Interested in Virtual Team Building Events?
16 mins 
Are you looking to add a bit more intrigue and fun to your next virtual team building session? Look no further than murder mystery games. Whether your teammates are true crime aficionados or just casual participants, this activity works well.
Virtual murder mystery games have also gained popularity because of their ability to keep members fully engaged and absorbed in solving the mystery. Offering a perfect mix of challenge and fun, we have compiled a list of the best murder mystery games for you to check out with your team.
1. What is a Virtual Murder Mystery Game?
A virtual murder mystery game is a fun and interactive online game where you pretend to be a detective or a character in a story. In the game, there's usually a pretend murder that you and your team have to solve. You work together to gather clues, talk to other characters, and figure out who the "killer" is, just like in a mystery story. This activity is perfect to include if your team is planning a virtual holiday party or virtual game night for your next remote gathering.
2. The Top 20 Virtual Murder Mystery Games to Play
2.1. Murder at the Manor
Channel your remote team's inner sleuth by playing Murder at the Manor by Hooray Teams, a hosted platform for fun team-building activities. You and your team will assume the roles of private detectives brought in to solve the murder of Lord Aubrey Falconer at his manor. The suspects are a diverse and intriguing bunch, from the enigmatic vicar, and in-house cook, to the town’s eccentric professor, each with their own secrets and motives.
This online virtual murder mystery game was a lot of fun for our remote team, and it took us about 60 minutes to solve all the puzzles and find a whodunit. We sifted through clues, including a cryptic newsletter, a perplexing last will, an innocuous leaflet, and insights from a solicitor to unravel the mystery shrouding the truth. We suggest having the clues handy or print them out so you can take notes.
Price per person - $48
Duration - 60 minutes
2.2. Virtual Mystery in Hollywood
Get your team to connect together and solve the complex case file of Mystery in Hollywood, one of the more glam-themed virtual mystery games. It all began when Buster Chaplin's latest movie goes missing! Now, you and your team have to put your detective skills and problem-solving skills to the test. Your team will be on their toes as they race against time to piece together clues, unexpected plot twists, and shady suspects.
Along the way, you will interrogate Chaplin’s leading lady, stuntman, and agent, all of whom may hold the key to solving the mystery. This virtual mystery game is thoroughly planned, and the clues are well-plotted, hooking everyone in your team from start to finish.
Price per person - $48
Duration - 60 minutes
2.3. Outback
Outback is one of the best virtual murder mystery games for remote employees to participate from the comfort of their homes, and the best part is it fits any group size! Their top-rated game involves finding out who killed Neil Davidson. We downloaded the Outback app and video-conferenced in. The group split into two teams and reviewed case files. We were given clues and applied our sleuthing skills to work out who the culprit was!
Outback has a stellar reputation of over 25 years in conducting virtual murder mystery games for organizations with top brands on board like Microsoft, H&M, Sony, and Johnson & Johnson. You can choose to self-host or play with an on-site host, and the price varies with the team size - you can receive customized solutions by filling out this form on their site.
Price per person - Customizable
Duration - 60-120 minutes
2.4. That Show about Love by Ghost Ship Murder Mysteries
Ghost Ship Murder Mysteries is a set of virtual murder mystery games hosted by a Ghost Ship representative. Participants take on various roles with distinct personality traits, and among them, one assumes the role of the murderer. The objective is to search for clues, exchange information, and work together to unveil the identity of the perpetrator. The storyline differs based on the size of the participating group.
We were a group of 10 and played the game That Show for Love by Ghost Ship Murder Mysteries where someone murders one of the contestants on a reality dating show (what are the chances?). We played ten different characters, and the onus is on us to hunt down the murderer before another contestant becomes a victim. Everyone put up a strong defence and hid their secrets well until we nailed it down to one of the participants. The adrenaline kept us going throughout the day!
Price per person - $50 per person for corporate events/ $30 per person for private events
Duration - 120 minutes
2.5. The Murder Mystery by Dr. Ness
With over 15 years of experience in virtual murder mystery games, The Murder Mystery specializes in making online parties just as lively and fun as in-person experiences.
The package includes a professional actor who will host your game, provide instructions, and facilitate the party in different stages as you uncover clues to find the murderer. You could also dress according to the theme or the era in the plot to make it more exciting.
Typically, a virtual murder mystery party hosted by Dr Ness lasts around two hours, in addition to a flexible 15-minute window to adjust for any Zoom issues. To plan a party according to your budget, you can fill out the details on their page of virtual murder mysteries.
Price per person - Customizable
Duration - 120 minutes
2.6. Night of Mystery
Are you looking for a virtual murder mystery game for work with no dearth of themes to choose from? Check out Night of Mystery, which includes multiple themes like Adult, All-Female, All-Male, Kids, New Year's Eve, and more! We picked ‘Murder at the Deadwood Saloon’ for our online murder mystery party because of the interesting set of characters we got to play.
The story involves finding an attendee dead at the celebration party held after Mississippi’s biggest poker tournament. We came up with conspiracy theories to find out who the murderer was, and as we were given our character backgrounds in advance, we dressed up like them to make it more compelling. We won’t give away the ending, but it was a lot of fun and we highly recommend you try this and give it a shot with their other virtual murder mystery games!
