£15.00 – £18.00
Story and Characters for this Western Murder Mystery Game
Host a great, rootin' tootin' game of wild west murder and mystery.
It's the American Frontier when The West was still wild. The town of Deadstone Creek is as corrupt as a rattlesnake's den. Murdering outlaws terrorise the stagecoaches. Cowboys and cattle ranchers are up to no good. And that new gold mine is just plumb shady.
In this wild western murder mystery party, no one is honest and violence is just a gunshot away.
The saloon's Cancan dancers swish their petticoats as loud explosions sound from behind the town's only bank.
Everyone rushes outside to find a hole in the rear bank wall and a fire in the General Store.
In the confusion, Belle Hawkes - a suspected member of a gunslinging outlaw gang - is sprung from jail.
Then - Deuce take it! - Marshal Westernby is shot. Plumb dead.
Law enforcers may be no better than the outlaws in this Old Western Whodunnit Party. Doggone treachery is afoot and the petticoated saloon girls know some secrets ...
Get a wiggle on and download this cowboy and outlaw murder mystery dinner party or party game. Transport your family and friends back into the days of the wild, wild west for an evening of ace-high, crime-solving fun.
Elements of the Wild West Included in Our Murdering Mystery
Cattle Ranchers and Cowboys
Our mystery includes cowboys and ranchers and, optionally, cowgirls. It includes typical themes such as cattle rustling, rancher wars and that icon of the Western movie: the posse.
Saloon Girls
Our game is written so that the saloon women are "respectable" women employed to chat, dance and serve drinks. Saloon women do, however, perform a lively and “scandalous” Cancan display each evening – much to the outrage of morality campaigners.
Morality campaigners looked down on these saloon girls but men were required to treat them with respect - although the women often wore a pistol or dagger strapped to their boots just to be sure!
There are optional opportunities for players to perform the Cancan and to sing a saloon song. (This is great fun - but totally optional; the game will play just fine without it.)
Outlaws
Our murdering mystery has more than one fearless, gunslinging, gun-toting outlaw - but to find out who you will have to play the game! There are optional opportunities for pretend gun fights.
Others
Morality campaigners were active along the American Frontier; the sheriff, deputy and marshals might or might not have been law-abiding.
This western murder mystery party game sure has an all-fired, plumb fun mix of cowboys and outlaws, saloon girls and gamblers, law enforcers and Moralism advocates
so
dig out your Stetsons, plump up those petticoats and have yourselves an ace-high, rootin' tootin' time!
Polite notes: please check how many wish to play BEFORE purchase. The two optional/minor characters are fully integrated but have slightly smaller roles.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party Game: 6 - 8 Players
Gender of 6 essential players: 3 female, 3 male, 0 neutrals
Gender of 2 optional/minor players: 2 neutrals
Number of suspects: 6 - 8
Essential Female Suspects
Mrs Faith King – new wife of Sheriff King; founder of the DeadStone Creek Moralist Society.
A truly formidable campaigner against drink, gambling and saloon women; on a mission to turn the saloon into a children's school.
Drinking and gambling are immoral; immoral, I say. And the Cancan is a scandalous dance; scandalous I say …
Petticoat Pearl – saloon girl and Cancan dancer from Texas.
I’m Petticoat Pearl from good ol’ Texas, sugars – bless their hearts, but men love my coloured petticoats and they love my pearls.
Kitty O'Mara – Irish saloon owner who allegedly won her saloon on a game of cards; has convinced the locals to buy shares in the new gold mine.
Oi’m wee Kitty O’Mara from Oireland. The gold mine will make you rich, to be sure it will.
Essential Male Suspects
Hank Henderson-Hawkes – Eastern city slicker turned Western cattle rancher; distant cousin of suspected outlaw Belle Hawkes.
My dear man, what Hank Henderson-Hawkes wants, Hank Henderson-Hawkes gets. Indeedy.
Sheriff King – sheriff; claims to be honest.
Darlin’, that’s a plumb, darn lie. I’m as honest a Sheriff as ever graced the Star.
Wild Will Wilder – former cowboy, now a small rancher; said to be courting suspected outlaw, Belle Hawkes. Denies being one of the murderous Deadstone Gang.
Thunderation. I’m the fastest draw this side of the canyon. Dare you threaten me?
Optional/Minor Suspects - Gender Neutral
Heath Hawkes – cowboy/cowgirl; works for Hank on the Henderson H range. Has a fearsome reputation.
I ain’t no civilizee like Hank here; I was born with me boots on and a gun in each hand and don’t no one forget it!
Jody "The Kid" Wilder – cowboy/cowgirl; works for cousin Will Wilder and also claims to be fearsome with a gun.
Great smokes! You ain't the fastest draw, Will: I am.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party Game: 8 - 10 Players
Gender of 8 essential players: 4 female, 4 male, 0 neutrals
Gender of 2 optional/minor players: 2 neutrals
Number of suspects: 8 - 10
Essential Female Suspects
Mrs Faith King – new wife of Sheriff King; founder of the DeadStone Creek Moralist Society
A truly formidable campaigner against drink, gambling and saloon women; on a mission to turn the saloon into a children's school.
Drinking and gambling are immoral; immoral, I say. And the Cancan is a scandalous dance; scandalous I say …
Kitty O'Mara – Irish saloon owner who allegedly won her saloon on a game of cards; has convinced the locals to buy shares in the new gold mine.
Oi’m wee Kitty O’Mara from Oireland. The gold mine will make you rich, to be sure it will.
Petticoat Pearl – saloon girl and Cancan dancer from Texas
I’m Petticoat Pearl from good ol’ Texas, sugars – bless their hearts, but men love my coloured petticoats and they love my pearls.
