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"A sell-out night in the local pub! Couldn't believe how much everyone got into Way out West – and every detail was covered. Well worth the money, thanks for a great game. We had some fabulous costumes and real character participation!"
Karen Wallace
"See here for photos by Alex, including their wonderful hand-crafted game materials."
Alex
"We hosted Way Out West on October 29th and it was a big hit. Everyone totally got into their parts and dressed up very, very well. So much fun! We are looking forward to the next one!"
Merle Nicholson, United States
"Earlier this year we played Way Out West. You can't go wrong with a western!! What a great evening!"
Melissa Midcap, USA
"For a 19th birthday party, Way out West Expanded was the best. This was everyone's first time playing a mystery dinner and they were asking for the next one as soon as it was over. Thanks. You have earned a repeat customer."
Daphne Sajous
"Our family played Way Out West last night, and we had a blast! It was so much fun. I only gave myself 4 days to plan this. I have never participated, much less hosted a murder mystery before, and so I was incredibly grateful to you for answering all of my questions efficiently and expeditiously. I will be purchasing from you again for my next game! Thanks again! "
Tyler, United States
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GAME!!!
I was a bit worried about it because nobody (from our friends) had ever played this game before and we didn't know what to expect. I'm very extra with everything and I love planning events so I knew it will be okay from my side of organiser (the bartender) and from my catering. I wasn't sure to what degree are some of my friends able to play their persona because not everyone from the group knew each other and I didn't play any roleplay game with most of them.
My boyfriend knows how extra I'm with all this and he knew I'll have a nice wild west dress so he bought some revolver and many other nice details for his character (Clem). I was expecting that most of the people from our group will have a cowboy hat if anything at all because we are group of young people and I know they are not spending much money on unnecessary things… but boy, was I wrong! I almost cried when everyone came dressed up.
At the beginning I wanted them to stand up and just say a bit about themselves so everyone can remember who is who (although I made a revealing picture for every day as shown below). Again, I was expecting they will just say "I'm Mel Easton and I represent…" but my boyfriend's twin who was playing Elijah came first and started preaching super loudly :D After this, everyone made a great entrance because this broke the ice.
The game went great as well and everyone was asking when we are playing again and that they want to play the biggest game you've got and that they are owing me a game where I'm a playing character as well and so on… whole evening turned much better than I expected and I think we will be remembering this night forever!:)
I also made some welcome drinks and gave away funny presents after the game.
Thank you for an absolutely great time, we are looking forward to playing next game from you!
Possible tips for other people: I made a Facebook event which was used as a platform to communicate about the game and also a reminder so everyone was counting with it (that was my biggest fear... that someone won't come.)
I made public a Cactus Gulch Gazette and Rules of the game + I sent a questionnaire there which helped me to match the people with characters (they answered me questions about the characteristic etc which they wanted to play, it helped a lot!)... then 3 weeks before the game I sent everyone invitation with the name of their character and 2 weeks before they got the full character sheet with everything else in the same folder so it was easy for them.
17 days before the game started, I put a picture with cowboy hats to that page and then I revealed one person each day. It was fun and also made start of the game easier because most of them knew who is playing the character they want to speak with.
I've also prepared a photobooth for us and a welcome drink with their faces so they knew where to sit. And I made a wanted poster for everyone so as they were walking around the house, they could find their face and it made the atmosphere better. It was fun!:)"
Michaela Mrázová
"We played Way Out West on Halloween this year and it was a blast! I've been to murder mysteries before, but none this involved. I loved how much autonomy each of the characters had. We all had a blast and had to laugh at some of the strange things that came up… smuggling from jail, a marriage for money and a lot of back stabbing!"
Aquilla, United States
"Thank you for providing the free copy of Way Out West. This compelling wild-West themed murder mystery is fantastically written. Our guests fought passionately for their goals and invested in their characters' stories as (truly if it were their own lives they were living!)."
Ricardo Vaccaro
"I downloaded the free version of Way out West and could convince enough people to play among my friends. Most of them don't have very much experience with roleplaying expect Dungeons and Dragons. So everyone was curious and a bit tense at first. But once we started everyone got into it and it was a blast!
We had a lot of fun and it is just the day after we played but I am already planning for the next one! :)
"
Jaap De Boer, Netherlands
"I purchased Way out West online from Melbourne Australia and was very pleased that link came immediately and no issues opening files. The game was very clear in setup and explanations, and provided lots of helpful ideas on how to host for small and large groups. Staff were quickly responsive when I sent a query via Facebook messenger and really helpful and personable with my questions. I would thoroughly recommend this company for a great night of entertainment with friends/family and look forward to purchasing another game to play."
Natasha, Australia
"I hosted a New Year Way Out West party (Jan. 2019)! The guests had never done a freeform game before and some were hesitant. But they went all out with costumes and threw themselves into their characters. It was a great evening of fun! We had lots of arrests, shootings, stabbings, and lots of secrets and clues being shared and hidden. Everyone had such a great time they can't wait to do one again and are eager to use their skills and abilities more liberally the next time we play."
