Murder at the Midnight Sleigh

Christmas Eve, 1927. Beneath Finch's Toy Emporium, behind a stockroom bookcase and a whispered password, the Midnight Sleigh is throwing the party of the year. The band is playing, the Snowdrift Fizz is flowing, and the club's owner has promised a Christmas announcement at a quarter past ten.

He never makes it.

At 10:06 he is found dead in his office, his safe open and his red folder of secrets gone. Everyone has a motive. Everyone has a secret. One of your guests is the murderer, and before midnight the rest must work out who.

A printable 1920s speakeasy murder mystery party game with a Christmas twist, for 8 to 15 players, written to be fair: the clues prove who did it, so sharp detectives can solve it without guessing.

WHAT YOU GET

• Host Guide (15 pages): quick-start checklist, casting for 8-15 players, cast list, 3-hour and 2-hour running orders, rules, read-aloud host script, printing guide, menu and decoration ideas, FAQ
• 15 Character Booklets (2 pages each, one sheet per guest): who you are, what to wear, lines to say, your secret, motive, alibi and goals for each round
• Clue Cards: 15 core clues over 3 rounds + 7 optional-role clues
• Sealed Solution: a read-aloud reveal, the step-by-step proof, every red herring explained and the full timeline
• Invitations: a write-in party invitation and a character invitation for every guest, plus a digital invitation image and ready-to-paste invitation wording
• Party Extras: name tags, Holly Notes play money, accusation slips, 6 award certificates, a menu card, a "Members Only" door sign and round envelope labels
• 82 pages in all, in two complete sets: US Letter and A4 (each laid out for its own paper, not scaled)

HOW IT PLAYS

• 8 core roles are needed for every game; add up to 7 optional roles for 9 to 15 players. Optional roles never change the solution.
• Cocktails, three rounds of clues, accusations and the big reveal: about 3 hours, or a 2-hour version
• The host doesn't need to know the answer, so the host can play too
• The murderer knows they did it and may lie; everyone else has secrets of their own to hide
• Any role can be played by any guest
• Every drink on the menu has an alcohol-free version

GOOD TO KNOW

• Instant digital download: you get a zip file of PDFs after checkout. Nothing is shipped.
• Print at home or at a print shop, at 100% ("Actual size"). Covers are in colour; everything else prints well in black and white.
• Content: an off-stage murder (no gore), with 1920s drinking, smoking, gambling, bribery and a secret romance. Best for teens and adults (13+).
• Personal use: print as many copies as you need for your own parties. Please do not resell or share the files.
• This is an original story with original characters. It is not affiliated with any other game, book, film or brand.

How we made it: the story, characters and clues are original to this game. They were written with the help of AI tools, then checked and edited by us, including a step-by-step consistency check of every clue, alibi and timeline. All artwork and ornaments are drawn by code, not AI image tools.

Questions or refund requests: email quillbaylabs@gmail.com.