Playing on a tablet: a murder mystery party without a printer

No printer at home, or rather avoid paper? A murder mystery party works very well on screens. You just need to organise things a little differently so everyone gets their documents at the right time.

What you need

• A tablet or computer for the host, with the kit as a PDF.
• One phone per player (they nearly always have one).
• A group chat or private messages to send the documents.
• A phone to scan the voicemail QR codes (any phone will do).

Handing out the character files

At the start of the evening, send each player their own file, privately. The easiest way: screenshots of their character's pages, or an export of those pages as a PDF. Everyone reads their story, secrets and goals on their phone.

Important: send them as private messages, never in the group chat, so nobody reads someone else's file.

The case files, act by act

At each new act, the host sends each player the evidence that concerns them. Shared evidence (the pieces everyone must see) can be shown on a tablet in the middle of the table or posted in the group chat.

Tip: prepare your screenshots before the evening, sorted into folders by act and by character. On the night, you just send them.

The voicemails

Our cases include two voicemails to listen to, via QR code. On screen it is even simpler: one player scans the code shown on the tablet, and everyone listens to the message left on the night of the crime.

The solution, always separate

The solution is in a separate file. On a tablet or on paper, the rule is the same: it is only opened after the final accusation. For the accusation, each player can write their answer on a scrap of paper or in a note on their phone before the host reads the solution.

Pros and cons

Pros: nothing to print, everything is ready in minutes, perfect for a spontaneous evening or a trip.

Cons: handling paper evidence, putting it on the table and passing it around adds realism. If you can, a mixed approach works well: character files on phones, shared evidence printed.

Which cases work this way?

The Vernier Case and La Queimada du Pazo can be printed or played on screen. For printing, see our tips for printing your kit.