21 Characters + 9 Expendable Characters

Murder at the Botanical Museum is a murder mystery game for large groups that brings Ancient Egypt, hair industry royalty and academia to your dinner table. This fully designed printable murder mystery game unfolds at the prestigious Royal Cape Botanical Society, during the exclusive unveiling of the Lost Ptolemaic Medicinal Scroll of Queen Nefershira — a legendary artefact believed to hold the cure for baldness. Guests arrive dressed to impress, eager to hear famed archaeologist Dr. Petra Bones recount the Egyptian scroll’s discovery. The atmosphere is electric, the canapes are flowing, and the conversation is sparkling — until a sudden tragedy strikes, revealing hidden rivalries and shocking secrets. Now it’s up to you and your guests to solve the crime before the evening ends!

“The most fun you can ever have with your friends, family and acquaintances!! Lisa is an absolute gem, and she took the bday-stress off me whilst facilitating the game and improvising where required. The characters were so spot-on, and the theme lends itself to much mystery and a lot of laughter.
One of the best nights I have had in a very long time!!!! Thank you Lisa for being an amazing person and entertaining our ideas! We would not have been able to pull this off without you, you are an absolute Treasure!!” – Elizna Louw

This is not a passive experience. Every guest arrives as a character with a backstory, a secret, and a motive — and the investigation begins the moment they walk through the door. Each player must uncover others’ clues while carefully guarding their own secrets. With every twist and turn, alliances form, accusations fly, and no one is above suspicion. The beauty of this game is that the drama comes from your guests, not from a script — the more they commit to their characters, the more unforgettable the evening becomes. At the end of the night, the group awards prizes for Best Male Character, Best Female Character, and Best Dressed — but the ultimate reward is unmasking the murderer!

The game caters to 21–30 guests (10 female, 10 male and 1 undefined character) with an optional 9 expendable roles for larger parties.

The fully designed printable kit includes everything you need to host a seamless evening: Invitations to set the scene before the night, Character Descriptions so every guest arrives in character, Clue Cards to drive the investigation, Name Tags and Place Cards for the dinner table, the Host’s Timeline to keep the evening on track, two Dramatic Discovery Notes to deliver the story’s key twists, and a WhatsApp text message instructing guests on how this largely improvised game works — sent in advance so everyone arrives ready to play.

Please note: For the best experience, use all main characters with secrets. Expendable roles may be added at your discretion. We recommend keeping your total guest numbers to an absolute maximum of 24 for the best experience.

Murder Mystery Guide games are conceived and designed in Cape Town, and played everywhere — from living rooms to luxury venues across South Africa, the UK, USA, Australia, and beyond. Every game in our collection is an original production: fully designed, largely improvised, and built for real people, not trained actors. No scripts to memorise, no experience required — just great company and a willingness to have fun. Whether you’re hosting a birthday, a corporate evening, or a dinner party with a twist, we give every guest a role, a secret, and a reason to stay at the table.

View photographs from the first-ever group to enjoy this Murder Mystery Guide Experience.

*The stories, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in these productions are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Please note that all event, décor, catering, printing, venue hire and hosting services are not included in this purchase; the downloadable PDFs alone are the product. Please note that Murder Mystery Guide Experiences are not suitable for children and contain themes, scenarios, characters and references that may be inappropriate for sensitive persons.