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▶Murder at the Copper Lily
A 1920s speakeasy murder mystery for 4 to 32 players. The host plays too, and nobody has to act.
5.0shop rating · 6 Etsy reviewsHosting a murder mystery should not mean spending the evening outside the game. Every line is printed, the answer ships sealed, and the host plays along with everyone else.
- The host plays too: the solution is a separate sealed file, and the clue cards sort into round packets by the numbers on their backs, so you assemble the kit without reading the evidence
- Nobody acts: every line a player speaks is printed in their booklet or on their witness card and read aloud, with no scripts to learn and no improvising
- Works at 4 and at 32: 8 suspects always, a printed pairing ladder for small groups, and witness cards for bigger ones, whose lines are always true and who can never be the murderer
- A fair mystery: one suspect fits every piece of evidence, and each of the others is ruled out by a specific numbered clue card
- A Short Play version that runs 60 minutes is built into the same kit for a weeknight
- 1920s table dressing: two invitation designs, a door password card, name tents, place cards, a drinks menu card with names only and a page of costume ideas
Overview
A 1920s speakeasy murder mystery for 4 to 32 players. The host plays too, and nobody has to act.
Hosting a murder mystery should not mean spending the evening outside the game. Every line is printed, the answer ships sealed, and the host plays along with everyone else.
Murder at the Copper Lily is a printable 1920s murder mystery party game for 4 to 32 players that runs 90 to 120 minutes. By day it is Pell's Flowers on Larkin Street; by night, through the fern door at the back of the workroom, it is the Copper Lily, the best speakeasy on the east side of the river. On a rainy October night its owner, Lucius Pell, stops the band to announce the club's last night under his name and to settle every account in the room, and before the night is out he is found dead at the desk in his office. There are 8 suspects, and one of them is guilty. Every player reads from a printed booklet or witness card that holds every word they will say, so nobody acts, memorizes or improvises. The solution ships as its own sealed file with a do-not-open cover, and the 24 clue cards go into three round packets by the numbers on their backs, so the host can put the whole kit together without reading the evidence.
What's Included
Five PDFs; the kit and the solution come in US Letter and A4:
- START-HERE: a one-page guide to the five files and the four steps, in order
- The kit in US Letter and in A4: the host guide, the 8 suspect booklets, 24 clue cards, 12 witness cards and every printable for the table
- The sealed solution as its own file with a do-not-open cover, Letter pages first, then A4: the reveal script and the clue by clue elimination table
- A gift file with a printable gift certificate, so the whole game can be given as a present
Key Benefits
Why this one
The answer is in a sealed file, and the murderer is named nowhere in the host guide and on no clue card, so you can build the kit without learning the answer and then play along.
Every word is printed. If a guest can read a birthday card out loud, that guest can play and can win. No scripts to learn, no accents, no rehearsal.
From 4 to 32: at four players everyone holds two booklets, using a printed pairing chart, and past eight players, witnesses join with true printed lines without adding a suspect.
One suspect fits every piece of evidence, and each of the innocent suspects is cleared by a numbered clue card the table can point at.
Invitations, a door password card, a drinks menu card with names only, name tents, place cards and costume ideas set the scene, and a home printer is all it needs.
Who It's For
Built for
- The host who wants a 1920s party with a shape to it, and wants to play rather than referee
- Groups from 4 to 32, including the guest who dreads being asked to be funny
- Birthdays, holiday parties, New Year's Eve and work parties that want a clean, gore-free game
- Anyone giving a party in a box as a present, with the printable gift certificate
How It Works
Up and running in minutes
Black and white is fine. The print list in the host guide tells you which pages your headcount needs.
The clue cards sort by the numbers on their backs into rounds one, two and three. Seal the solution too.
One each at eight players, two each at four, and witness cards for everyone past eight.
Read the round card, everyone reads their statement, open that round's packet, then talk it through.
Everybody writes a name, then the reveal script walks the table through the evidence and clears the innocent suspects one clue at a time.
Why It's Different
Not another template
Many murder mystery kits make the host the one person who cannot enjoy the evening: they hand you the answer on page one, or they expect your guests to perform. Murder at the Copper Lily does neither. The solution is a separate sealed file, the clue cards are numbered on their backs so they can be packeted without reading, and every word a player speaks is printed. 8 suspects and 24 clue cards stay in play at every size from 4 to 32, and the Short Play version, at 60 minutes, turns Round Two into a printed Bridge Card that still carries every Round Two clue.
Delivery & Compatibility
Instant, and it opens in what you already use
As soon as your order is complete you get instant access to download one ZIP with the five PDFs: START-HERE, the kit in US Letter and in A4, the sealed solution and the gift file. Print it tonight, spend about 25 minutes cutting and sealing, and play this weekend.
The kit and the sealed solution come in US Letter and A4, ready to print at home in black and white or color. You need a PDF reader, which almost every computer and phone already has. This is a digital download; nothing is shipped.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can the host really play?
Yes. The solution is a separate file that opens on a do-not-open cover, the clue cards sort into their round packets by the numbers on their backs, and the murderer is named nowhere in the host guide and on no clue card, so you can build the kit without learning the answer. The booklets are dealt like the rest of the game: whoever is dealt the murderer's booklet plays the murderer, and that can be you.
How long does it take?
90 to 120 minutes for the full three-round game, with a minute-by-minute timeline in the host guide. A Short Play version that runs 60 minutes is built into the same kit.
Does it really work with only four players?
Yes. Each player holds two booklets from the printed pairing chart and reads both. Every suspect and every clue stays in play.
Is there any acting or memorizing?
None. Every line is printed and read aloud. Dressing up is optional, and the kit includes a page of 1920s costume ideas for anyone who wants to.
Is it clean enough for a work party?
Yes. There is no gore, no sexual content and no slurs; the 1920s flavor comes from the setting.
Is this a physical product?
No. It is an instant digital download of five PDF files. Nothing is shipped; you print it at home or at a print shop.
Characters, names and events are fictional, and the story is original; no real person or business is portrayed. For personal use only; no resale or redistribution. Digital product, so nothing ships, and because the files are delivered instantly, all sales are final. AI disclosure: this item was created with the help of AI tools, which NicheToolkits uses to help design the files, write the copy and make the images and films.
