hours and is suited to an evening. It is often played over a meal -- a finger buffet if possible to allow guests to circulate and talk in private.
The free introductory pdf file contains an introduction to the game, a list of all the characters, an invitation to send to your guests, the Boston Times -- plus details of how to buy the game.
Important note: The Night before Christmas is an alternative version of one of our other games, Dazzled to Death. The characters and the plots are the same, so if your guests have previously played Dazzled to Death, they'll know the secrets of The Night before Christmas too! The difference is that The Night before Christmas is written specifically for a Christmas setting, while Dazzled to Death is suitable for any time of year.
How Freeform Games Murder Mysteries Work
The Night before Christmas is unlike many murder mystery games. Although the game starts with a death, most of the characters have more important things to do than to investigate it. And the killing may not be over - not everyone will survive the remainder of the evening!
The Night before Christmas is played just like a murder mystery game. You may be trying to solve the murder, but primarily you are (initially at least) concentrating on your own goals and objectives. Unlike most boxed murder mystery games, The Night before Christmas lets you decide how to achieve your goals and thwart your enemies.
On the evening of the game the guests are met by the organizer, the Waiter, and welcomed to the party. They then receive their detailed backgrounds - including dark secrets, goals and items. The fun then begins as players form alliances, blackmail each other, steal items and maybe even resort to murder! Depending on what the players choose to do, there are several different possible endings, but finally everyone finds out how they did, and what secrets everyone else was concealing.
Purchasing The Night before Christmas
The Night before Christmas costs £20.00 (GB pounds). That works out at about US$32.67 at today's exchange rate, although the rate charged by your credit card may vary slightly.
To purchase The Night before Christmas, follow these three steps.
Step 1: Download the free introductory pdf file. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read this. If you do not already have Acrobat Reader, click here.
Step 2: Read our terms and conditions of purchase. Then come back here and click on the button to buy the game!
Step 3: Our orders are processed by WorldPay -- we don't actually see your credit card details. After you have entered your credit card details you will be emailed the location of the main pdf files, plus the password required to unlock them. You can then download those files and enjoy the game!
Or, buy now!
Cards we accept
We accept the following credit and debit cards:
Cast Iron Guarantee
We offer a Cast Iron Guarantee on all our murder mystery games. If you're not completely satisfied with The Night before Christmas then please let us know within 30 days and we will refund you.