Murder at the Deadwood Saloon

 It’s the First Annual Deadwood Poker Tournament!

For weeks, people have been pouring into the small western town of Deadwood
for the biggest poker tournament this side of the Mississippi. From outlaws to
marshals and saloon girls to southern belles, everyone has made this small western
frontier town THE place to be.

As the festivities of the poker tournament conclude, a celebration party
is planned at the Deadwood Saloon to award the prize money for the
tournament and to celebrate what is hoping to be a very financially successful
venture for the saloon.

With a smattering of bandits, bankers, saloon girls, sheriffs, gamblers, east coast
debutantes, and of course a few of the locals, this is guaranteed to make for a very
interesting evening indeed.

 You would be a fool to miss this celebration!


We have a virtual version of this mystery that can be played in an online platform!
– Be sure the “Virtual” button is selected when purchasing.
— Download an intro file for the virtual version below in the versions section.

Download Mystery Intro File

Guest Info

Guest Breakdown

For 20-80 guests: 7+ males, 10+ females, 2+ gender-neutral

For 15-20 guests: 6-8 males, 8-10 females, 1-2 gender-neutral

For 10-15 guests: 4 males, 6-8 females, 2-3 gender-neutral

For 8-12 guests: 3-4 males, 3-4 females, 2-4 gender-neutral

 

** Download an intro file for the VIRTUAL VERSION here. 

* The upgrade is only able to upgrade the 15-20 guest version to the 20-80 guest version. The upgrade DOES NOT work with any other size of party.

For 20-80 guests: 7+ males, 10+ females, 2+ gender-neutral

For 15-20 guests: 6-8 males, 8-10 females, 1-2 gender-neutral

For 10-15 guests: 4 males, 6-8 females, 2-3 gender-neutral

For 8-12 guests: 3-4 males, 3-4 females, 2-4 gender-neutral

 

Clean versions are void of references to extra-marital affairs, alcohol and/or illegal drugs. Teens and/or more conservative groups often use clean versions for their mystery of choice.

* The upgrade is only able to upgrade the 15-20 guest version to the 20-80 guest version. The upgrade DOES NOT work with any other size of party.

The Cast

*Note that the cast listed below is provided only to give an idea of the types of roles available, and not presented in any order relevant to the plot. Not all cast members are included in every version.

  • Harry High-Stakes

    Saloon Owner

    As the organizer of this grand event, Harry has a lot at stake if it is not successful!

  • Henrietta High-Stakes

    Wife to Harry High-Stakes

    Spending less and less time at the saloon lately, could Henrietta be into something or someone else?

  • Gambling Jack

    Gambler

    The best hand in poker either side of the Mississippi, Jack has not lost a major tournament in the last five years. Until now.

  • Anna Belle

    Wife to Gambling Jack

    Known as her husband’s good luck charm, some say Anna Belle is the reason Gambling Jack never loses.

  • Mitch Maverick

    Traveling Businessman

    As the winner of the tournament, many question how a businessman could have such great card skills. Could Mitch be the next poker phenomenon?

  • Holly Hickok

    Gambler

    A real southern belle with a flare for poker, many wonder what a girl like Holly is doing in the Wild West?

  • Clay Coldwell

    Gambler

  • Motgomery Money

    Land Investor

  • Elizabeth Money

    Wife to Montgomery

  • Minnie Money

    East Coast Debutante

  • Jesse Wales

    Outlaw

  • Black Barbara

    Outlaw

  • Sheriff Sam

    Deadwood Sheriff

  • Banker Bob

    Bank Owner

  • Banker Bonnie

    Banker Bob's Wife

  • Taffy Garrette

    Saloon Girl

  • Sally Starr

    Saloon Girl

  • Poker Alice

    Poker Dealer

  • Billy-The-Bartender

    Saloon Bartender and Bookkeeper

  • Marshal Dalton

    Federal Marshal

Party Tips -- murderatthedeadwoodsaloon.com

  • Guest Info

    Everything you need to know from who's coming to the proper slang to use at it!

Click Here

***In virtually every mining camp and prairie town a poker table could be found in each saloon, surrounded by prospectors, lawmen, cowboys, railroad workers, soldiers, and outlaws for a chance to tempt fortune and fate. ***

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The Usual Suspects:


  Harry High-Stakes—Saloon Owner. As the organizer of this grand event, Harry has a lot at stake if it is not successful! 

