Murder in the Dark

Deal the roles

Choose who plays and which roles are in, then deal. Each player sees their own role in secret, and nothing about anyone's role is kept.

For little ones, try Snooze Bandit: our free winking game for ages 4 and up, with the lights on. One wink and you're off to sleep.

How to play Murder in the Dark ↓

What you need

• A room you can make properly dark, with the floor cleared.
• 3 to 20 players. Six or more is the most fun; with twelve or more, add a second murderer.
• A way to deal secret roles: folded slips of paper from a hat, a pack of cards, or the free role dealer on this page.
• A host who knows where the light switch is.

How to play

Murder in the Dark is an old party game that needs nothing but a room you can make dark and a group happy to scream a bit. One player is secretly the murderer, one is the detective, and everyone else is a suspect. The lights go out, someone gets tapped on the shoulder, and the detective has to work out who did it.

1. Deal the roles in secret. One player is the detective, one is the murderer and everyone else is a suspect. With cards, the jack is the murderer, the king is the detective and every other card is a suspect.
2. The detective steps out. The detective says who they are and leaves the room. Nobody else shows their role.
3. Lights off. Everyone walks slowly around the room.
4. The murder. The murderer picks a victim and taps them on the shoulder. The victim counts to three in their head, screams, and sits or lies down where they are.
5. Freeze. Once the scream goes up, nobody moves. The host turns the lights on and lets the detective back in.
6. Questions. The detective questions the suspects. Everyone tells the truth except the murderer, who can lie.
7. The accusation. The detective names one player. Right, and the detective wins. Wrong, and the murderer gets away with it.

House variations

• Two murderers. For twelve or more players. The detective has to name both to win.
• The silent witness. One suspect is secretly shown who the murderer is (the role dealer below can do this for you). The witness can only answer the detective with yes or no, so the detective has to ask the right questions.
• The light keeper. One player works the lights: off to start, and on the moment the scream goes up. Both dealers can pick them at random and tell everyone. They might be the murderer too, unless you choose to keep them innocent.
• A time limit. Give the detective three minutes, or ten questions, before they must accuse.
• For younger players. Dim the lights instead of turning them off, and make the murderer a thief who steals a sock.

Safety in the dark

• Clear the floor first: bags, toys, cords and anything on low tables.
• Pick a room with no stairs, no glass doors and nothing breakable at head height.
• Everyone walks, nobody runs.
• Agree a stop word before the lights go out. If anyone says it, the light keeper (or whoever is nearest the switch) puts the lights on straight away.
• With younger players, a grown-up stays in the room, next to the light switch.

Wink Murder

The lights-on version, for teens and grown-ups, about 10 and up. Choose Wink Murder in the dealer above, or deal with slips of paper.

1. Deal the roles. One murderer, and a detective if you like. Everyone else is innocent.
2. Mingle or sit in a circle, lights on, looking at each other.
3. The murderer kills with a wink. They catch someone's eye and wink when nobody else is looking.
4. Die dramatically. A winked-at player counts to three in their head, then dies as theatrically as they like: a gasp, a wobble, a slow slide to the floor. The sillier the better.
5. Catch the winker. The detective has three guesses to name the murderer. Three wrong guesses, or everyone else gone, and the murderer wins. With no detective, anyone can accuse, and a wrong guess puts you out.

More party games

Murder in the Dark is one of our party games: one room, everyone on their own phone, no app and no TV. For little ones there's Snooze Bandit, free too, and Spot the Blow-in and Which Would Ya? are next.

Want a mystery tonight without the party?

For a night in with fewer people, our games to play at home run on your phone, with nothing to print. Stay on the Line (15+) is free from start to finish, and Today's puzzle is a new one every day.