D Loewen, Canada
"Way out West was the first time I have used a FreeForm game. It was very successful. I have done a murder mystery every year for about ten years. One of the players said they thought this was the best one. I made little purses out of bandana prints for the ladies. Inside were all of their cards and directions along with a pen for taking notes, The guys got a bandana with and envelope with their cards. We had cowboy stew for dinner at the stagecoach stop. We had pitchers of drinks at the bar. Everyone came dressed in costume and they were absolutely fantastic! There were prizes at the end for the best dressed and best player as well as those who had the most correct guesses. I have great photos of the various players and the happenings throughout the night."
Sandi Smith, United States
"Everyone had such an amazing time with Way out West! We're already talking about which game to buy next. Days later we're still getting calls and messages about how much fun it was."
Jaclyn Fernandez, United States
"We got the Way out West game for 14 people. We actually had 15 people and used one of the extra free characters. What a blast! Everyone had a great time. We sent the character sheets two weeks before the event so everyone had a chance to read up on their characters. Many still had to look at their sheets throughout the night. We decorated our house into a saloon and let the party begin. It was so easy. I will say if there is one thing we will do differently in the future is we will probably use two hosts. There were a lot of questions and guidance that the bartender had to give plus try to hand out the drinks. But other than that (which was small) it was great. "
DeWayne Reeves, United States
"I tried my first freeformgames murder mystery evening, Way out West, in December 2017.
We live on a farm on the outskirts of a town in Zambia. Our community is a melting pot of nations… South Africans, Zimbabweans, Australians and a good few Brits in the with locals.
We are blessed with lovely weather and were able to host the evening on our veranda, which spilled into the garden! We had quite a feisty bunch who wanted to pinch, poison and shoot. Thank heavens I had a barmaid assistant to handle all the rock paper scissors challenges.
90% had never played before… And those who had, said they had never actually finished one! Well this time we did finish, and it was super fun, really entertaining and everyone made me promise to do another in the new year. Hence Hollywood Lies happening soon!
Thank you to you and your team for fabulous entertainment!"
Jacqui French, Zambia
"I LOVE murder mystery parties but haven't done one in years, mainly because I remember it being a lot of work to put one on in the past. My boyfriend and I started throwing the idea around a few weeks ago when his aunt offered to let us use their cabin up in Midway, Utah for a weekend. In the end, we decided to do it – but it turned out our guests only had a few days' notice. I was nervous that it might not work out, but everyone committed and showed up in costume ready to go! Even though Way Out West is very involved and has lots of moving parts, it was surprisingly easy to pull it all together in a few days. We were able to pull it off and it was a BLAST! Our guests are still telling me how much fun they had during our party and we are planning to do another one in the next couple months because we all had such a great time!"
Kelli Dougal, United States
"Our bar with alcohol free as the young people don't drink, so we found recipes for Mocktails and mixed all sorts of fun coloured drinks for them! The only alcohol was a bottle of champagne at midnight (which was only half finished!)
I used our dining room sideboard turned backwards to make the bar and borrowed some bar stools, and we used paraffin lamps and candles to add ambience. I used coffee tables as bar tables with crates around for low seating. I turned the one corner of the room into a quiet zone where folk could have more "intimate" conversations (a good joke, as it was always pointed out when people went to sit there!) It helped to have the entrance hall as part of the playing area as a small space people could talk privately ("outside" the saloon doors!)"
Lorraine Shaw, Zimbabwe
"Thank you so so so much for Way out West – we played it for my daughter's 18th birthday celebration in Zimbabwe! We had the most awesome of times and everyone got into character so well and the game played out perfectly! My husband and I ran it – he was the Bartender and I was looking for a job (either as a sober bar tender or a good time gal!!) We had the most fantastic bunch of young folk and they all are raving about it. We are hoping to do another one in the not so distant future, so will definitely be recommending you! You guys are awesome! Thank you so very much!"
Lorraine Shaw, Zimbabwe
"We had a terrific time. If I had to offer one piece of advice, I'd say tell people at the very start to begin using their abilities. At the very beginning, it was slow, because no one was sure what they should do. Once we got rolling, it was outrageous fun. "
Irene Bain, United States
"We played Way out West in Indian Territory (Oklahoma, USA). It was truly a hit – everyone went all out on costumes and came to dinner 'in character'. You have a great product – we are about to buy our second game."
Jason Stewart, United States
"We had 22 people playing Way out West Expanded until one decided not to play and left. That was fun filling in for the person. The host must be very flexible and hopefully some of your guests are equally flexible. The remaining players had a fantastic time. Most of the characters were really into the role. We had a few additional murders. They were a rowdy bunch, with some great costumes!"
Jill Danner, United States
"We love hosting parties and needed something new so first we tried the store-bought box games and while it was fun… we felt there was NO creativity and we basically read from a script and it was impossible to guess the culprit even when everyone had all the information. So the next time I did an internet search and found your site and saw the free game Way out West and since there was no risk decided it wouldn't hurt to try for our Halloween party!
