The Best Christmas Murder Mystery Games for 2026
A Christmas murder mystery can mean three different things: a game you play on screens, a printed kit with character booklets and costumes, or a hosted event for a whole company. The right one depends on how many people you have and how much setup you want to do. We make ColdCase Party, so it is on this list, and we have tried to be straight about when something else is the better pick.
Quick picks
| If you want | Pick |
|---|---|
| To play online with a small group, no setup | ColdCase Party: The Last Toast or The Secret Santa |
| A big costume party at home with 12 or more guests | A character-based printable kit, like Freeform Games' The Night Before Christmas |
| Something family-friendly with younger players | My Mystery Party's Christmas Catastrophe |
| A hosted event for 100+ employees | A live-hosted virtual event company |
| Paper on the table and no screens | A ColdCase Party printable kit |
1. ColdCase Party (best for playing online with a small group)
ColdCase Party is a browser murder mystery for 2 to 8 players. One person hosts, everyone joins on their own device, and you work through evidence together and vote on the killer. There are two Christmas cases: The Last Toast (Christmas Eve 1938, a family dinner, a poisoned toast) and The Secret Santa (an office holiday party). No download, no costumes, about an hour.
Best for: friends, couples, families who will not all fit in one living room, and remote teams.
The tradeoff: there are no character booklets or costumes. It is a deduction game, not a roleplay night.
Christmas murder mystery2. Freeform Games (best for a big costume party)
Freeform Games makes downloadable character-based party games. The Night Before Christmas is set at a 1948 Christmas Eve party for 12 to 15 guests and a host, and Christmas Reunion with Death is a present-day game for 6 to 9 people that can be played online or in person. Each guest gets a character with goals, so the evening is more roleplay than puzzle.
Best for: hosts who love costumes and have a big group.
The tradeoff: more prep, and you need enough guests to fill the cast.
3. My Mystery Party (best for families with younger players)
Christmas Catastrophe is a family-friendly Christmas murder mystery for ages 12 and up, with a minimum of six players and kit sizes for larger groups.
Best for: multigenerational family parties.
The tradeoff: it is a host-run party game with assigned characters, so someone has to organize it ahead of time.
4. Hosted virtual events (best for very large companies)
Team-building marketplaces run hosted holiday escape rooms and whodunits for groups in the hundreds, with a live facilitator.
Best for: company-wide parties over 100 people with a budget.
The tradeoff: higher price, fixed scheduling, and a facilitator on the call. For teams up to 75, ColdCase Party team packages are self-serve: Office holiday party games
5. ColdCase Party printable kits (best for no screens)
If you want paper on the table, the printable kits are complete cases: host guide, suspect dossiers, evidence documents and a sealed solution. Silent Mode, where every guest handed over their phone at check-in, is the one for a phones-away Christmas. Crossfade is set on New Year's Eve 1977. $19.99 each, instant PDF.
Printable kitsOnline or printable: how to choose
Choose online if your group is spread out, you want zero prep, or you have between 2 and 8 people. Choose a printable character kit if you have a big group in one house and people who will dress up. Choose a hosted event if you are planning for a whole company and have the budget for a facilitator.
Details for other companies' games were taken from their websites in November 2026. Check their sites for current prices and availability.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Christmas murder mystery game to play online?
For a small group, ColdCase Party's The Last Toast and The Secret Santa run in any browser with no download, and guests play free. For very large groups, a hosted virtual event is the better fit.
What is a good Christmas murder mystery for a big group?
For 12 or more people in one house, a character-based printable kit works well. Online, you can open several ColdCase Party rooms and have groups race each other on the same case.
Are there free Christmas murder mystery games?
ColdCase Party's first objective of Canvas of Death is free, so you can try the format at no cost. The Christmas cases are $4.99 for the host, and guests always play free.
What is the difference between an online and a printable murder mystery?
An online mystery runs on screens and needs no prep. A printable kit is a PDF you print and hand out, which suits a dinner table with no phones.