The concept involves a social gathering centered around a fictional crime, designed with elements of autumnal spookiness. Participants assume the roles of suspects or investigators and work to uncover the identity of the culprit through interaction, clues, and deductive reasoning. Consider, for instance, an evening where guests are assigned characters like a haunted mansion owner, a suspicious groundskeeper, or a mysterious medium, all connected to a staged homicide.
This type of event offers several advantages. It promotes creative problem-solving, encourages social interaction and role-playing, and provides an engaging form of entertainment. These gatherings often draw inspiration from classic detective stories and horror tropes, offering participants a chance to immerse themselves in a narrative and engage their critical thinking skills. Historically, the format can be traced back to parlor games and theatrical performances adapted for social settings, evolving into commercially available kits and customized events.