I had a fun time planning it and more fun being the host! And all our guests had a blast too! There was a bit of a learning period for about 30 min while everyone was a bit apprehensive to do something and trying to figure everything out but once they did, we had a hard time getting the game to end because everyone was having so much fun! Some of our guests didn't know each other but this game made it so it didn't matter and everyone could still have fun!
We did that game last year and since then, everyone keeps asking when we are doing another one! So now I'm back to your site to find a new game to do for our New Year party! I'm so excited and you have so many to choose from!"
Alyse Wilkins, United States
"Being from a small Nebraska town we don't have many opportunities for this style of entertainment. So I decided to host a murder mystery night, after researching many options I kept coming back to Freeform Games! I loved the idea of a game that does not have a scripted feel and one where the night and entertainment was only limited by what we could imagine. So Way Out West was our first taste of a murder mystery. No one in our group had ever done one so we had no idea what we were in for, the most fun we could have! I can say that I seen sides of my friends last night that I never knew existed. I ended up with the Expansion Pack because we had so many people want to join in the night, we even had two people who seen us setting up at our location that wanted to join in our murder mystery. Once everyone arrived we knew we were going to have to change a few people's characters since we had a few who at the last minute called to cancel, but everyone stepped up and we had no hitches. I ended up taking their original characters to the bar with me and when someone needed to interact with them I assumed those characters. This allowed us to keep all the plots flowing smoothly. Some of the high lights from the night include our high dark shoot out in front of the saloon, and [a particular character]'s numerous trips to our jail's holding tank. At the end of the night we decided that this was going to become a twice a year event for us since everyone had such a great time! In fact we even had a couple pull up as we were setting up for the evening and ask what we were up to then ask to join in with us! Thanks for helping us make some great memories."
Cindy Fischer, United States
"I hosted my first murder mystery party earlier this year in March and EVERYONE had a blast! We did put a little twist to the theme by making it a Steampunk Wild West – which everyone got into!
A lot of work went into hosting my first party – finding the right game, casting, decorations, props, costumes, music, and even changing the furniture layout of the rooms! Finding an appealing game that was both free and interesting for my group of friends took some time, and luckily came across Freeform Games' Way Out West. My friends and I play a lot of board games together and FFG's format of each character having special skills, goals, and the possibility of additional player death suited our group perfectly! My co-host provided the location and the deliciously southwestern themed grilled food – some of which he slow roasted for 8 hours! For Music, the 3 hour playlist started with historical songs that transitioned to modern 'western' songs as the night went on. Everyone put a lot of effort into their costumes and acting too! Prizes were also awarded to best acting, solving the murder or eluding capture, accomplishing all their goals, and best costume.
Since the party wasn't strictly scripted, I had no clue what was going to happen, but the evening was filled with energy! People are still talking about the party today, half a year later! Even inspired others to host their own murder mystery. Everyone (except one person) used their powers, so there was a lot of stealing, eavesdropping, and gossip to get information. In addition, a lot of people were thinking outside the box in order to get their goals! Throughout the night there were a lot of secret meetings and deals made, and back stabbing – especially by one particular person. [Details removed to protect the unwary :-) – FFG]
Everyone had a great time! People especially loved the freedom that the game provided, and that what they did as a character had an impact in the game. My friends just had a murder mystery this past weekend using a different company due to a special half price discount. They had fun, but they all agreed that the one I hosted using Freeform Games was better!"
J Yu, United States
"Our annual summer party this year was a 'Shoot-Out at Sassafras Hill' aka Way Out West. (Our house is named Sassafras Hill.) Six weeks in advance, we asked everyone to reserve the day. One month in advance, we had them confirm for sure!! Then two weeks in advance, we sent out parts so they could begin to craft their costumes. Then five days in advance, we sent out the menu, and reminded them of the start time & provided directions. In the meantime, after reading all of the cool and amazing ideas everyone shared, we began construction: saloon bar, saloon swinging doors, jail, telegraph machine, hot baths, signs, printing parts, envelopes, wanted posters – the works! We used our deck, because that many people need space to move (there were about 30). Everyone arrived and immediately had their photos taken in front of the saloon doors' vignette (bales of hay, table, sign, etc.) and nibbled appetizers until we all gathered for a group shot. Then everyone went inside to eat & get their packets. Then we began to play!! I was amazed how quickly people began to be poisoned, secrets stolen, shoot-outs arranged, and just how stinkin' FUN everyone was having!! The stagecoach arrived, and we cut the cake, caught our breaths, and went back at it again! The bartender (host) had tons of fun! The sheriff arrested a 'Wanted Man', and came to collect his reward. We weren't quite prepared for that, so he gave him an I.O.U.! Although we played the adult version, there were lots of kiddos who attended. I thought there must surely be a reason for an adult versus children version of the games, because our kids (11, 12, & 14) did great! In fact after the solution was read, we voted on best interaction. It was one of the kids who won!! We gave 1st & 2nd place prizes for best dressed female and for best dressed male, and a prize for best interaction. I had a cake specially designed that read 'Happy Anniversary Cactus Gulch' with a red '20' on top, cacti, horse corals, blue skies, and red bandanas – HUGE hit! We expected someone to end up in the bathtub (horse trough) we had specially placed at the entrance, but it was never used – just added to the ambience. We have done other murder mystery dinners, but this one went several steps beyond the others. It included abilities, props, secrets, potions, poisions, cures, goals – how cool! I felt a bit like a master puppeteer who had created a toy, wound it up and let it go! Everything ran smoothly, and we have talked about it for weeks. Thanks so much for the super game!! My sister is always so jealous that we have such fun parties. I suppose she just needs to come to you, eh?"
