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"I sent in a story almost 15 years ago as we had done Court in the Act for my 21st. Since then I did Davy Jones' Locker for my 30th and now Curse of the Pharaoh for my 35th, and I am still hooked all these years later!
This time around we had a whole new cast of people playing, and everyone had a blast enjoying Egyptian finger food like falafels and koftas, and scheming all night long. In the end, many of us were foiled in our goals, but I think we enjoyed it nonetheless.
Super looking forward to the next one!!
Click here to see more photos"
Kellie Rose, Australia
"We had THE best time with Curse of the Pharaoh [on an actual Nile riverboat cruising past the Valley of the Kings] – several guests look forward to playing more of your games!!"
Caren
"We had a blast hosting Curse of the Pharaoh last night! The difficult plot was challenging fun for our veteran players, but the newcomers still had a great time as well. A couple of the more entertaining aspects of this particular game (don't want to give a spoiler here) unfortunately did not get to play out, so I think in the future for this one (this is the second time we've done this one) we will provide some additional playing time if certain things don't happen.
After researching games from Egypt, we chose to use Mancala to determine the outcome of duels. We had a board set up in play as decoration, then had a bag of additional Mancala stones with assigned point values. Players drew three stones (white=1, green=2, blue=3) and the higher number won.
As always, everyone had a great evening, and we are ready to start planning the next one!"
Melissa Midcap, USA
"Hello from Tanzania! It occurred to me that we should let you know that over the past five or so years, we've either hosted or attended a number of your games. To date we've enjoyed:
1. Curse of the Pharaoh
2. Bludgeoned on Broadway
3. Way out West
4. Murder at Sea
and we're attending A Speakeasy Murder this coming weekend. You've got a niche cult following among some of the expat and broader community here in Dar es Salaam – we're big fans!
Some friends of ours also hosted a Speakeasy Murder a few months ago in Ethiopia, if you want to add that to your list of countries.
Keep up the great work!"
Simran Bindra, Tanzania
"I ran Curse of the Pharaoh last weekend. It was amazing!! All the guests loved it, and I'm incredibly excited to do another one. I was curious to see if maybe the game would be a little too complex, but it wasn't at all. The detailed, sophisticated character descriptions and clear, interesting objectives got people invested in their characters to a degree I haven't seen with other games I've done in the past (and this is my seventh murder mystery party, but my first from Freeform). As the host, I also had a blast running the game. I loved going around helping people murder and pickpocket. I'm not switching back to another murder mystery company until I've done all your games! :)"
Alice Mottola, United States
"We LOVED Curse of the Pharaoh. I have done a few different types in the past and this is the most interactive one I have played. I am going to be using this brand from now on :) The only problem is that now all of my friends want to do use the same brand and I am worried you might run out! "
Christine Cleland, United States
"What a fantastic night!! I purchased Curse of the Pharaoh for my 36th birthday party and had soooo much fun. I am looking forward to playing it again with another set of friends and family. I played up the plot and dig for 3 weeks prior and have been receiving requests to play in the murder mystery even before our first run.
For all of the item cards I went to ebay and purchased the actual items to make things much more interesting and fun, much more difficult to hide an item when it is bigger than a card. We had artifacts being stolen, traded, and sold all night. We also included the character Ginger Roberts who became quite an integral part of our mystery and the blue pen was the hottest item to possess.
This was our first murder mystery and yet we were easily able to get into character and enjoy the night!"
Angela Frankosky, United States
"Curse of the Pharaoh went brilliantly! It was a great game and went really well, people got involved where they had previously unsure of taking part in a murder mystery! I was also able to adapt the timings slightly as everyone was having so much fun in the beginning section, and it didn't affect how the rest of the game played out."
A Customer, United Kingdom
"Just wanted to say thank you for a fantastic game in Curse of the Pharaoh. I had a party with different invitees who didn't all know each other – work friends, school friends, partners etc, so I was a bit nervous about whether everyone would mingle. It went so well – everyone got really into the game (despite pretty much everyone admitting they weren't keen on attending a murder mystery party) and they had such a good time that I've been asked to host another one soon! So thank you!"
Katie, United Kingdom
"Curse of the Pharaoh has been one of the best Murder Mysteries I have ever done! I Hosted this one and everyone loved it. It gave enough freedom for everyone in the room to be able to do whatever they wanted and yet stick to their own goals. There wasn't much scripted or things that I had to do except answer questions and keep an eye on the main characters and what they were doing, but it was a blast and keeping the guests entertained was all the work of the game! :D Thanks Freeform Games!"
