Case file · Chicago, 1927

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Last Call at the Gilded Canary murder mystery party game

155 printable pages. Print characters 1 to however many guests you have.

auto_storiesThe story badgeThe cast receipt_longThe kit styleLook inside

groupWorks at every headcount from 8 to 20

theater_comedyThe host can play a character too

printUS Letter, home printer, black and white is fine

nightlifeChicago, 1927 • 1920s Speakeasy

Last Call at the Gilded Canary

"Three murders, one speakeasy, and a killer who doesn't know it yet."

Guest count

8 to 20

Print 1 to however many

Duration

~2½ Hrs

Three murders

Rating

PG-13

Scandal, nothing explicit

Host

Host & play

Solution on a sealed page

Delivery

PDF download

Print at home

Casting

7 flexible roles

Man or woman

Coming soon On sale after our test party

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One email when it goes on sale, nothing else.

Includes: host guide, 20 character packets with sealed envelopes, evidence, play money, action cards, ballots, awards and invitations.

group_addScales to your guest list Characters join in order

8 GuestsThe core cast

12 GuestsCore + characters 9 to 12

16 GuestsCore + characters 9 to 16

20 GuestsCore + characters 9 to 20

Somebody cancels the morning of the party? Print one fewer character. The case never rests on anyone after number 8.

1927

The story · read to your guests

The Canary Turns Five Tonight

Chicago, 1927. The Gilded Canary, the swankiest speakeasy on the North Side, turns five tonight. Its owner, Viv Ashby, has promised a toast at 9:15 with an announcement that will "change everything". The gin is cold, the band is hot, and every soul in the room is hiding something.

Your guests mingle, gossip, bribe each other with Canary Cash and chase their own side goals. Then the bodies start to drop. After each murder everyone opens a sealed envelope with new secrets, new jobs and fresh gossip. The dead come back as ghosts with nothing left to lose. By last call, the clues point to one guest, and everyone casts a ballot: who did it, how, and why.

Setting: Chicago, 1927•Three murders•PG-13

The suspects

The Cast of Suspects

These eight are in every game. Each guest gets a character card with things to share, a secret to hide, goals for the night and three sealed envelopes.

Core cast

Viv Ashby

Owner of the Gilded Canary

Costume suggestion:

The best dress in the room: beaded or sequinned, long pearls, a feather headband, a long cigarette holder.

Core cast

Johnny 'Two-Tone' Russo

Collector for the Outfit

Costume suggestion:

Pinstripe suit, two-tone shoes (or any shoes with tape on the toes), fedora, a toothpick.

Core cast

Lola LaRue

The Canary's Headline Singer

Costume suggestion:

Slinky evening gown, a white feather boa, red lipstick, finger waves or a bob.

Core castMan or woman

Detective Frank Mulligan

Chicago Police (Off Duty, Allegedly)

Costume suggestion:

Trench coat or rumpled suit, a battered hat, a little black notebook, a glass of rye in hand.

Core cast

Dottie Pruitt

The Cigarette Girl

Costume suggestion:

Short dress or skirt, a pillbox hat, and a tray (a box lid on a ribbon) of candy cigarettes and sweets.

Core cast

Harold Pemberton III

President of Pemberton Savings & Loan

Costume suggestion:

Three-piece suit, pocket watch on a chain, bow tie, spectacles, a cigar you never light.

Core castMan or woman

Eddie 'Ivory' Keyes

Piano Man and Bandleader

Costume suggestion:

Shirt sleeves with arm garters, a loosened tie, a waistcoat or braces. Fingers always drumming.

Core cast

Agnes Whitlock

The Temperance Crusader

Costume suggestion:

Long dark dress buttoned to the chin, a sash reading TEMPERANCE, a collection tin, a small brown bottle.

group_add

Hosting 9 to 20 guests?

