Murder Mystery Night in Hilton Village
I've lived near Hilton Village for the better part of my life. But other than it being picturesque and having some fun little shops, it's never been something I think hard about. In the years following lockdown and my grandfather's passing, I thought even less about the world around me. But now I have an eye to what's literally on my doorstep... and it's pretty cool.
Case in point, the neighborhood hosted a murder mystery night in July, complete with a village-wide mystery and a reveal at the local bar. How did it go? What could go better next time (and boy I hope there's a next time)? Let's find out.
The Mystery
The "game" was set up as a sort of Clue-flavored pub crawl or stamp rally. Visitors received a card at the welcome desk featuring a list of characters, venues, and weapons, each related to the shops in the area. While one could technically just browse the shops in any order, there was a series of riddles leading from one shop to the next. A few were a big confusing, but ultimately none of them was unsolvable (except for one, which I'll cover a bit later under the Participation section).
Upon arrival at each shop, players were greeted by a staff member with a scripted bit of text, telling a bit more of the story and revealing an item on the list of potential murder weapons. From these bits of script, we build up a story of the departed Penny: a hatmaker in Hilton Village. The final clue led to Bird Girl Bottle Shop, where the hostess of the evening revealed the killer, the location of the murder, and the weapon used.
Participation
The majority of participating shops really seemed to be getting into the spirit of things, which was fantastic. Indulge offered street corn (amazing) and two murder mystery themed drinks. I tried the Whodunnit, a gin and lavender drink, and it was very lovely. I'm a sucker for themed menus, and frankly it makes me want to find an excuse to do a book collab with shops in the Village at some point.
There were "actors" committed to the bit, including Penny's husband, who regularly stopped and asked amateur sleuths for help. Other characters were active, though I didn't get to see them. (Apparently I got mistaken for a character since I took the flyer at its word and dressed for the evening!) Whether each respective shop owner went all in or not varied, understandably. Everyone has a different threshold for that sort of thing. Kudos to the owner of Me & Josephine and her girls for the matching garden party dresses and the "haunted doll" on display.
Playability
For what it's worth, my main issue with playability was of my own doing. This, like an escape room, is not the sort of thing one does alone. I was able to get from location to location and from riddle to riddle. But without a friend or two along, I often found myself disconnected from the story being played out. That is not a problem with the story, though, as I heard large groups talking loudly and with investment about who they suspected. The bigger the group, I think, the better the experience.
There was one place that was difficult for many to find: a salon. There are three hair salons in Hilton Village. One was on the main stretch, but was closed and not participating. One was on the way to Bird Girl, but was closed and not participating. Even now, with the address and name of the place and the aid of Google, I'm not sure how I would have made my way there on the night. I know as well as any local that Hilton Village is more than that single-block main drag, but in future it might be helpful to bake into the clues the general direction, or to offer a map on the night.
The long and the short of it is that it's a very fun idea, mostly well-executed but with a few bugs to work out. Every large group I heard talking seemed to be having fun, and it was nice to see other people getting into the spirit of the event. The best part is, the "bugs" are very specific things that can be taken into account to improve future events, rather than just things that fall flat.
Most of all, I want more events like this in the Village. I want them to keep getting better and attracting more people. I have a lot of personal ties to this little historic area (my grandmother owned a children's clothing store where Indulge currently is), and I want to see the whole place flourish and grow and be absolutely awesome. And this was a very good steppingstone on that path.
About the Author
0 comments