CBR Team Building
CBR Team Building

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murder party

A Murder Party in Paris?

La Murder Party is an animation where employees are confronted with a murder mystery, the starting point of an investigation full of enigmas and surprises, where films and game documents will immerse players in an atmosphere worthy of the greatest detective films. While the he story is full of questions, suspicions and thrills, with colorful characters (our animators!) calling on players to provide clues and help the investigation progress.

In our Murder Parties, although (almost) everyone will discover the culprit, only the teams of detectives who have grasped the whole plot will win! Without further ado, discover our two animations LONDON 1907 and PERFUME OF MURDERtimeless Team Building CBR Team Building style.

Can you outsmart Sherlock Holmes?

London 1907

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Parfum de Meurtre

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Murder Party in Paris: the mystery evening

The Murder Party brings together all the ingredients for a timeless experience. Zoom in on LONDON 1907, our Team Building Murder Party that takes you back in time to meet Sherlock Holmes.

An original detective story

London, 1907 (yes, it’s in the title, we haven’t lied to you yet!). Au manoir du Dr Watson a lieu un dîner entre célébrités. Soudain, la pièce est plongée dans le noir. Quand la lumière revient, un meurtre a été commis ! Mais qui, parmi les convives, est l’assassin ? Comment a-t-il tué sa victime ? Et pour quelle(s) raison(s) ?

These are all the questions the participants have to answer to identify the culprit and understand the motive behind the crime. All within a well-defined framework. For in this Murder Party, participants are divided into teams of 4 to 8, and become real private detectives, investigating a story with a very… mysterious flavour.

In the course of the activities on offer, investigators acquire the “Sherlock” pieces they need to obtain clues. Essential elements for questioning witnesses, and not just any witnesses! The suspects to be cooked up include illustrious historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Buffalo Bill, Emma Todd and Sherlock Holmes. And at the end of the multiple interrogations, the teams have the opportunity to exchange precious testimonies with each other.

Together, the players work their way through the stages to the final sprint. Like a dinner party (a format compatible with Murder Party, by the way), the animation is divided into 3 phases:

  • This detective adventure begins with the crime committed in the Victorian manor house and the animated introduction to the crime scene.
  • The main course: an immersive investigation, enhanced by fun games that call on the senses, the clues won and the investigative skills of the players.
  • At dessert, the final conclusion of the investigations carried out by the various teams and the solution is presented to all! Who will have found the culprit?

Murder Party: the origins of a successful game

To understand the popularity of this immersive animation, you need to take a step back in time.

Life-size investigation evenings

The origins of the Murder Party go back to Madame de Sévigné’s life-size mystery evenings. As far back as the 17th century, people enjoyed challenging their guests to solve riddles at social gatherings. So this game is much older than the famous Cluedo. This board game, invented by the British couple Anthony and Elva Pratt, only appeared in 1943.

In practice, the first Murder Parties rooted in reality emerged in the USA in 1920. These “murder parties” between friends were inspired by the detective novels then very much in vogue. Among the publications was S.S. Van Dine’s 1928 Twenty Rules For Writing Detective Stories. A precise title that promises to capture all the mechanics of a criminal investigation.

The plot of a Murder Party always follows the same principles. The murder takes place during a dinner party, punctually plunged into darkness. After the discovery of the fictitious corpse, the guests, embodying the story’s protagonists, solve the mysterious case behind closed doors. This refined, frivolous entertainment was the preserve of the American social elite in the Roaring Twenties.

This unusual game was introduced to France in 1930 by American actress and decorator Elsie de Wolfe. First in America, then in England, Switzerland and France, she enjoyed this playful activity halfway between fiction and reality. This craze was a real source of inspiration for French academician Henry Bordeaux, who published Murder-Party, ou celle qui n’était pas invitée in 1931.

murder party diner

A Murder Party with many ways to investigate

There’s no need to smoke a pipe, wear a moustache or sport an elegant cape or headdress to take on the role of a detective. To unravel this mystery, participants become actors in their discovery by manipulating innovative tools collectively. Judge for yourself:

  • An animated film in shadow theater that gives rhythm to the game. The film takes you back in time and immerses participants in the story in an original way.
  • Augmented reality allows you to search “for real” a body lying before your very eyes. Objects are placed all around the body. These are interactive clues that you have to handle and assemble to find the cause of death (e.g.: puzzle of a torn photo to make, telephone number to dial…).
  • A soundtrack which transcribes the sounds captured during the murder. The room where the fateful event takes place is plunged stealthily into darkness, making it necessary to listen carefully… Shhh! The slightest sound clue will betray the murderer’s passage.
  • A sound spectrum player integrated into the tablet lets you hear voices as you browse images.
  • Violin lessonsan original way of getting the teams involved in a crazy blind test! Guessing today’s tunes is easy… but not so easy when they’re played on the violin, Mister Holmes’ passion!
  • The plan of the manor house essential for locating the various suspects based on their testimonies.

Players will be immersed in the realistic and exhilarating atmosphere of a Victorian police investigation!

The growing popularity of detective adventures over the decades

This new-style practice, temporarily halted by the Second World War, resurfaced in the 60s. During this period, the phenomenon gained momentum. The concept of the murder mystery-dinner evolved; parties were held in chic English hotels for a well-to-do, cultured clientele. And the scenarios on offer were directly inspired by Anglo-Saxon detective literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Of all the masters of the detective story, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie are the most renowned. Some of the author’s books, such as Un meurtre sera commis le… (1950) and Poirot joue le jeu (1956), deal explicitly with this theme. And as you know, the common thread running through these novels with their breathless, rigorous synopses is the presence of memorable fictional investigators. Can you think of them? […] Elementary, dear reader! We’re talking about Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Even today, these classic works play a major role in the development, dissemination and popularity of murder mystery evenings. Likewise, darker cases – criminal trials and miscellaneous events – are a source of inspiration in their own right for storytelling and theatrical staging.

From the 1970s onwards, role-playing games began to appear as a leisure activity. During the giant investigation, participants (and sometimes a few organizers) embody specific characters. Everything is thought out in advance to ensure an immersive adventure: marital status, character traits, dress code, personal history, relationships and interactions with other protagonists, actions and degree of involvement in the plot, and so on. Finally, in 1986, this form of entertainment was democratized with the publication of the first “Murder Party” game box. CBR took it up in 1995. Did you say pioneer 😋?

In short, an evening of mystery imagined by CBR Team Building, combining interactive games, high-tech tools, sensory enigmas and Victorian ambience.

All our team building

There’s something for everyone: Party Games, Sensory Games, Investigations & Clu&dos, Escapes Games; Rallies, Sports Challenges, Creative Workshops, CSR Solutions, Remote Games. Choose the one that’s right for you!

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