Promote, Celebrate, Feast – Murder Mystery Dinner

Promote, Celebrate, Feast – Murder Mystery Dinner

The office is buzzing, the champagne is cold – and suddenly the birthday person is missing. This murder mystery dinner brings the thrill of a company party right to your dining table (or the actual office). Perfect for groups who love to solve puzzles, laugh, and intrigue – with roles for 6-8 people and plenty to talk about.

Description

Promote, Celebrate, Fire is a full-length murder mystery dinner set at the FIASKO insurance company in Hintertupfingen. On Friday afternoon, department head Hans Sachs is being celebrated – until the fire alarm goes off and Hans is found dead shortly afterward. What happened? Staff cuts? Jealousy? Career plans? You take on the roles of his colleagues, gather clues, question each other, and uncover the truth.

• Number of players: 6–8 people (gender-flexible)
• Setting: Office/After-work party at FIASKO insurance
• Costumes: optional – but make it extra fun (tie, blazer, name tags, 80s karaoke vibes 🎤)
• Location: At home, in the office or at the club premises – wherever you want.
• Duration: full evening (approx. 2–3 hours depending on the group)

Why this murder mystery dinner?
Because it combines office humor, team dynamics, and genuine excitement. Ideal for team events, birthdays, flat nights, or the next game night where everyone should participate – even without professional acting.

Number of players

• 8 people: 4 female and 4 male roles
• 7 people: 4 female and 3 male roles
• 6 people: 3 female and 3 male roles

Note: Male roles can of course also be played by women – and vice versa. The main thing is that you have fun.

The story

Friday afternoon, finally the end of the workday – or so it seemed. Everything was prepared in the office for Hans Sachs, a long-serving employee and head of the "H – Liability and Household Insurance" department for 20 years: decorations, sparkling wine, karaoke, and a gift of a fine Pfähler 6-gauge iron. But at 7:15 p.m., the fire alarm blared. Hans was conspicuously absent from the parking lot. When the fire department cleared the smoke, they found him – bludgeoned to death in his office. The police asked you to wait in the cafeteria. Now it's your turn: Who had a motive? And what does this have to do with the planned staff cuts?

The suspects (roles)

Costume suggestions can be found below.

• Laila Sahin (40): Top manager, moved to the provinces for love. Would love to send Hans' gang to collective awareness training.
• Oscar Muth (35): Reliable family man – recently overtired and with many days off work.
• Malik Nowak (30): Smart, sunny boy with a loose tongue. Flirts more than he works, dreams of fast cars and roaring engines.
• Heide Brendel (46): An office mom with a big heart. What others call curiosity, she calls empathy.
• Tobias Denk (33): A stickler for rules. Order is his middle name – the office his calling.
• Cosima Wagner (24): Failed influencer, now in training thanks to her aunt Heide. She enjoys the work more than she admits.
• Kevin Kobsak (28): Shy IT professional, daily in the battle of man vs. machine – also for Hans' team.
• Nora Knecht (35): Deputy Head of Department. Ambitious, driven – not universally popular.

Trim (optional, but recommended)

Not essential, but a game-changer for getting into character. Appropriate for the play: business casual attire, name tags, clipboard, headset, old company logos, "birthday at the office" decorations. You can put together simple outfits for each character like this:

• Management: Blazer, statement accessory, awareness pin
• Family man/all-rounder: Shirt, discreet tie, coffee stain (optional 😉)
• Sunnyboy: Shirt open over T-shirt, sunglasses
• Office mom: Cardigan, cookie tin/recipe book
• Rules expert: shirt, tie, ID lanyard, folder
• Trainee/Influencer: Trendy outfit, smartphone with selfie stick
• IT: Hoodie, glasses, laptop
• Deputy Head: Strict business attire, notebook

Menu suggestion (for your real murder mystery dinner)

Providing food for your guests is, of course, optional – but that's what makes it a murder mystery dinner in the first place . You have complete freedom in choosing and selecting the dishes. However, if you need some inspiration, we've put together a suggestion for a small menu. You can, of course, replace this with vegetarian or vegan options.

• Appetizer: Small, simple canapés are ideal as a starter for a birthday party at the office. The salmon can be replaced with a vegan or vegetarian alternative.
• Main course: For office catering, various finger foods such as chicken balls and cheddar scones are very suitable . But a quick gnocchi skillet is also a good option. With or without meat, it rounds off the main course.
• Dessert: For dessert, a delicious chocolate cake or small vegan lemon muffins would be a good option.

Tips for the process

• Distribute roles and read through the information briefly before starting.
• A "Posse" golf club as decoration/gag? Attention to detail pays off.
• Phone on silent, music playing softly in the background – karaoke only after the reveal 😉
• A moderator should be chosen (voluntarily) to keep an eye on the time frame.

Summary

• Title: Promote, Celebrate, Feast – Murder Mystery Dinner
• Genre: Office crime / Party game with roles
• Plot: A birthday party at the office turns into a murder case – you solve it.
• Characters: 8 suspects with individual profiles (see role list)
• Number of players: 6–8 people, flexible configuration
• Fairing: recommended, but not necessary
• Menu ideas: Suggestions for starter, main course, dessert
• Playing time: full evening (approximately 2–3 hours, depending on the group)
• Language: German (DE-CH)

Conclusion: A wonderfully biting office thriller with a wink – perfect for teams, groups of friends and anyone who wants to have a blast in the "Liability & Household" world.