Debra Hulsey, United States
"We had so much fun playing Way out West that we decided to do this every month. we also ordered the next game already.
We are just miles from Lincoln County where Billy the Kid became a legend so this was right up our alley as far as a game to play.
We decorated the house with faux bar doors made out of foam board and borrowed painted cow skulls to hang as well as authentic 1880s antiques like lanterns and tobacco tins. We hung tools from the ceiling over the couch in one room and called it the goodtime lounge. I made chili stew and served it in cups so it was easy to eat.
Costumes were mandatory and everyone went all out, since there was a prize for best costume and everyone is very competitive.
The game went nothing like I thought it would, but that's what made it fun!"
Mike Munoz, United States
"Everyone had a great night with Way out West Expanded. Guests were a bit timid at first but towards the end, there were deals, more attempted murders and extreme cases of pickpocketing taking place all over the place!!"
A Customer, United Kingdom
"We recently hosted our very first murder mystery party. Way out West was chosen in part for our party size and in part because the theme sounded fun. It was fantastic!
The materials and instructions were clear and made the game easy to play. Our guests really got into it and everyone dressed their part!
We especially enjoyed the freedom that the setup provides (i.e. no scripts). [A very funny example was included here, but we're not showing it because of spoilers!]"
Cassandra Povio, United States
"This past weekend we hosted our first murder mystery game, Way out West, for 13 newbies ranging in age from 12 to over 80! It was an incredible evening of constant laughter, family, friendship, great costumes and wonderful memories.
Although your customer support was absolutely excellent with every question and concern answered within hours… we found the rest of the site just as helpful. The tips, comments and suggestions from other hosts and players, as well as the pictures gave us so many ideas and answered so many questions, we had almost as much fun preparing for the game as actually playing it!
We started our decorations outside to ensure our guests had a great first impression of the evening (most were a little nervous… not quite sure what to expect).
The Saloon took over the living room, with a few tables for individual conversation, a stage, player piano complete with pre recorded music, and casino corner and another area for the telegraph office. Our kitchen became The Stew Pit Restaurant for a "help yourself when you're hungry" bowl of Chuck Wagon Stew (kept in the slow cooker) with all the fixings and of course a dessert selection… very simple but tasty.
Through the saloon doors you walked down the "street" of Cactus Gulch where you could stop in at the Sheriff's Office/Jail, Boarding House or Mercantile for a private conversation. We added lots of humorous printed posters to all the walls and of course every guest found a wanted poster of themselves along with a new alias and a silly crime in the sheriff's office. We made chocolate cigars filled with Kalhua fudge and wrapped them in gold foil, complete with cigar band, for the saloon to hand out in honor of the celebration.
Guests arrived and were welcomed in character, and after pictures, received their character kits. After a quick review of the kit contents, rules and a Q&A (like I mentioned, we were all newbies), Zeke's death was announced and the laughter began.
It was an excellent mystery with enough twists and turns to keep everyone, young and old, entertained, but not confused. At the end of the evening, everyone was a winner because we all had such a great time!
Thank you so very much for making this bunch of newbies very, very happy we did this… and eager to do it again!"
Deb Scott, Canada
"We had our Way out West Expanded murder mystery on 9 March 2013, and with all the errors and little bit of confusion, we had the most incredible time. Everyone dressed their part, and everyone played their part: and I believe that this is actually what makes the murder mystery game successful. Everyone loved it – we were all first-time players."
A Customer, South Africa
"My son decided he wanted a mystery party for his 13th birthday. That led me to Freeform Games. We did Way Out West – the kid version. It was super easy to host as a bartender. The kids, ranging in age from 11–13, took to the game and played their parts beautifully. We even had some surprise results. Our party has inspired a couple of others to do a party as well. Thank you for an excellent product."
Corian DeRoza, United States
"Way out West was really fun. I've hosted two murder mysteries in the past (before I found this site) and, while it was a fun dinner with friends, everyone commented on how stiff the scripts were. It's also much harder to plan a sit-down party – it limits the number of people I can have and means preparing a number of different courses. This game flowed really well and everyone got into it – really getting into character and going with the flow – making alliances and backstabbing and having lots of fun. By the end of the evening, I had more than one friend ask for the website so they could also host parties.
Way out West suited the number of people I had and it was a theme that seemed easy to put together for the party I was having (low key, pot luck event that would be easy to decorate for). It was also a theme that I knew all the guests would have an easy time dressing up for, without going crazy trying to find a good costume."
A Customer, Israel
"As the events coordinator for our brand new church, I am constantly searching for unique ideas to help bring people together.
