Holiday Party Games for Adults
The best holiday party game is one everybody can join in a minute and is still arguing about on the drive home. ColdCase Party is a murder mystery you solve together in the browser. One person hosts, everyone else joins on their own phone or laptop with a room code, and about an hour later somebody gets accused. Guests never pay or download anything, and the first objective of Canvas of Death is free, so you can try it before the party.
Pick your party
Thanksgiving & Friendsgiving.
The Final Feast: a Thanksgiving dinner murder mystery for after the plates are cleared.
The office holiday party.
Squads solve the same case and compare verdicts. Works in person, remote, or hybrid.
Christmas with friends or family.
The Last Toast: Christmas Eve 1938, a champagne toast, and a will that was just rewritten.
New Year's Eve.
The Midnight Countdown: start by 11 and you'll name the killer before the ball drops.
No screens at the table.
Printable murder mystery kits at $19.99, instant PDF.
Giving it as a gift.
A case to solve, sent as a code in minutes.
How a holiday game night works
- Host picks a case. Open a room on coldcaseparty.com and pay once for the case. Guests pay nothing.
- Everyone joins with a code. Phones, laptops, tablets. Same room or different cities, it plays the same.
- Read, argue, accuse. Work through the evidence together, finish the objectives, and vote on the killer. Most cases take 45 to 60 minutes.
Why a murder mystery works at a holiday party
Holiday parties mix people who don't usually spend an evening together: in-laws, coworkers from other teams, the friend who brought a friend. Most party games reward whoever is loudest or knows the most movie trivia. A murder mystery gives everyone the same evidence and the same job, so the quiet cousin who notices the timestamp is suddenly the most important person in the room. It also has an ending, which is more than you can say for most party games.
Frequently asked questions
What are good holiday party games for adults?
A murder mystery is one of the best, because everyone plays at once and it has a real ending. ColdCase Party runs in the browser, so there is nothing to set up beyond opening a room. Warm-ups like a white elephant gift swap or a quick trivia round work well while people arrive.
Can we play with family in other cities?
Yes. Everyone joins the same room from their own device, so you can play over FaceTime, Zoom, or a group call. The case works the same whether you are around one table or spread across time zones.
How many people can play?
Each room holds 2 to 8 players. For bigger groups, open more than one room, or use a team package, where squads solve the same case and compare verdicts.
How long does a game take?
Most cases take 45 to 60 minutes. The harder cases run longer, and each case page lists its time.
How much does it cost?
The host pays $4.99 once for a case, and guests play free. The first objective of Canvas of Death is free, so you can try the game before you buy.
Is it okay for a work party?
Yes. The cases are puzzle-first whodunits, and nobody has to act, dress up, or read a script out loud. For whole teams, see the office holiday party page.