It’s that time of the year when your colleagues start floating their year-end function ideas. But what are you actually going to do at this year’s year-end function?
If the honest answer is “the same restaurant, the same speeches, the same three people who always talk” — your team already knows how the night goes before they arrive. A guest-improvised murder mystery breaks that script. Everyone gets a character, a secret to keep and a secret to reveal, and by the second course the room isn’t a work dinner any more. It’s a roomful of suspects.
I’m Lisa Aspeling. I’ve been writing and hosting these evenings since 2010, and in 2026 we were named Murder Mystery Dinner Experience of the Year and Best African Entertainment Brand at the MEA Markets African Excellence Awards. Here’s how a year-end function actually works when nobody’s reading a script.
What is a murder mystery team-building event?
It’s a dinner where your team becomes the story instead of watching one. Each person is handed a character with a secret to keep and a secret to reveal — the rest is improvised by the people in the room, not by hired actors. There’s no script to memorise and nothing to rehearse; you only have to show up and say yes.
“This was so much fun! Highly recommend for team building or a group of friends just wanting to do something fun and different.” – John Grant
The murder is just the puzzle that gets everyone talking. What people actually remember is the accountant who turned out to do a flawless villain, and how the whole table was laughing too hard to check their phones.
Will everyone actually take part?
Yes — because opting out isn’t built into it. Everyone gets a character, so there’s no audience to hide in and no volunteer to put on the spot. The most reliable thing that happens all night is the quietest person on the team picking up an accent and quietly stealing the show.
You don’t have to act. You don’t have to be funny. You just have to be your character for one evening, and the format does the rest.
What if someone drops out on the day?
The mystery doesn’t notice. I write every game with flexible, secret-less characters alongside the ones that carry the plot, so the evening runs as long as your main characters show up (and the murderer, of course) — last-minute cancellations are strongly discouraged. My rule of thumb is always to assign main characters to the most dependable team members. For a corporate RSVP list that never quite matches the headcount, knowing your main characters will definitely arrive is one less thing to manage.
“One of the best team building experiences I’ve ever done. The playful nature of the game opens creativity and brings people closer.” – Michelle Geere, Adbot
How big does the group need to be for this year-end function ideas to work?
Anywhere from a small team to a full department works. Games are built to a table size and flex around it, so a team of eight and a team of twenty-four each get an evening written to fit. If you’re not sure your numbers suit it, that’s the first thing we’ll sort on a quick call.
Does it work for a team that doesn’t know each other well?
It’s almost designed for it. Because you only ever talk about yourself in character, the format skips the awkward “so what do you do?” entirely — nobody’s exposing themselves, so everyone takes the risk. New starters, remote teammates meeting in person, two departments that never mix: they tend to feel like friends by the end of the night, before they’ve properly learned each other’s real names.
No trust falls. No forced fun. Just a reason for the whole room to be present.
“Hilarious, brilliantly run, and far too much fun. I got to put on a very bad Russian accent for a few hours, which may have been the real crime :D” – Aidan Classe
How much does a year-end murder mystery cost?
It’s quoted per event, because I write each one around your actual team rather than pulling a template off a shelf. (Although, where budget is an issue I can host an existing game from my library of games instead of a fully bespoke evening. Both options require a quote.) On a call I’ll give you two clear options — a hosted evening I run in the room, or a print-and-play version your team can run themselves — and price it against your group size. (The venue, catering, photographer and table decor can be arranged according to your budget.) I don’t send a number before we’ve spoken, because I can’t price it honestly until I know your people.
When should we book a year-end function?
Now, if it’s on your list. South African year-end planning runs from September, dates fill from the top of the season, and I’m one writer with a limited number of hosted evenings before December. If you’ve got a date in mind, hold it early — the good weeks in November go first.
Cape Town, Johannesburg — or your team wherever it is
The games are designed in Cape Town and hosted everywhere. I host in person in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and even the UK where budget allows, and for teams further afield I write the evening and coach one or two of your people to run it, so a remote or international team gets the same night without waiting on my diary.
Ready to plan it?
Tell me about your team and the date you’re eyeing, and I’ll walk you through the two options on a 20-minute call.
lisa@murdermysteryguide.com · +27 72 372 8620 · Browse the Print & Play games
Frequently asked questions
Is a murder mystery good for a work team-building event?
Yes. Everyone gets a character, so participation isn’t optional and no one can sit on the sidelines — and because people speak in character, colleagues who barely talk usually end up leading the room. It builds connection without a single trust fall. That said, it’s guest-improvised, so if you’re feeling quiet on the night, you don’t have to try and steal the limelight. You can get away with saying not much at all, and just enjoy others having fun.
Do you have to act or be good at improvising?
No. There’s nothing to memorise and no performing required, just a little imagination, and leaning into the ludicrous nature of the evening — you’re given a character and a couple of secrets, and you simply respond as them. First-timers are the ones who most often steal the night.
How many people do you need for a murder mystery team build?
It works for small teams through to large departments. It’s ideal for 8 – 24 guests. Each game is written to a table size and flexes around it, and the evening still runs smoothly if a non-essential character cancels on the day.
How far in advance should we book a year-end function?
Book from September onward. Planning season starts then and hosted dates before December are limited, so earlier is safer for the popular November weeks.
Do you run corporate events outside Cape Town?
Yes — in person in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and the UK, and anywhere else by writing the game and training one or two of your team to host it.
What makes this different from other murder mystery companies?
The guests do the improvising, not hired actors, and every bespoke evening is written around your actual people. It’s a guest-improvised murder mystery dinner — a format I’ve been writing and hosting since 2010.