Twelve more characters join in order: Mickey 'the Kid' Flanagan, Rosie Delgado, Edith Pemberton, Sam Kowalski, Bunny Fairweather, Count Alexei Romanoff, Hazel Quinn, Benny 'Bones' Moretti, Dr. Ira Fenwick, Pearl Delacroix, Nate Garrison, Madame Zora.

All in the kit

What's in the kit

Everything You Get in the Download

155 printable pages. Print only the characters you need.

menu_book

Part 01

Host guide

11 pages: setup, rules, who's who, the night minute by minute with read-aloud murders and evidence, and the sealed solution. The host can play a character too.

mail

Part 02

20 character packets

A character card plus three sealed envelopes each, opened after each murder. Costume tips on every card.

Part 03

Man-or-woman roles

Seven characters come in a man and a woman version, with their own names and portraits.

fingerprint

Part 04

Evidence and props

Typeset evidence for all three murders, sorted into a folder per murder for the host to read out and lay on the table.

local_atm

Part 05

Party extras

Canary Cash, 20 action cards, name tags, ballots, three awards, two posters and bottle labels.

history_edu

Part 06

Invitations

One per character, naming who they'll play and what to wear.

Real pages from the kit

Look Inside the Kit

Nothing here gives the game away. Tap a page to see it full size.

Who's Who: print characters 1 to however many guests you have

Invitations name each guest's character and costume

Action cards force out secrets and shake up the night

Name tags with each character's portrait

Stress-free seating

Plays Seamlessly From 8 to 20 Guests

Print characters 1 to however many guests you have. Here's who joins as the list grows.

Up to	Who plays	Characters	What changes
8 Guests	The core cast	Viv Ashby, Johnny 'Two-Tone' Russo, Lola LaRue, Detective Frank Mulligan, Dottie Pruitt, Harold Pemberton III, Eddie 'Ivory' Keyes, Agnes Whitlock	Every clue the case needs
12 Guests	Core + characters 9 to 12	+ Mickey 'the Kid' Flanagan, Rosie Delgado, Edith Pemberton, Sam Kowalski	From 11 guests the host stops the music once
16 Guests	Core + characters 9 to 16	+ Bunny Fairweather, Count Alexei Romanoff, Hazel Quinn, Benny 'Bones' Moretti	More schemes, deals and gossip
20 Guests	Core + characters 9 to 20	+ Dr. Ira Fenwick, Pearl Delacroix, Nate Garrison, Madame Zora	More schemes, deals and gossip

Host questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can play? expand_more

Anywhere from 8 to 20. Characters 1 to 8 carry the murders and every clue the solution needs, so print characters 1 to however many guests you have. Each extra guest adds a character with their own goals, so nobody's role is missing and no clue is lost.

What if someone cancels on the day? expand_more

Just print one fewer character. Because guests join in a fixed order and the case never depends on characters 9 to 20, the game still works at every headcount from 8 to 20.

Can women play the men's roles, or the other way round? expand_more

Yes. Seven characters have a man and a woman version with their own name, pronouns and portrait, and anyone can play anyone if your group likes cross-casting for laughs.

Can the host play too? expand_more

Yes. Nobody knows who the killer is, not even the killer until the final envelope. The host runs the timeline and can play a character, as long as they don't read the solution page until the end.

How long does it take? expand_more

About two and a half hours from doors open to the awards, with three murders spaced through the night.

Is it hard to solve? expand_more

It's designed so about half the table cracks it. The case can't be proven until after the third murder, but everything you need is in the room by the final vote. Ballots score who, how and why separately, so even close guesses earn points.

Do I need a colour printer? expand_more

No. Printed pages are cream with dark text and light gold trim, and everything reads fine in black and white.

Is it suitable for kids? expand_more

It's written PG-13 for adults and older teens: affairs, money, blackmail and bootleg gin, nothing explicit. A clean edition is on our list.

New to hosting? Read how to host a murder mystery party.

Now inspecting:Last Call at the Gilded Canary

PDF download · print at home8 to 20 guests · Coming soon

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