Greggory Miller, United States
"We had a lot of fun with Curse of the Pharaoh yesterday – everyone tried their best with their Britishaccents!"
Ronald Boocock, New York, United States
"We've played a few of the "Murder Mystery Party" 8-player games. This was was definitely more free-form.
This one got us out talking to different people and made lots of different things take place at once instead of a single group-think conversation like the "Murder Mystery Party" brand games.
We liked the dynamics of Curse of the Pharaoh better."
Mark Jarrell, United States
"Some of the great fun [in Curse of the Pharaoh] is in the later discussions, when everybody realizes just how close to failure they might have been at any moment, opportunities for advancement lost - based on the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, or information coming out too late, finding a secret about a player or thing that you have no real need for... (or DID YOU? Did you sell the info? Trade the info to an interested party for something you might need? Was it knowledge about something illegal? Did you run to the cops? Try and blackmail?)
I gotta say we're going to try more of the games from Freeform Games, because this one was awesome, and going in with a little more experience will make the next even better."
Databob, United States
"Our first murder mystery party - a 14th B/Day party for my daughter. We found this very complex and had some difficulties working out what the money was for etc! The multiple endings defeated us - we had to simplify this. So not the best choice by me for a group of 14 year olds with no experience. However, despite all this they all had an excellent time, really got into character and made a lot of effort with their costumes. The evening was a great success and they all want to do it again! In short - we will be back for more and will make a better choice next time. My daughter was delighted that her party went so well. Thanks."
Audrey Todd, United Kingdom
"My daughter celebrated her 18th birthday this past Saturday by inviting 13 of her friends to join her in enacting the Curse of the Pharoah Expanded. It was a great success! Each participant dressed their part and kept in (frequently very amusing) character. We were initially a bit intimidated by the apparent complexity, as it was going to be played by a group of 16, 17 and 18 year olds. But from the introductions onward everyone remained engaged for three and a half hours. Thank you for creating such an intricate, engaging, exciting game. The flexibility adds challenge, but it is well worth the effort navigating its twists and turns. I recommend your games as a great activity for teenagers."
Lynn Robb, United States
"We played Curse of the Pharaoh for my husband's 29th B-day last night. It was awesome!! It was actually a surprise party for him, and when he came in, our living room / dining room was transformed into a Middle Eastern tent (I hung Indian sarees on the walls and from the ceiling, had Egyptian art on the walls and was playing Middle Eastern music). We were all in costume when we yelled "Surprise!" He was so excited! I gave him the role of the detective and about half an hour to change and read his character sheet. Everyone had an amazing time! I served olives, samosas and a Mediterranean mix of appetizers as the guests familiarized themselves with the rules and had a rice, chicken and beef kebabs with flatbread for dinner when the game started. I went to the dollar store and bought real items for each of the characters' item cards and made a scarecrow with a crimson sash to lay outside the room as the murder victim. We sooo can't wait to play another game over the Christmas Holidays!!"
Alcina Prezens, Canada
"I ordered Curse of the Pharaoh for a Night of Mystery we hold with the youth group I work with at a Mennonite church. They're a largely creative and artsy group, with a love for enchantment in their fiction -- they love Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Garth Nix's works, etc. Freeform Games' approach of having abilities, items and personal goals for each character made the night so much better than the last time we did this... just having a whodunnit doesn't cut it!
"While I wouldn't recommend this one for every church group (a little too much magic for most evangelicals I'd wager) the FFG approach is hands down the best way to do a night of mystery with a large group. I think halfway through the night some people had forgotten they were supposed to be solving a murder!"
Mike Perschon, Canada
"I hosted Curse of the Pharaoh last week with a group of people from work. This is the fourth game I've purchased from you, and I've enjoyed every one! (I've also played Death on the Gambia, Way Out West, and Casino Fatale.) I've used it with random groups of friends, as a bonding activity for work, and as an R.A. in a freshman dorm. It's amazing how quickly people get into it, and how my quiet friends open up and jump right in (and the fun you can have as the host)! I just got back from a shift at work, and people are already talking about doing another one! Thanks so much.
"A quick note about Casino Fatale as well -- although my character had no interest in the poetry, I purchased the poem that was being auctioned off, and one of my residents wrote the poem immediately -- it was the unexpected hit of the party!"
