Virtual Murder Mysteries FAQs

What platform do you use?

We prefer to use Zoom because the user experience is streets ahead of any of the other platforms. You do not need to download the software, so there is no security risk at all. We can use other platforms but your experience will not be as good. Actors may not be able to change their names to their character names, or may not be able to use their virtual backdrops and this takes away some of the magic. Our Inspectors are very experienced at controlling crowds on Zoom, and are very adept with the mute button when required.

What is the difference between one, three and five actor shows?

The quick answer is cost and the number of actors. If you have the one actor show then all suspects are shown as photographs, with three actors two suspects are present and the rest shown as photographs and with five actors all suspects are present.

How does it work?

You will be sent clues and a link one hour before the show. A detective will act as host and he will lead you through the case, explaining clues and introducing persons of interest in the case.

Do I send you everyone's email?

No, please do not do that. We send the link to you (or another contact) and you forward our email to all of the participants. This avoids any privacy / email sharing issues.

Is the event private?

Yes, all virtual events are for your group only.

Can we have characters?

In our virtual experience the detective and suspects are played by professional actors. You can give yourself character names, for example people from the local village. The siller the names the better! We can give up to three people a couple of lines in the two hour experience.

In live events we do have options where people can play roles, but the nature of virtual and the limited time means that too much can give the experience a feeling of being a bit messy and chaotic. We want you to have a professional experience rather than a disjointed 'No, you say your line ... you started first ... can I just ... sorry, I thought you had finished' etc.

Can the event be personalised?

If you have a three actor show or more then we can add three or so personalised touches. Send us over a few snippets of information and we will build them in to the dialogue. Bear in mind that if you book an hour show that this is a bit limited, we do not want to waste crime solving time discussing Deirdre's penchant for line dancing in the wrong order, amusing thought that may be. Please also bear the script in mind, so if Malcolm has just purchased an electric car it cannot really be mentioned in the 1920s script.

We have a large group, will it be engaging for everyone?

Every group has extroverts who want to be on the screen and introverts who might prefer to watch. This is one of the best events when it comes to satisfying everyone. When there are more than 50 people not everyone will be able to ask every question that they have. However, when a person asks a question it's likely that it is one that many people had, so all of the information will be put across. Look at our Trustpilot reviews to see that even large groups love our shows.

Can we split the teams into pre-arranged teams?

Zoom has a very slick function that organises people into random teams in the blink of an eye. If you want pre-arranged teams you will need to have a tech co-host as this can not be arranged in advance. The Inspector / Host just cannot do this as well as keep your group entertained.

Can we have the clues earlier?

We send the clues out one hour before because that is the optimum time for people to have them. We can send them out a bit earlier if you need time for administration, but we do not recommend that people have them for too long before the event because they contain a 'smoking gun', and if discovered before the event you have ruined your experience. We do recommend that they are printed off and that you have a pen in hand for notes.

Should we dress up?

Yes, please do. It adds so much to yoiur experience, seeing everyone dressed up. Some of the costumes that we have seen have been wonderful; we see Peaky Blinders at the 1920s show, and full scary makeup at Little House of Horrors. It is such fun.

What is availability like?

We have three teams working on this new side of our business, but some dates are still full. Fridays and Saturdays are often full, but on other days of the week you can usually pick your time.

We had to suddenly get online last year, and we have not had much time to prepare. Ideally we would have a neat online diary, but unfortunately you will have to contact us for availability. But do not hang around, dates are filling fast. Contact us for further information.

We also offer Virtual Murder Mystery Gift Vouchers?

Find out about our journey into virtual events here.