Price per person - $50
Duration - 60 minutes
2.7. Virtual Murder Mystery by Let’s Roam
With over 6,000 five-star reviews, Let’s Roam offers an intuitive, all-in-one platform designed to bring all your employees together to bond, brainstorm, and have fun! If you have some wannabe sleuths in your team, they’ll love signing up for the Virtual Murder Mystery game by Let’s Roam. You can choose from themes like Murder at the Red Bear Lounge, Corporate Espionage, and A Murder on the ISS, and test your problem-solving skills. Have fun compiling evidence and interviewing suspects to solve the mystery. The plot gets more gripping as it advances!
Virtual Murder Mystery allows up to 300 players to play this 90-minute long game, and you can play it via any video conferencing software. Nike, Microsoft, and Amazon are some of the big corporations in their user list.
Price per person - $35
Duration - 90 minutes
2.8. Zombie Cannibal Asylum by Playing with Murder
Ever imagined The Walking Dead coming to life? Your team could get to live it in the dramatic game called Zombie Cannibal Asylum.
The story unfolds at Penderghast Asylum where Dr Abraham Weiler uses research subjects to find a cure for the zombie virus taking over the world. However, someone doesn’t approve of what’s happening in the lab. Everything turns violent and topsy-turvy when one of the inmates turns into a zombie. The rest of us had to find out how it happened with the help of witnesses of the murder - the ‘living dead’ or the zombies themselves. We conducted interrogations and collected evidence to boil it down to the scene of the crime.
It was so much fun to see everyone in character, especially the ones playing the zombies! Up to 32 players can play in the standard version and up to 100 participants can join in via the extended version of this game.
Price -$49.95 per team
Duration - 90 minutes
2.9. Maple Murder Mysteries
Maple Murder Mysteries brings you a unique collection of the best virtual murder mystery games. We picked the “The Murder in the Naughty Nineties” game, which is 90s-themed and speaks of a common goal to prevent the world from ending on Dec 31st, 1999. The game consists of the end-of-the-world cult, wannabes, and New Age psychics.
This murder mystery game begins with the investigation in the wake of the unprecedented murder of Lord William Worthalot-Worthy, a handsome lord and owner of a splendid manor. The list of suspects keeps growing, from William’s wife to the occultists of Save Our Sinners Foundation, who are fixated on preventing the world from ending. This is a classic Whodunnit within your own house! We also interrogated the rebellious servants.
Price - $18.47 - $31.50
Duration - Depends on the selected game
2.10. Broadway Murder Mysteries
Broadway Murder Mysteries offers all the games with Broadway actors performing detective voices (Noice!). That makes the game more engaging and your team will have a great time! All the games include the necessary materials to throw a perfect murder mystery party, be it in person or virtually.
A unique thing about the games is that the murderer changes each time you play. This means you can play the same game several times and get a different ending each time. Bullets on Broadway, 80s Mall Murder Madness, Drama at Drag Brunch: The Slaying of the Sequin Sisters, Murder Under The Big Top, etc. are among some games that Broadway offers. So get your team and start sleuthing!
Price - The instant access for one game costs $45, and the annual subscription plan with access to all games comes at $99 per year. The lifetime subscription costs $199.
Duration - 90 minutes
2.11. Murder Mystery
This company began as an event company called Murder Mystery and Mayhem in 1989, and initially, it ran murder mysteries for organizations. In 2000, it launched Murder Mystery and came to be known as the pioneer of downloadable virtual murder mystery games. Murder in the Red Room and The Chocolate Bar Mystery can be played virtually with your team. A part of these games is scripted and the rest is left to the characters to improvise - how fun is that?
We played Murder in the Red Room where a modern art piece is being auctioned off by its owner. We played the roles of art collectors bidding in the auction, key characters in the plot, or crime-solving observers. A mysterious death takes place just as the art piece is about to be sold to the highest bidder (timing, am I right?). The plot gets interesting as we move forward and solve the mystery. Try this out today with your team!
Price - Customizable
Duration - 90 minutes
2.12. Murder in the Queen’s Court by Team Building
Team Building offers engaging virtual murder mystery Zoom games for corporate murder mystery parties. The facilitator leads the team through a set of challenges, clues, and hints related to a real historical murder mystery, and the participants work in teams to solve puzzles within the time limit. If there’s a The Crown fanatic in your team, they’ll surely love cracking the Murder in the Queen’s Court puzzle.
The plot involves the death of a magician’s apprentice under mysterious circumstances. It takes place right outside the Queen’s door, and you have to solve puzzles and clues to catch the offender. This game is an interesting mix of magic, murder, political schemes, a touch of royalty, learning, and of course - fun! This game lasts 1.5 hours, and 2-300 guests can play it virtually. Let the royal party begin!
Price - $43.2
Duration - 90 minutes
2.13. Red Herring Games
“There’s something fishy going on” is the tagline of this popular virtual event planning company. This company is known to organize virtual murder mystery Zoom parties for up to 900 guests (not kidding!) for an organization. Zoom is the recommended video conferencing platform as it can support up to 1000 video participants with a paid pricing plan.
