Halloween 2026

A Halloween mystery the kids can solve.

Who Took the Golden Pumpkin? The costume contest prize has vanished in a cloud of fog, and one of the trick-or-treaters knows where it went. No murder, no scares, lots of giggling.

  • Made for ages 7 and up, with grown-ups playing along
  • Every character is a Halloween costume
  • Short clues, written for young readers
  • Works with 4 to 10 suspects, plus witnesses and detectives
$24.99

for the whole party, not per guest

  • 4 to 10 suspects, plus witnesses and detectives
  • Three possible culprits. The game picks one
  • Played on phones. Nothing to print, no app
  • Still works if a guest cancels
  • About an hour. You play too
  • Refund if your party has not started

Or give a mystery party as a gift

Buy today, play on the 31st. Your party code never expires.

Who Took the Golden Pumpkin?

The Golden Pumpkin holds 500 candy bars and goes to the best costume at the Maplewood School Halloween Carnival. Five minutes of fog, and it was gone. A no-scares mystery for kids and grown-ups together.

Who will your guests be?

Beep the RobotRobot, model number 3000Wear: Cardboard box body, foil, buttons and dials.
Boo the GhostGhost, and cake walk championWear: A white sheet with eye holes.
Captain PlankPirate, and costume champion three years in a rowWear: Pirate hat, eye patch, a puffy white shirt, a parrot on your shoulder.
Count FangsworthVampire, and tonight's dunk tank volunteerWear: Cape, fangs, slicked-back hair.
Mighty MuffinSuperhero, protector of snacksWear: Cape, mask, a big M on your chest.
Pepper the WitchRuns the bake saleWear: Witch hat, broom, striped socks, a white bake sale apron.
Professor BoltMad scientist, builder of the fog machineWear: White lab coat, goggles, wild hair.
Rory the DinosaurDinosaur, very fierce, bedtime half past eightWear: Green clothes, a stuffed-sock tail, paper teeth.
Sparkle the UnicornUnicorn, one hundred percent magicWear: A paper horn, a ribbon tail, glitter on everything.
Tut the MummyThree thousand years old and feeling itWear: Wrapped in white bandages, or strips of an old sheet.

Witnesses, for parties of 11 to 16

A witness saw something and cannot be the guilty one. Each gets a costume idea and a secret, and votes at the end.

Frankie MustardRuns the nacho stand, dressed as a hot dogWear: Red or brown clothes, a yellow scarf for mustard, a paper hat.
Little PipThe smallest pumpkin at the carnivalWear: Orange shirt, green hat, a paper leaf.
Miss FlutterFace painter, dressed as a butterflyWear: Paper wings, bright colors, a paintbrush behind your ear.
Mr. SweepsSchool janitor, dressed as a scarecrowWear: Old hat, checked shirt, straw or yellow paper poking out of your sleeves.
Principal PickleSchool principal and contest judge, dressed as a pickleWear: Green clothes, a green hat, a judge's clipboard.
Rattle the SkeletonSkeleton, takes photos for the school paperWear: Black clothes, paper bones stuck on, a camera or a phone on a string.

How a party works

  1. Pick a mystery

    Choose a ready-made one or have one written for your guests. One price covers the whole party.

  2. Share the link

    Guests scan a code or tap a link. No app and no account. Deal the characters early so people can plan costumes.

  3. Play it on your phones

    Three rounds of short clues, a lot of questions, one big accusation. The app runs the game, so you get to play too.

Built around what goes wrong at mystery parties

  • 62%surveyed
    What party people say

    They are frustrated by guests who say yes and then do not show.

    Evite 2026 Pregame Report, a survey of 5,000 Evite users
    What we did about it

    Every mystery works with any number of suspects from 4 to 10. If someone drops out an hour before, the story still holds together.

  • Longscripts
    What players say

    Some reviews of a popular printable kit say the character scripts ran too long and players started skipping lines.

    Customer reviews of a printable kit, read October 2026
    What we did about it

    Every clue fits on a phone screen. The average clue card is about 32 words.

  • Printshop
    What hosts say

    Reviews of the same kit mention a huge amount of printing, and one host paid a print shop to get it done.

    Customer reviews of a printable kit, read October 2026
    What we did about it

    Nothing to print. Characters, clues and votes are on everyone's phone.

  • 67%surveyed
    What party people say

    They prefer do-it-yourself, affordable options over big-budget parties.

    Evite 2026 Pregame Report
    What we did about it

    $24.99 for the whole party, up to 40 guests. Not per person.

Questions

How many people can play?

Four to ten guests play suspects. At a bigger party the next six play witnesses: named characters with a costume and a secret, who saw something and cannot be the guilty one. Anyone beyond sixteen, and anyone who would rather not act, plays a detective: they question the suspects and vote at the end. Up to 40 phones can join one party.

Can I buy one for someone else to host?

Yes. After you pay, choose "Buying this for someone else?" and send them the host link. Whoever opens it first becomes the host. You can still join their party as a guest.

What if someone cancels, or turns up late?

The story still works. Every mystery is written so the important clues never depend on a guest who might not come. If a guest with a key character leaves, another player takes that character over with one tap. Late arrivals join as detectives.

Do guests need to download anything?

No. They open a link or scan a QR code and type their first name. It runs in the phone's web browser.

Do I have to print anything?

No. Characters, clues and voting are all on the phones. If you have a TV, you can put the evidence on it for the whole room.

Does the host know who did it?

No. The app deals the characters and keeps the answer hidden until the reveal, so the host plays like everyone else. The host might even be the culprit.

Is the culprit always the same?

In the two Halloween mysteries, no. Each has three possible culprits, and the game picks one when your party starts. The evidence everyone sees is the same each time. The private clues and the ending change, so a guest who has played before cannot be sure. The other mysteries have one culprit each.

Are the mysteries written by AI?

Yes. They are written with AI. Software then checks each one: for every possible guest list, every innocent suspect can be cleared and the clues point to one culprit. The ready-made mysteries are also given to AI test readers one round at a time, without the answer, to see whether they can be solved. The About page has the details.

How long does it take?

About an hour with up to eight suspects: three rounds of 12 to 15 minutes, then the vote and the reveal. With a full table of ten suspects and six witnesses, allow about 75 minutes. The host moves things along, so you can stretch it over dinner or keep it quick.

Is there a free one I can try?

Yes. The Case of the Missing Marrow is free for 4 to 6 players and takes about 34 minutes. No payment and no account: start it from the Free mystery page and share the link. It is shorter and simpler than the full mysteries, which play with up to 16 characters.

Do I get to choose the mystery?

Yes. Every mystery has its own page and its own buy button, and you get the one you pick. Nothing is random. If you change your mind before your party starts, the host screen lets you swap to another ready-made mystery at no cost.

Is it suitable for kids?

The family mysteries have no murder, nothing scary and short, simple clues. They work well from about age 7, with a grown-up nearby to help younger readers. The grown-up mysteries are PG-13: a comic murder, no gore.

What do I get for $24.99?

One party: a private party code, every character and clue for up to 40 guests, the host controls and the reveal. It is one payment for the whole group, not per person. You can swap to a different ready-made mystery free of charge any time before your first game starts.

I lost my host link. What now?

Use Find my party with your party code, which is on your receipt, and the email address you paid with.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, if your party has not started yet. Write to us within 14 days of buying and we will refund you.

$24.99

for the whole party, not per guest

  • 4 to 10 suspects, plus witnesses and detectives
  • Three possible culprits. The game picks one
  • Played on phones. Nothing to print, no app
  • Still works if a guest cancels
  • About an hour. You play too
  • Refund if your party has not started

Or give a mystery party as a gift