After reviewing several Internet sites I selected Freeform Games and purchased the Way Out West Murder Mystery (expansion pack).
It was my first experience with a murder mystery. I was very impressed with the organization of the game, the instructions and plot lines.
Our church folks really got into the whole experience and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Thanks again for providing such a great resource for social events!"
Leslie Hunter, United States
"What a great night! After years of hosting murder mystery dinner parties, the Way Out West party was by far the best yet! We had gun fights galore (prizes for the first to die and for the best gunslinger) and some pretty interesting scheming and backstabbing. It was great! As one guest said, " . . . I wanted to let you know that we had a great time: thanks for hosting! We've done a fair number of murder mysteries, but I really liked the setup of this one, especially because it's not so scripted. On our way out, my husband said that we should cheat and buy it when we move somewhere else (yes, he liked it that much)."
We can't wait to order another game this year."
Kimberly Menssen, United States
"We did Way out West Expanded with our extended family between Christmas and New Years. It was fun. We spent two days decorating - we even made working saloon doors from cardboard and threw a giant sheet over the Christmas tree and made it a teepee. My husband was the host. He procrastinated cutting everything out, and was very stressed the last few hours before the game. It took a very long time to cut out everything and stick it all in envelopes. In our game, everyone thought that the Sheriff was evil. Everyone was trying to kill him. Poor guy! The Indians were poisoning everyone, and nobody knew where the poison was coming from. Everyone was running around blaming their allies. All they knew was that the Indians could heal them - so the Indians got everything they wanted. I got to play Ol' Barr, a crazy old trapper who was friends with the Indians. Supposedly the voices of spirits talked to me. Everyone thought I was crazy, and only the Indians knew I was mostly sane. Nobody figured out the solution to the murder mystery. One of the characters who knew the truth was poisoned, and the Indians told him that if he told what he knew, they'd heal him. He told everyone the answer to the murder mystery, but everyone thought he was lying and let him die. We were shocked when we found out it was the truth!"
Lisa Perez, United States
"Last night we finally had our Murder evening! Way out West on the 4th July!! How appropriate! WOW, WOW, WOW!! We have done so many boxed versions over the years & were looking for something that would allow more flexibility to allow my friends to fully express themselves & their fantastic costumes!! At long last we have found it! Over the years our group has got bigger & bigger & your games seemed to fit the bill! We certainly were not let down. Credit where credit is due! You are all amazing to come up with the whole concept that you have developed. These really are what murder dinners are all about. THANK YOU! All my friends were fully intrigued for hours & as host I found it all so easy to sort both beforehand & on the night. Our Judge was rather ingenious. When Clem showed him her evidence he refused to give it back & nicked it!!! He then made judgement later by awarding the mine 50/50 to share with Ruby & Lucy!! Where he got that from... Was so impressed that 20 friends could be so inventive & attentive for so long. All down to this wonderful game. Having shown the photos around already we now are being asked when the next one is?? So that's why I'm back on your site again!!!....So let's see what do we fancy this time???... "
Elaine Hartley, United Kingdom
"Wow. Way out West Expanded had to be the best graduation party anyone ever had! I had been thinking about doing a themed party for a while, and when I stumbled across your website, the affordability of the game, the youth-friendliness (my party was for all of my friends from church) and the many other delighted customers you've had convinced me that this was the one. It was much fun and easier than I had expected to host... and I even became Three-Feathers, the indian shaman, which I pulled off very successfully, even though I knew everything about everyone. I let my mother be the bar-tender, and we had a great array of western-themed snacks. I was amazed at the pains most of my friends went through to come dressed authentically. The ones who I imagined wouldn't go for dressing up actually came dressed the best! Everyone had a good time, and talked about it for weeks afterwards. Several were so inspired that they attempted themed parties of their own shortly after. We also had an auction afterwards. I had asked everyone to bring a small gift (wrapped), and we used the money we had gained from blackmail etc during the game to bid for the gifts. We also had a secret vote for best costume (boy / girl) and best actor / actress, and gave out small prizes which really delighted some of them.
So, overall, it was one of the best days of my life, and I can't wait until I have an excuse to do another!"
Tai Polczynski, United States
"We hosted Way out West last night for my husband's birthday party, and we had a fabulous time! We've tried MANY different brands of murder mystery games, and we have never had this much fun!
"Not only was I impressed with the plotline and how everything played out, but I was amazed at how easily everything was laid out in the host's packet. We had one couple cancel the morning of, and we easily filled their roles. One guy couldn't find a date, and one couple came and left within five minutes. The host's information was so well written that I went to my binder and I had everything solved within two minutes. Runs Like A Deer was given the extra information sheet (she even put on the name tag for both Indians -- one on each braid) and the trusty sheriff was turned into Slick O'Hare and he had a ball being evil!
"Props to you guys for writing such great mysteries for us to play. I'm already planning our next party!"