Red Herring Games provides DIY kits, which are either printed kits (they arrive by post) or downloadable kits which contain instructions, game material ideas, character and script booklets, invitations, and MP3 sound files (allows the host to take part as a character). Some of the fascinating virtual murder mystery games include The Great British Bump Off, A Bad Vintage, Once Upon a Murder, etc. among others on the site.
Price - $24.9 - $163
Duration - 2-3 hours
2.14. Don Carrasino And The Murdered Mobster by Playing with Murder
The Don Carrasino And The Murdered Mobster is one of those virtual murder mystery team building games that the Godfather aficionados are sure to enjoy. The game features Don Carrasino, a notorious mafioso who has several crooks, killers, mobsters, and gang members who work for him. The gangster-era feel this game is unique.
You and your team play the roles of Don Carrasino and his mobsters. They are regular guests at The Joint, Don Carrasino’s bar, and everyone’s enjoying their drinks, and playing cards in high spirits. Here comes the twist - the eight of you witness Danny “Chuckles” Luciano stiffen up in his seat and fall dead. His hands were on his throat as if someone was choking him. Who did it?
It’s up to you to find out who is behind Don’s right-hand man’s murder. It is more fun if everyone dresses up as gangsters. Now, that’s a group picture that will definitely go on the company’s photo wall! Get your team and start playing!
Price - $29.95
Duration - 30+ minutes
2.15. Hunt a Killer
Do you want your team to join a private investigator to help him with his investigation? Then, Hunt a Killer is the right pick for you. Private Investigator Michelle Gray needs your help in solving a cold case. Gear up; it’s time to get your creative juices flowing!
Hunt a Killer is an immersive murder mystery comprising six episodes or “boxes”. Each box contains several high-quality hand-crafted clues, and physical items like witness statements, autopsy reports, archival documents - all of this makes the game pretty realistic. It is one of the long-running virtual murder mystery team-building games where you’ll receive one box every month with newer clues and hints.
Price - $34.99/month
Duration - Depends on the selected game
2.16. The Little Engine that Could Kill - FREE
The Little Engine that Could Kill is a free virtual murder mystery game that requires eight people to solve the mystery with a downloadable plot guide. This game is for the Murder on the Orient Express fans out there - it is set around a murder on a three-day express train from India to Portugal. You’re a passenger on a train with eight others, and one of them gets killed. This leaves behind the seven of you to find the killer. So, get your detective hat on and set up your team of seven to start looking for the evidence and clues.
Every participant gets to read their part and improvise on it with the other seven characters. Make sure that you do not end up giving others the impression that you are the culprit by trying to cover up too much through improvisation. And if you are the murderer, be extra cautious! In the end, if the murderer doesn’t get caught, they win the game. So, play your cards right and enjoy the free virtual murder mystery game with your team!
Price - Free
Duration - Customizable
2.17. Movie Murder Mystery
Just imagine - a certain crew is celebrating the completion of filming their movie, and the director is found dead amidst the party. Could it be more dramatic? Who could have done it? The cast or the crew? Murder Mystery Party is a virtual murder mystery Zoom game set around this theme, and the cinephiles in your team are sure to love it.
You and your team get to enact various cast and crew members of the film. The twist is - that the paranoid director of the movie had foreseen his murder and had decided to give away the clues to reveal the murderer, which makes the game a lot more captivating. It is a typical scavenger hunt where you must find the hints, clues, and puzzles to nab the killer.
Buy the eBook or the paperback version of the game for new improvements, characters, and randomization of the murderer, or you can continue with the virtual free version of the game as well. There have to be at least three players to play this game.
Price - Free
Duration - Customizable
3. FAQs
3.1. How do you virtually host a murder mystery party online?
To host a thrilling murder mystery party for your team, start by signing up for a game online. Download the necessary materials, including the plot, character details, and resources, then distribute them to team members in advance. Optionally, suggest a character-based dress code. Send out invitations with meeting links via email or calendar, and download and set up a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet. Coordinate with the game host if provided, or if hosting it yourself, familiarize yourself with the plot and characters.
3.2. Are there any virtual murder mystery games to play on Zoom?
Yes, there are plenty of murder mystery video games that can be played on Zoom. Murder Mystery, Maple Murder Mysteries, Murder Mystery by Doctor Ness, Virtual Murder Mysteries by Let’s Roam, Red Herrings are a few examples for a Zoom murder mystery party.
3.3. What are some good virtual mystery games for team building?
Some good virtual mystery games for team building are - Murder in Ancient Egypt, Murder in Queen's Court, Murder in Speakeasy, Ho-Ho-Homicide, and Which Guide Lied.
3.4. What are some good virtual murder mystery puzzles online?
Some good virtual murder mystery puzzles online are - clue season pass, murder most puzzling, the business of Murder, and Jazz Age Jeopardy.
3.5. Why are murder mystery games so popular?
Virtual murder mystery games are popular because they offer an exciting and immersive experience where remote teams become detectives and solve intriguing puzzles from the comfort of their own homes. These games also provide a social and interactive way to connect with remote teams, making them even more enjoyable.
