Creating Original Murder Mysteries in the Library

Things to think about in planning:

• What is your theme/premise? The possibilities are endless: pop culture, decades of history, film genres, etc. Is it a murder to be solved or could it also be a bank robbery, art heist or stolen library book?
• What are your resources, both financial and time? Much can be accomplished with a small budget. However, in the absence of funds, a little time can work a whole lot of wonders. Use staff expertise to create decorations and props. Host the mystery as a potluck or serve something simple, like cookies and coffee. Remember, the more intricate your mystery, the more time in creating and playing it, so adjust according to your needs and abilities (as well as potential attendees’ attention spans).
• What kind of mystery is it? There are several different formats for mystery games, so decide which best suits your needs. (See a list of mystery game formats under Attachments at right.)
• Individual vs. teams? If teams, how large a team is ideal? Is the nature of the mystery easily solved on an individual level, or would it be better if collaboration were possible?
• What sort of tech support and connectivity will be necessary? Consider your space. Are the mystery and the clues limited to a single area or are they spread throughout a larger space? Is the roaming area large or small? Does it involve physical or electronic clues (catalog searches, social media hints, etc.).

Creating Your Mystery

1. Create a storyline/plotline. Ask yourself:
   • Has the murder already occurred?
   • Where is your setting? A library or somewhere else?
   • Who are your players/characters? Can you write a simple list or paragraph of their detail — what they look like, their temperament, other details and motives?
   • What is the timeline of your murder/crime/mysterious occurrence? This will help you create alibis for your characters that will narrow your suspects.

2. Work backwards. If you’ve determined that character X perpetrated your art heist, then begin by creating alibis for other characters. The more your other characters have a possible motive for committing the crime, the trickier it is for participants to solve without considering all the clues and information.
3. Craft your clues. Clues, whether physical or virtual, are the key to conveying pieces of information that lead the participants through the path of the mystery. Things that make excellent clues:
   • Receipts
   • Fake police documents
   • Diaries or diary pages
   • Letters
   • Photos
   • Time-stamped pieces, like parking validations and speeding tickets

4. Map it out. It often helps to create a clue map detailing the clues, their locations and the path that participants will take to find them. Consider whether clues need to be sequential or can be found in any order.
5. Incorporate library resources. Mystery events are an excellent chance to get library users comfortable and familiar with your spaces, as well as your databases and other resources. Library stacks themselves are a perfect environment for hiding and seeking clues. You can incorporate library resources by:
   • Including internet and database searches to solve clues.
   • Placing clues at service desks or equipment within the library space that you would like to highlight.
   • Adding puzzles or games involving call numbers to determine the location of clues hidden in the stacks.

6. Test it out. If you are designing a mystery from scratch it helps to have some volunteers before your main event run through the course. Not only can they offer feedback on the mystery, but also expose holes and inconsistencies in your design that can be fixed before the actual game takes place. You can also get an idea of the level of difficulty, the length of play time, etc.