Halloween Mystery Party Game, Kids Whodunit Printable, Family Murder Mystery Alternative, Personalized Invitations, 4-10 Players, Ages 8+

Somebody has emptied the Great Candy Cauldron, and every guest at your Halloween party is a suspect!

The Case of the Vanished Candy is a family-friendly Halloween mystery party for 4 to 10 players, ages 8 and up. It's spooky-fun, never scary, and nobody gets hurt. Your guests come in costume as a witch, a mad scientist, a mummy, a scarecrow, a vampire, a ghost and more. There's a runaway foam machine, a vampire who is scared of the dark, glow-in-the-dark fingerprints, and a thief with a surprisingly big heart. Play it in about 90 minutes, over snacks or before trick-or-treating.

WHAT'S INSIDE
★ Host guide: the story, cast list, what to print, a minute-by-minute party timeline, rules and tips
★ The full solution with the logic chain written out step by step, and a suspect table
★ Read-aloud Opening and Reveal scripts for the host
★ Invitations, one for each guest, with their character and a costume idea
★ 10 secret character booklets: who you are, your secret, where you were when the lights went out, what you know, and what to reveal in each round
★ Clue cards for 3 rounds: The Scene, The Alibis and The Proof
★ Detective notebooks with a suspect grid and an accusation box
★ 4 awards: Super Sleuth, Best Costume, Best Performance and Silliest Alibi
★ Props: a Great Candy Cauldron label, a peanut-free bowl label, Coffin and Glow Craft Table signs, and crime scene tape
★ Name badges and fold-over place cards for every character

PHONE PARTY (in the "with Phone Party" listing in our shop)
★ Every guest scans the QR code in their booklet and gets a secret phone file: their character, their secrets behind a tap, and what to tell each round
★ Clue cards pop up on every phone when you start each round
★ A small, silly secret mission each round, like "make someone jump with a friendly Boooo!", with a Mission Master award
★ A tap-to-mark detective notebook on the phone
★ Everyone locks in their accusation on their phone (who, how, where and why), hidden until the reveal
★ You run it all from your phone: tap Lights Out and every phone goes dark, tap Reveal and every phone shows the thief, then play a spooky tune on every phone at once
★ Your phone shows the Super Sleuth scores for the awards
★ Works in any phone browser, no app. Guests without a phone use the printed booklet and notebook

A FAIR MYSTERY
★ Players can really solve it: exactly one guest fits every clue
★ Every red herring is fair and gets explained
★ Works with 4 to 10 players. For a small party of 4 or 5, two characters stay in the kitchen and their clues come on extra cards (with 5, one guest plays an optional character). Characters 7 to 10 are optional and are never needed to solve it

PERSONALIZE IT
★ Your party date, time, place and RSVP on every invitation
★ Each guest's name on their invitation, booklet, detective notebook, badge and place card
★ Your host name on the clue cards (like "Inspector Mom")
★ An optional dress-up note
★ Tick the optional characters you want, and only their pages and clue cards print

HOW IT WORKS
1. Download the files and open the "Start Here" PDF.
2. Go to the link and unlock it with your Etsy order number and name.
3. Type your party details and guest names. The preview updates as you type.
4. Print at home, or save a PDF.

ALSO INCLUDED
A fill-it-in-by-hand version with all 10 characters in US Letter and A4, in full color and ink saver.

GOOD TO KNOW
• This is a digital download. Nothing will be shipped.
• Yours to use every Halloween, with no subscription.
• Your maker unlocks with your own order, on up to 3 of your devices each year.
• For personal use only. Please don't share the files.
• Text and design were created with the help of AI tools and edited by hand.

Questions? Send a message and I'll get back to you within a day.