Carrie Jacks, United States
"We played Way out West on the last night of a weekend away that we had to celebrate my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. We are veterans of the boxed dinner-party games but used a Freeform to accomodate the large number of people we had -- we'll never go back to boxes again! What a fantastic time we had! I decked out our rented farmhouse like a saloon -- very authentic, and we had duels outside in the rain! Everyone really got into their characters and were determined to achieve their goals -- was really satisfying to see how much everyone enjoyed themselves; much more than the dinner party games. And, as usual for us, no one guessed the true culprit! We'll be having another party in November for my 18th birthday; Casino Fatale I think, although I won't be hosting -- I really want to take part! (Even though hosting was fantastic fun.) Thank you!"
Phil Murray, United Kingdom
"I hosted Way out West in honor of my daughter's 12th birthday party. I was uncertain about how it would work out for such young kids, but it was a smashing success! All of the kids really threw themselves into their parts, right down to phony "western" accents. We turned our basement into the Silver Dollar Saloon and stable, and served food and drinks as the story played out. I substituted gold foil wrapped chocolate coins for the money and other props for the items instead of just the cards to make the game more realistic. It was incredibly funny to watch all of the action and I hardly had to help or advise them at all. My husband and I laughed so hard we cried. I gave out prizes for the best actor and actress and for best costume. My son's girlfriend videotaped all of the action and made a great mini movie which we then sent to each guest. The kids and many of their parents are begging us to host another party. The only advice I have is prepare prepare prepare, and make sure that the kids have a good grasp of their characters before they arrive at the party. This is by far the best party we've ever had! Thanks so much for a great game!"
Di Arsenault, Canada
"Way out West – Our WOW party – how appropriate! A 'spur of the moment' idea. Wishing to hold the party during a pre-booked holiday, my daughter left us only one week to prepare!!! We did manage it, but next time we will definitely start much earlier!! Despite that, I'm glad to say the party seems to have been a huge success – judging by the response of our guests!
"This was the first Murder Mystery Party any of us had been to, let alone hosted. We very much liked the 'easy to follow' format, so simple to organise, with plenty of useful tips like the costume suggestions for all the characters – I imagine this must be one of the easiest themes to kit out, especially for the men as most have either a suit or jeans and shirt. I found some old saloon type piano music by Scott Joplin on the MSN Music site, which I was able to buy, download and burn to disc with ease. We took your advice and did a buffet so that guests could help themselves during the evening. My daughter made 'authentic cactus nibbles' out of cucumbers with cocktail sticks for the spikes. My husband made a great wooden town sign to hang above the gate, and a cactus shaped sign for The Silver Dollar bar. I made several 'Wanted' posters to stick around the house and garden (luckily we were blessed with a sunny summer evening).
Our guests ranged in age from 18 to 50, and everyone made a big effort with their costumes, the attention to detail was beyond our expectations. Slick adorned a fine facial scar (the only time he's been known to use make-up) and Deputy Dan even sported spurs on his boots! My niece, who on the day of the party, made the skirts for both Kate and Blaise, also made their garters and 'mini pockets' to hold their cards/items. Everybody got into character, even down to the family dog who was given the part of 'Starr Fairweather' – Deputy Dan's faithful mutt. Wearing a natty blue neckerchief, she dutifully followed Dan around as he carried out his duties, although I believe she spent more time gratefully accepting titbits from other guests than actually assisting the Deputy!
In keeping with the game era of 1884 we decided to take most the photos in sepia mode. They look really authentic, particulary when printed out.quot;I'm sure this won't be the last time we hold a Murder Mystery Party, there was great hilarity throughout the evening from start to finish! There is so much to do within the game, there's something for everyone! I would certainly recommend these to anybody and will be back to peruse your other games.
Thank you for all your help both on the web site and via e-mail. Your after-sales support has been phenomenal, a great example of real customer service!"
Kay Lovell, Devon, United Kingdom
"We had so much fun with the Way Out West game. We used it as part of our annual costume party so everyone was in the proper attire. We decorated the rooms in order to give them a real Western flavor. Prior to the game, we had a professional dance instructor to put us in the Wild West mood with some hilarious and tricky dance steps and routines.
"After a solid hour of dancing, we were all set to play the game. I planned it as a surprise for the guests so no one knew about it except myself. As it turned out, we wound up with the perfect costumes for all the roles. It would be hard to describe just how much fun we had. The roles are wonderfully written with their own goals, secrets, powers, objects -- every one got into the spirit and the characters were played to the hilt. A lot of combats, pick-pocketing, accusations and bribing went on. The plot twists had us in stitches. We enjoyed it up to the very last second as the conclusions were a riot to read, especially for the characters who failed to achieve their goals. We had an elaborate buffet dinner afterwards with over 15 recipes taken from original Old West cookbooks.
"This was, for all of us, our very first experience with a freeform mystery game and I would recommend it to anyone. In our case, as we are from the province of Québec, we played the whole thing in French (our mother tongue) and it goes to prove that the appeal of the game is universal. As part of the Tips for Beginners, I added a personality trademark or habit for each character to give everyone a chance to know how to approach their roles -- that proved to be a great asset to get us started as 'first timers'. We also used real objects instead of item cards and I drew the required maps with the Indian inscriptions and signs. We even rented a real cactus (the town being Cactus Gulch) and an old telegraph.
