We had a very fun New Years Eve that I’ve been excited to write about — family members came over to play a murder mystery game, complete with costumes, wigs, and props! My dad found a well-reviewed game on Amazon called Murder at Mardi Gras and we assigned everyone parts in advance so there was time to gather costumes. The afternoon of the party we blew up balloons and decorated. Going full throttle with the Mardi Gras theme, we prepared a Fat Tuesday meal — baked french toast, crispy bacon, and an egg dish. Plus hurricane cocktails! Here is the scene of the crime…

Name tags, masks, and beads… let’s do this:

My dad is ready to go as a snazzy jazz musician named Bourbon:

My sister helps my mom put on goth make-up for her character:

And here’s the whole gang:

Now let me tell you about the murder. Pierre DuPre was found strangled in his billiards room with an antique set of Mardi Gras beads on the night of the Krewe ball. There were lots of people in Pierre’s life who wanted him dead — and all of them were at the party that night. So who done it?!

Here’s the suspicious cast of characters…

We all just love each other… so much…

Just being in character and playing off each other was so fun.

Yes… my sister dressed her little puppy as a butler so they could have matching outfits. So stinkin’ cute.

My cousin’s son Ryden was adorable as a little chef:

Julie whipped up a batch of hurricanes to kick off dinner:

Our Fat Tuesday meal:

Cookies came out later:

Of course the pups — Maggie, Missy, and Oscar — didn’t know what to think. As usual, their humans do crazy things, and they just go along for the ride. We love them so much.

After dinner we settled in and began the game in earnest. My dad took charge, reading the rules. Each character is given a booklet which contains info they must reveal during each chapter of the game, as well as additional background info which they don’t have to outright reveal unless they are asked about it. There are four chapters total and a few paper clues that are passed around at specific moments. Each chapter is a slow unfolding of information as we quiz each other — it’s not scripted per se, but you’re given specific info to say out loud at certain moments, and the rest of the game evolves from there. Everyone has a motive and a lengthy backstory that is revealed over the course of the game; you just have to figure out who wanted to kill Pierre the most and had the means and opportunity.

After a few hours of sleuthing, we figured out who killed Pierre. Of course I won’t spoil it here. But for the record: the murderer finds out his or her identity early on in the game, and is allowed to cover up with lies when we all grill each other during each chapter. At the end of the game everyone votes for who they think did it, and then each character reads a final passage that ultimately reveals the murder’s identity.

After the game, it was almost midnight and we opened Christmas gifts. Funny story: David and Bethany trade Saved by the Bell-themed gifts each year, always trying to up each other. This year my cousin won: he found one of the t-shirts that Dustin Diamond (Screech) sold back in 2006 to raise money to save his Wisconsin home from foreclosure. They’ve both been trying to find those shirts on e-bay for years to surprise the other. My sister made David a wood plaque with the cast photo.

After clinking champagne glasses at midnight, we capped off the evening by watching one of our favorite shows — we’ve always loved the late 90’s TV comedy 3rd Rock from the Sun, and our favorite episode is when the Solomon family goes to a murder mystery weekend WITHOUT REALIZING IT’S A GAME. People are killed all night, and each time they freak out thinking it’s real. Comedy gold. You can stream the episode for free here.

What a fun and memorable night! Thanks to my parents and sister who did most of the planning and decorating! Cheers to 2017!