Murder Mystery Party Kit · 4–20 players · The foggiest night of the year

Murder on the Pirate Ship

Murder on the Pirate Ship: box, booklets and evidence envelopes
✓ The host can play too
$23.99 one-time
  • The host can play too: nobody knows the killer, not even you
  • A different killer every game, so you can play it again
  • Instant download: print it and play tonight
  • The evidence really points to the killer: five records crack the case in the final, and none of them is enough alone
  • Color and printer-friendly designs, US Letter and A4
  • Ages 12 and up
Players
PDF in English

It is the foggiest night of the year. The galleon Sneezing Octopus lies at anchor out at sea, and at dawn she sails into port. While the treasure clerk scratches the last lines into his ledger, someone will knock on his door and hand him a mug of linden tea. That someone will be standing on this deck, right beside you. It might even be you.

One-time purchase. Not part of the subscription.

Good to know: The MurderMysteryTime subscription includes only the online games in the Cases section. Printable PDFs are not included and are sold separately. See the online membership.

The story

It is the foggiest night of the year. The pirate galleon Sneezing Octopus rides at anchor off Pea Soup Cove. At dawn she sails into port.

But nobody aboard can sleep a wink. The ship's articles are plain: whoever holds the key to the treasure chest has the last word. And that key hangs from the sash of Treasure Clerk Tally Pinchpenny. For three days the clerk has poked into every corner with his ledger under his arm, putting a price on everything he sees and telling everyone the same thing: "At dawn I open my ledger. Neither this ship nor this crew will leave that port the way they came in."

When the fog rolled in this evening, the clerk handed everyone one piece of fog gear from the hold, and at 10:30 p.m. he shut himself in the counting cabin. The lamps were turned low, and the fog was so thick you could barely find the end of your own nose. Nobody got a proper look at where anybody else was.

Choose your edition

EditionCharactersPlay timePrice
4-8 players8about 1 hr 40 min$23.99
4-14 players14about 2 hours$29.99
4-20 players20about 2 hr 20 min$34.99

Use the characters from number 1 up to the size of your group. Every edition includes both paper sizes and both designs.

What’s inside

Every edition is a set of PDFs you print at home:

  • Host Guide
  • Character Booklets: one for every character
  • Evidence Cards
  • Evidence Key
  • Case File: To be opened in the final
  • Game Sheets
  • Invitation and Party Ideas
  • Envelope Covers
  • Solution Guide

How it plays

  1. Every guest plays a character. The victim (Treasure Clerk Tally Pinchpenny) is not a player.
  2. A draw at the start turns one person at the table into the killer. Only that person knows.
  3. There are three rounds. Each round opens one evidence card, and everyone answers the same question.
  4. Every innocent guest has one small, embarrassing secret. To protect it, they lie on exactly one of the three questions.
  5. The killer lies on all three. That is why nobody can be sure during the first three rounds; several people stay under suspicion.
  6. In the final the Case File is opened. Its records show where everyone really was and what they really carried, though none of them settles it alone. Only one person fits all three pieces of evidence: the killer.

Meet the suspects

Eight of the characters. The bigger editions add more.

Gale Force: Captain
Gale ForceCaptain
Zigzag Wheeler: Helmsman
Zigzag WheelerHelmsman
Lofty Squint: Lookout
Lofty SquintLookout
Sandy Planks: Ship's Carpenter
Sandy PlanksShip's Carpenter
Tarry Knott: Bosun (Deck Boss)
Tarry KnottBosun (Deck Boss)
Short Fuse: Gunner
Short FuseGunner
Chili Bowles: Ship's Cook
Chili BowlesShip's Cook
Slosh Bucket: Cabin Kid
Slosh BucketCabin Kid

Look inside

Murder on the Pirate Ship: Host Guide
Host Guide
Murder on the Pirate Ship: Character Booklets
Character Booklets
Murder on the Pirate Ship: Case File
Case File
Murder on the Pirate Ship: Envelope Covers
Envelope Covers

Questions

Can we play the same kit again?

Yes. Every game the draw makes someone else the killer and the evidence changes. If the same group plays again, have everyone take a different character.

What if I turn out to be the killer?

Nothing changes. The guide holds no information meant for the killer, and you prepared the cards and the file without reading them, so you are in the same position as everyone else.

Is the killer obvious the moment the records are opened?

No. The records give numbers, not names, and none of them shows the exact answer on its own; each one only leaves a few possibilities open. Finding the right person means reading the records together.

What if someone cancels at the last minute?

If their character has the highest number, simply leave it out. If not, the player with the highest-numbered character plays the missing character instead.

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