Halloween is Saturday, October 31, two weeks from today. That is enough time to plan a murder mystery party for 8 to 20 people if you work back from the party, because its deadlines are fixed: each player's character goes out at least two days before, and a printable game takes 30 to 40 minutes to set up on the day.
Below is the calendar for a party on Halloween or on Saturday, October 24, with the reason for each step; then what each date allows, and which of our two party games fits it: The Hundredth Episode, out now, or The Tenth Winter, out Monday. Printing, setup and the 90-minute format (every player's character and the shared evidence, read two days ahead) are covered step by step in How to Host a Murder Mystery Party at Home, written for The Hundredth Episode (The Tenth Winter sets up the same way), and this guide does not repeat them.
The calendar, counted back from the party
Both columns are for a Saturday party. For a Friday, move every date from the replies on one day earlier.
| Party on Oct 24 | Party on Oct 31 | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 17 | Sat, Oct 17 | Pick the game and the edition. | Every date below counts back from it, and the edition decides whether you print or start a room. |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Sat, Oct 17 | Send the invitations: the date, the length of the evening, and a day to reply by. | The cast is built from the replies. Say the length now: the 90-minute evening depends on every guest reading their character and the shared evidence two days ahead. |
| Mon, Oct 19 | Mon, Oct 19 | The Tenth Winter comes out, printable and digital. | Neither edition can be bought before then. The Hundredth Episode is out now. |
| Wed, Oct 21 | Wed, Oct 28 | Replies in. Cast from character 1 up, and count yourself: the host plays too. | Characters 1 to 8 are required and 9 to 20 join in number order, so the final number decides exactly which characters you cast. |
| Thu, Oct 22 | Thu, Oct 29 | Send each player their own character, and nobody else's. For the 90-minute format, send the shared evidence too, as required reading: each game's phone pack carries it as one file. | Two days ahead is the least either game asks: each player reads their guide alone and arrives as that character. |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Sat, Oct 31 | Set up the printable, 30 to 40 minutes before anyone arrives. | It is done once, and it picks the night's version without showing you which, so you play as blind as your guests, unless your own sealed card tells you that you did it. |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Sat, Oct 31 | The party: about three hours, or 90 minutes. | The short evening runs on Thursday's reading, so that choice is made by Thursday, not on the night. |
The digital edition keeps the same dates with less to handle. Once the replies are in, start a room from your host page and send the join link; each player joins with a name, you cast them, and from then on their phone shows only their own character. On the night there is nothing to print or sort, and every phone needs to be online.
What each party date allows
October 17 and 18, this weekend. Too soon for a party of 8 to 20. Both games ask for each player's character to go out at least two days ahead, and for a Saturday or Sunday party that day has passed. A cold case for one or two players needs none of that: no host, no cast and nothing sent ahead, just an evening of 60 to 90 minutes. Accident, Drink Involved came out on Friday, and The Orpheum File is the first Cold Ledger case; both print at home or play in the browser, and How to Host a Detective Date Night at Home covers the evening.
It is also the weekend for the case file if The Tenth Winter is on your calendar. The Tenth Winter can be played on its own, but if you will play both, play Accident, Drink Involved first, because the party talks about that night.
Saturday, October 24. Either party game fits, with a short run-up for The Tenth Winter: it comes out on Monday, and its characters go out on Thursday. With The Hundredth Episode, which is out now, the characters can go out as soon as the replies are in.
Halloween weekend, October 30 and 31. Either game, with time to spare. For Saturday the 31st, the characters go out by Thursday the 29th; for Friday the 30th, by Wednesday the 28th. The extra week is room to chase the last replies, which matters most near the minimum: characters 1 to 8 are all required, so a party of eight has no spare.
Which game, and which edition?
Cold Ledger Games makes two party games, and they plan the same way: 8 to 20 players, about three hours or a 90-minute format, each player's character at least two days ahead, and a host who plays too. Each game holds four sealed versions, and the setup picks one without showing the host which: the host finds out at the reveal with everyone else, unless their own sealed card says they did it.
The Hundredth Episode is set in a restored theater, on the night a true-crime podcast tapes its hundredth episode live, and it is out now. The Tenth Winter is set at a company's tenth year-end party, at its founder's lake house, and it comes out on Monday, October 19. Two New Cold Ledger Mysteries covers what it is.
Each comes in two editions, priced the same. The printable is files: the host prints the shared materials and one sealed version, and each player reads their own character on a phone or on paper. The digital edition is a room on everyone's phones, run from the host's phone, in one room or on a video call; players join with a link and a name, and buy nothing and install nothing. A Murder Mystery Party You Play on Your Phones explains how it runs.
Both are in the Halloween sale through October 31: The Hundredth Episode at $27.99 instead of $34.99, and The Tenth Winter at $27.99 instead of $34.99 from launch day.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I plan a murder mystery party?
Two weeks is comfortable for 8 to 20 people. The fixed deadline is two days before the party, when each player's character goes out; before that you need a game, an edition and a final headcount. On the day, a printable takes 30 to 40 minutes to set up.
When should guests get their characters?
At least two days before the party, so each player can read their guide alone and arrive as that character: their own file or printed pages, or in the digital edition their own guide on their phone. For the 90-minute format, the shared evidence goes with it as required reading: each game's phone pack carries it as one file.
How many people do I need?
Eight to twenty for either Cold Ledger party game, and the host plays too, so count yourself. Characters 1 to 8 are required, and the mystery is fully solvable with eight; characters 9 to 20 join in number order.
How long does the party itself take?
About three hours, arrival to verdict. For a fixed end time, both games have a 90-minute format, which depends on every player reading their character and the shared evidence two days ahead.
Is it too late to plan a murder mystery party for Halloween?
No. For a party on Saturday, October 31, the characters go out by Thursday, October 29, which leaves time to invite, collect replies and cast. The Hundredth Episode is out now, and The Tenth Winter comes out on Monday, October 19, both printable and digital.
Can I host a murder mystery party on short notice?
Yes, if each player's character can still go out at least two days before the party, with the shared evidence for the 90-minute format. With less notice than that, a cold case for one or two players needs no host and nothing sent ahead: The Orpheum File, or Accident, Drink Involved.
Pick the Game Today
The Hundredth Episode is out now, printable or on everyone's phones. The Tenth Winter comes out on Monday, October 19.
The Hundredth Episode About The Tenth Winter