"We had signs marking the 20th anniversary of the city and a Saloon sign on our front door so that the guests literally stepped into the saloon the moment they came in, long before starting the game itself. In Act 2, we did a full 10 minutes of 'singing the dialogue' [see below], an idea which perhaps freeform purists will object to but which was a great element of surprise that turned into a genuine laugh-athon.
"There's no need to say the costumes and music helped to create an unforgettable atmosphere. We played it across 4 rooms which gave us all the space we needed whenever 'private' conversations were required or when someone wound up in jail! There was a bowl of Mexican-style punch in the kitchen throughout.
"But it's the game itself that really took us by storm -- even for me, as the host, every moment was a genuine surprise. All the plot elements are cleverly intertwined and integrated to make up a fabulous story we are not likely to ever forget. I also loved the flexibility with regards to the characters, many of which could be either male or female. You were so kind so as to answer my numerous questions while I was planning the game -- your helpful tips really helped to make our evening a rousing success. Thank you so much!!!!!
NB -- we didn't know what "singing the dialogue" meant, so we asked...
"The "singing the dialogue" part was an impromptu idea of mine, meaning that I asked everyone to continue the game but to sing their improvised dialogue instead of speaking it. I have always been musically inclined so it hit me that this could be fun and it certainly was. Thus all the various conversations were sung for a full 10 minutes. Some people used a well-known melody (like "Red River Valley" or "Turkey in the Straw") to sing to, others improvised the melodies as well. All you could hear across the 4 rooms was singing -- those who improvised the melody made it sound like a western operetta, except that the voices were not all of "Oklahoma" calibre :-) . It was most delirious as much action went on during that time as well."
Karine Philippot, Montréal, Canada
"Thought I'd write and let you know that Way out West was a great success on Friday for our Church activity. I bought Way out West thinking only about 20-25 would come, along with its suitability for a church group. We actually had 44 players so I had to write some more! Mel Easton and a couple of others had spouses, Slick had a belle for the night, and Dan a spinster schoolteacher for a sister! And complete with Blacksmith, Farmer, postmaster, photographers from the newspaper and a couple of extra cowboys and Indians we were ready. Couples played together to try and fulfil their aims and it worked well. All the parts I added had health cards, a revolver or 2 for the cowboys and the goals to find out who were the good/bad guys, the murderer and what everyone's hidden agenda was. I also had 4 of our older ladies play town gossips -- they did a bit too good of a job... No talk of football, family or work -- we really WERE in Cactus Gulch in 1884."
Judy Beaumont, Teesside, United Kingdom
"My 11 year old son Daniel summed it up. "The best party I ever been to -- and it was mine!"
Way out West was a huge success! At the beginning the kids (aged from 11 to 14) struggled to take in all the information, but I spent the first hour or so answering questions. Once the second envelopes were handed out and a few more questions they really got into it very quickly. There were dodgy deals, scheming, and suspicions all around. Some learnt a few quick lessons about the value of information, negotiation and recognising who their friends were. When we took a break (when the Telegraph was fixed) the kids were so involved in their characters that hardly any birthday cake was eaten!
I cannot thank you both enough for the support you gave me in the beginning and all the parents were asking about how we did it so now everyone now knows all about Freeform Games. Without doubt it was the kids' party of the year. You must do more kids' versions, so the other parents can copy us."
Dave Pollock, United Kingdom
"My friends really enjoyed Way out West and so did I. The format is really good as it is not like other murder mystery games where there is a lot of dialogue read off a page. The improvisation was much more fun."
Kate Ingram
"We used Way out West, the kids' version, for my daughter's 13th birthday party. It was a grand success. The boys and girls all got into their parts, came dressed up and really enjoyed themselves. Some of the kids worked really hard on their goals, and others just spent the whole time in "shoot outs" and recovering from being unconscious! Having something to do and a role to play made it easy for lots of interactions – which is important for the socially awkward age of 13. I just wish you had more games adapted for the kids! As a parent giving the party, it was nice to not have to worry about sending home the kids with age-inappropriate story lines (although we will be giving another murder mystery party for our adult friends and we look forward to an evening of mayhem and murder!)"
Leslie Blackie, California, United States
"Way out West was great fun. Everyone got into their role. They were still discussing the various intrigues and actions a week later. I don't think I'll have any problem finding participants for the next game."
David Schwalm
"I did a lot of research on mystery parties before I found Freeform Games and the appeal for me was that it is so interactive. I bought Way out West for our church Young Adults group and it is easily the best activity we have ever done!
"Everyone was talking about it for weeks -- this is a great idea for groups that want to get to know each other better and bring people out of their shells -- some of our most active and entertaining participants were people we normally thought of as quiet. Everyone dressed up (which was a surprise) and took their parts very seriously.
"We're planning All at Sea now for the Christmas holiday party. Thanks Freeform Games!"