"Lady" Ruby – saloon girl and Cancan dancer from England; gives herself airs and claims to be a lady.
I am Lady Ruby – a genuine lady from England, an English rose no less. You may call me Lady Ruby.
Essential Male Suspects
Craig McCowboy – originally from Scotland, this former cowboy now owns a small ranch.
Och lookee here, pal, I ain't doggone to blame.
Hank Henderson-Hawkes – Eastern city slicker turned Western cattle rancher; distant cousin of suspected outlaw Belle Hawkes.
My dear man, what Hank Henderson-Hawkes wants, Hank Henderson-Hawkes gets. Indeedy.
Sheriff King – sheriff; claims to be honest.
Darlin’, that’s a plumb, darn lie. I’m as honest a Sheriff as ever graced the Star.
Wild Will Wilder – former cowboy, now a small rancher; said to be courting suspected outlaw, Belle Hawkes. Denies being one of the murderous Deadstone Gang.
Thunderation. I’m the fastest draw this side of the canyon. Dare you threaten me?
Optional/Minor Suspects - Gender Neutral
Heath Hawkes – cowboy/cowgirl; works for Hank on the Henderson H range. Has a fearsome reputation.
I ain’t no civilizee like Hank here; I was born with me boots on and a gun in each hand and don’t no one forget it!
Jody "The Kid" Wilder – cowboy/cowgirl; works for cousin Will Wilder and also claims to be fearsome with a gun.
Great smokes! You ain't the fastest draw, Will: I am.
Jonathan Robert Curtis-Kroeger (verified owner) –
What a fun-filled game. Very easy to use and play. It’s nice that even the host doesn’t know whodunnit and so can play too. My guests all expressed how fantastic the scenario was and the characters were delightful to play.
Superb value and so glad I purchased this game.
Brenda (verified owner) –
Our group of seven had soooo much fun in Deadstone Creek! Whether well-acquainted with murder mystery events or first-timers, we all had a very memorable time together!
The logistics of purchasing, downloading, following instructions, all was perfect and easy. I was impressed too, with the personal communications that came from the owner as appropriate.
None of us had done a scripted event before, so were a bit leary about that part of it, but we agreed that it was actually very helpful. Next time, I think I’d give the party booklets to each person ahead of time. I don’t believe it would detract from the playing-out of it at all, but would help ease any individual anxiety about reading out loud off-the-cuff. And it certainly did not detract from ad-libbing or really getting into the spirit of our characers.
Our hosts added soooo much to the event – they love to have fun and are so very creative. They transformed both their outdoor forest and river area as well as what became an indoor saloon into the perfect setting. One of our guests had recommended ahead of time to use water pistols instead of toy guns – this added soooo much fun as well! (We used them only when we were outdoors! 🙂 )
We highly recommend Maple Mystery Games and will certainly consider other games from their site when we want to do another fun mystery event.
Tash (verified owner) –
Yeehaw! Gather ’round, cowboys and cowgirls. What a wild time was had in the Deadstone Saloon! All the hombres were wearin’ the skirts, and the ladies strapped on their spurs!
Another 10/10 from us!
Kearstin Bye (verified owner) –
The idea was fun, the characters were unique and funny to play. The way it was written was somewhat confusing especially the clues. But after a few stumbles we figured it out. Probably would be better with an all adult group, it was a little long for the girls at my daughter’s birthday party. They are 10-11. And although this was recommended for teens/adults. I feel like an all adult group would appreciate it more. I was hoping that it would invlove moving about the house to discover clues or something but it was just reading mostly. A lot of printing invloved, can really tell the thought that went into it. The posters were super fun. The girls enjoyed the western theme, we had cowboy hats and lots of old western style guns to play with.
Note from Maple Mystery Games: I’m so glad your daughter and her friends enjoyed the party although, as you say, the game is very much a flexibly scripted game aimed at adults which teens 13+ should not be too shocked if they join in. But I’m so glad your daughter’s guests enjoyed it!
Michele Bickerton (verified owner) –
What a fabulous night.
So many laughs with everyone dressing up and getting into their Wild West character.
Instructions, downloads and support information were excellent, and communication was brilliant with the company.
We are planning which one to do next.
Ps great value for money.
Amanda marriott (verified owner) –
Had an absolute shootout of a time. The whole family loved it and what a twist. We all got dressed up and stuck in character all the way through. Would highly recommend.
Clare Wallace (verified owner) –
Rooting tooting good fun time at Kitty O Mara’s Saloon. Accusations, dancing, shootouts and enough suspects to keep us all guessing til the end! Would recommend. We played as a family with teens and adults.
Steve Phillippy (verified owner) –
Had a great time playing your game. Everyone came dressed for the part. We even had 2 girls learn the CanCan dance. No one guessed the murderers. I made my own invites and dressed them up using my cricut machine. See pic. I only wish the game booklets had everyone’s lines (ie not just the line before yours)as our actors kept losing their places and had to be reminded it was their turn. Other than that it was great.
Note from Maple Mystery Games: since the gentleman bought this game, we have added additional prompts for when players read the clues, have removed one of the red herrings and have also created some “optional extra clues” that guests can use or not as they wish to help them work out whodunnit.
Tamara (verified owner) –
Murder in the Wild West was a fantastic way to spend an evening, brilliant fun and would definitely recommend!
David Cooper (verified owner) –
What a rip-roaring, rooting-tooting night we had. Fantastically well-written script, superb props, great outfits by all. We were kept guessing right to the end whodunnit. Would highly recommend undertaking one of the evenings; fun all round. Thanks again.