Jessica Cox, United States
"Well, my husband's 40th birthday party [Curse of the Pharaoh] was a big success. I couldn't even keep people seated and eating! Everyone was up and interacting and staying in character the entire evening. We rented a tent, and with my sister-in-law's extensive collection of Arabic décor we were able to create an amazing atmosphere! Everyone received a black box of secret information upon arrival, and we even included real props such as snakes, scorpions, the black staff and many many more. We has actual 'antidote' (Hersheys kisses) and sour candy for poison pills. People seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit. Thanks to you all at Freeform Games."
Joyce Dales
"Had a great time on the whole and was enjoyed by all... excellent story."
Phil Hatherley, Exeter, United Kingdom
"What a great time for all! They are still talking about it [Curse of the Pharaoh]. Thank you and I would definitely recommend this one to someone else. They created alliances and wanted to swap abilities and team up against each other. What a hoot! Thanks again."
Rhonda Dinsmoor
"Just a note to say that we successfully played Curse of the Pharaohon New Year's Eve this year and it was a fantastic success, everyone had a really good time and enjoyed themselves immensely. Thanks very much for your help getting sorted when I messed up the purchase slightly, you were very helpful and understanding.
Thanks again, this is the second freeform games I've played and they've both been superbly written and cleverly designed, I have Way out West to play hopefully in the next month or so and am confident it'll be as good as the others. Keep up the good work!"
Tom Bates, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Curse of the Pharaoh – on a Nile riverboat – Caren
Curse of the Pharaoh – Tonya McNamee
Curse of the Pharaoh – Tonya McNamee
Curse of the Pharaoh – Tonya McNamee
Curse of the Pharaoh – corpse prop – Tonya McNamee
Curse of the Pharaoh – scarabs made from modelling clay – Tonya McNamee
Curse of the Pharaoh – Online – Elyssia Keeryn
Curse of the Pharaoh – Melissa Midcap
Curse of the Pharaoh – Melissa Midcap
Curse of the Pharaoh – Melissa Midcap
Curse of the Pharaoh – Melissa Midcap
Curse of the Pharaoh – Melissa Midcap
Curse of the Pharaoh – Patrick Wall
Curse of the Pharaoh – examining a body – Patrick Wall
Curse of the Pharaoh – the items table – Patrick Wall
.jpg "Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – group photo, serious
– Christine Cleland")
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – group photo, serious – Christine Cleland
Curse of the Pharaoh – examining the wine – Angela Frankosky
Curse of the Pharaoh – the dead body – Angela Frankosky
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Front Row - Eva, Lindsay, Lady Jane, Helen, Marie Standing - Ariadne, Rev Fox, Alvy, Chris, Sir William, Shahfeez, Reginald, Robert, Hugh – Laura Bohen
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – group photo – Laura Bohen
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Ronald Boocock
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – group photo – Barry Blumenthal
Curse of the Pharaoh – Eva – Kat
Curse of the Pharaoh – Helen – Kat
Curse of the Pharaoh – Hugh – Kat
Curse of the Pharaoh – Shahfeez – Kat
Curse of the Pharaoh – Sir William – Kat
Curse of the Pharaoh – Lisa Perez
Curse of the Pharaoh – Lisa Perez
Curse of the Pharaoh – Lisa Perez
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Lindsay WIlde and Sir William Saville – Databob
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Professor Reginald Mathers – Databob
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Reverend Godfrey Fox and Angela Fox – Databob
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – The Cops – Alex McQueen and Robert Tregarne – Databob
Curse of the Pharaoh – Ariadne and Sir William – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Ariadne, Helen, Alvy, Eva and Lindsay – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Group shot – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Helen, Alvy and Eva – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Lindsay Wilde – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Sir William – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Sir William and Lindsay – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – The Servant – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – The Servant, Sir William, Shahfeez and Hugh – Liz H
Curse of the Pharaoh – Nora Francis
Curse of the Pharaoh – Alvy and Hugh – Nora Francis
Curse of the Pharaoh – Ariadne and Lindsay – Nora Francis
Curse of the Pharaoh – Eva and Shahfeez – Nora Francis
Curse of the Pharaoh – party favors – Nora Francis
Curse of the Pharaoh – Steve Hatherley
Curse of the Pharaoh – Steve Hatherley
Curse of the Pharaoh – Hugh and Helen – Steve Hatherley
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh – Phil Murray
Curse of the Pharaoh group photo – Sally Martin
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – group photo – Lori White
Curse of the Pharaoh Expanded – Tariq and Fatima – Lori White
.jpg "Curse of the Pharaoh
– Sally Martin")
Curse of the Pharaoh – Sally Martin
If you would like to tell us how your party went, please click here to send us your story. We'll then give you an email address to send pictures to, if you'd like yours to appear here.