Elaine Guikema
Way out West – Decor ideas – Merle Nicholson
Way out West – Decor ideas – Merle Nicholson
Way out West – Decor ideas – Merle Nicholson
Way out West – Decor ideas – Merle Nicholson
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Daphne Sajous
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Marta Okuniewska
Way out West – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – character envelopes – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – décor ideas – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – in jail – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – telegraph office – Michaela Mrázová
Way out West – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – character pack – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – chuck wagon – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – saloon – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – set dressing – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – shootout – Colleen Giles Shepherd
Way out West – Zoom – Rosie Eaton
Way out West – Helena Mas
Way out West – Riccardo Vaccaro
Way out West – Riccardo Vaccaro
Way out West – Riccardo Vaccaro
Way out West – Online – Zoe Werner
Way out West – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Crime Scene – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Decor ideas – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Decor ideas – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Saloon girls – Michélle Adendorff Toxopeus
Way out West – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – decor ideas – Sydney Boyum
Way out West – István Dobreán
Way out West – cactus decor ideas – István Dobreán
Way out West – decor ideas – István Dobreán
Way out West – wanted poster decor ideas – István Dobreán
Way out West – Donna Wirth
Way out West – Dana Loewen
Way out West – Dana Loewen
Way out West – Dana Loewen
Way out West – Dana Loewen
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Slick O Hare – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Dan Fairweather – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Sandi Smith
Way out West – Amy McClure
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West in Zambia – Jacqui French
Way out West in Zambia – Jacqui French
Way out West in Zambia – Jacqui French
Way out West – Kelli Dougal
Way out West – Sara Messall
Way out West – Sara Messall
Way out West in Zimbabwe – group shot – Lorraine Shaw
Way out West – Lorraine Shaw
Way out West – Lorraine Shaw
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West in Estonia – Kadri Umbleja
Way out West – Jill Danner
Way out West – Jill Danner
Way out West – Jill Danner
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Melissa Midcap
Way out West – Lyn Mynott
Way out West – bartender at work – Lyn Mynott
Way out West – Cindy Fischer
Way out West – Cindy Fischer
Way out West – Cindy Fischer
Way out West – Cindy Fischer
Way out West – Cindy Fischer
Way out West, steampunk style – Clem and Elijah – J Yu
Way out West, steampunk style – in the saloon – J Yu
Way out West – Blaise Sadler at the salooon doors – Mike Munoz
Way out West – Doc Faraday – Mike Munoz
Way out West – Elijah Entwhistle and the cow skull – Mike Munoz
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – decor ideas – Deb Scott
Way out West – Wendy White, Abineau Lodge
Way out West – Wendy White, Abineau Lodge
Way out West – Wendy White, Abineau Lodge
Way out West – some paper strips (could use fabric too) hung from a tension rod turns a useless hallway into a jail for the Silver Dollar saloon! – Jen W
Way out West Expanded – Melanie L
Way out West Expanded, in sepia! – Melanie L
Way out West Expanded – A Customer
Way out West at a family reunion, aged 8 to 82! – Steve Smith
Way out West – crime scene – Leslie Hunter
Way out West – freechurch.net style – Leslie Hunter
Way out West – Slick and the Sheriff – Leslie Hunter
Way out West – the bartenders – Leslie Hunter
Way out West Expanded – Dan and Abe – Kimberly Menssen
Way out West Expanded – Indian gathering – Kimberly Menssen
Way out West Expanded – Slick O'Hare, wanted dead or alive – Kimberly Menssen
Way out West Expanded – Candy Clouse
Way out West Expanded – Candy Clouse
Way out West Expanded – Candy Clouse
Way out West Expanded – Judeg Paulson and Clem Parham – Candy Clouse
Way out West Expanded – Widder James and Minnie May Adams – Candy Clouse
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West – A Customer
Way out West Expanded – Dan and Able – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Elijah and Kate – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Etta and Lucy – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – group shot – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Lucy and Dan – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Mel and the Judge – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Ol' Barr – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Ol' Barr and the Bartender – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Runs Like a Deer and Clem – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Runs Like a Deer and Three Feathers – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Three Feathers and Slick – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Three Feathers, Blaise and Minnie – Lisa Perez
Way out West Expanded – Tai Polczynski
Way out West Expanded – Tai Polczynski
Way out West Expanded – Tai Polczynski
Way out West Expanded – Tai Polczynski
Way out West Expanded group photo – Pam Owens
Way out West – invitation artwork – Danny
Way out West Expanded for kids – bartender and sheriff – Dave Pollock
Way out West Expanded for kids – desperadoes – Dave Pollock
Way out West – On the back row, L-R: Three Feathers, Able Blane, Clem Parham, Christy Martin (with child), Doc Faraday, Runs Like a Deer and Mel Easton. On the front row, L-R: John Paulson, Blaise Sadler, Elijah Entwhistle, Kalamata Kate, Dan Fairweather, Slick O'Hare, Lucy Calhoun. And there's me, the barman! – Phil Murray
Way out West – Doc Faraday, Judge Paulson and Slick O'Hare – Kay Lovell
Way out West – sepia group – Kay Lovell
Way out West – sheriff and deputy – Kay Lovell
Way out West – the gates of Cactus Gulch – Kay Lovell
Way out West group photo – Vick
Way out West – the first playtest – Mo Holkar
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.