Henrietta High-Stakes—Wife to Harry High-Stakes. Spending less and less time at the saloon lately, could Henrietta be into something or someone else? 

Gambling Jack—Gambler. The best hand in poker either side of the Mississippi, Jack has not lost a major tournament in the last five years. Until now. 

Anna Belle—Wife to Gambling Jack. Known as her husband’s good luck charm, some say Anna Belle is the reason Gambling Jack never loses. 

Mitch Maverick—Traveling Businessman. As the winner of the tournament, many question how a businessman could have such great card skills. Could Mitch be the next poker phenomenon? 

Holly Hickok—Gambler. A real southern belle with a flare for poker, many wonder what a girl like Holly is doing in the Wild West? 

Clay Coldwell—Gambler. A once known poker-great, Clay may no longer be lucky in cards, but he may be proving to be lucky in love. 

Montgomery Money—Land Investor. Arriving just this last night, word is Montgomery has his eye on purchasing the saloon and is using this traveling opportunity to seize it. 

Elizabeth Money—Wife to Montgomery Money. Although Elizabeth has been here scouting land prospects for her husband all week, she is still not used to the rough and rugged ways of the West. 

Minnie Money—Debutante. As the sheltered daughter of Montgomery and Elizabeth Money, Minnie’s first trip out west has been an adventure that has taught her a lot about the wild ways of the West and the people it breeds.

Banker Bob—Bank Owner. After the Bank of Deadwood was robbed earlier this week, Bob suspects the culprit is someone in need of ante money for the poker tournament. Will Bob take justice into his own hands to punish the bandit? 

Banker Bonnie—Wife to Banker Bob. Desperate for Bob’s attention, Bonnie will do anything to get it. Anything. 

Jesse Wales—Outlaw. Is Jesse here to meet up with old acquaintances or is this purely a business trip? 

Poker Alice—Poker Dealer. Alice makes her living dealing cards at the saloon, but could she be hiding more than her love for her favorite bartender? 

Sheriff Sam—Deadwood Sheriff. Although Sam is considered the law enforcement of this town, it has been said the only way to get anything ‘enforced’ is by padding Sam’s wallet. 

Marshal Dalton—Federal Marshal. The Marshal was assigned to Deadwood to insure that there is no unlawful activity at the poker tournament. With outlaw rule becoming the way of the West these days, it is time the federal government put some order into place. 

Sally Starr—Saloon Girl. Because of Sally’s strong allegiance to both Harry and Henrietta High-Stakes, Sally will see to it that the saloon thrives at all costs—but what price is too high? 

Taffy Garrette—Saloon Girl. Taffy is the eyes and ears of the saloon, someone who might know a little too much about what is about to go down. 

Black Barbara—Outlaw. Barbara has been in town all week and no one knows quite why. 

Billy-The-Bartender—Saloon Bartender and Bookkeeper. Billy knows the saloon life from every side of the coin and has his own suspicions about who is holding the saloon back from succeeding. 

<<Click on tabs to the left for more information<<

 

More Tidbits about the Wild West You May Want to Know…

WHAT SALOONS SERVED:

In those hard scrabble days, the whiskey served in many of the saloons was some pretty wicked stuff made with raw alcohol, burnt sugar and a little chewing tobacco. No wonder it took on such names as Tanglefoot, Forty-Rod, Tarantula Juice, Taos Lightning, Red Eye, and Coffin Varnish.

Also popular was Cactus Wine, made from a mix of tequila and peyote tea, and Mule Skinner, made with whiskey and blackberry liquor. The house rotgot was often 100 proof, though it was sometimes cut by the barkeep with turpentine, ammonia, gun powder or cayenne.

The most popular term for the libation served in saloons was Firewater, which originated when early traders were selling whiskey to the Indians. To convince the Indians of the high alcohol content, the peddlers would pour some of the liquor on the fire, as the Indians watched the fire begin to blaze.

But the majority of western saloon regulars drank straight liquor — rye or bourbon. If a man ordered a “fancy” cocktail or “sipped” at his drink, he was often ridiculed unless he was “known” or already had a proven reputation as a “tough guy.” Unknowns, especially foreigners who often nursed their drinks, were sometimes forced to swallow a fifth of 100 proof at gunpoint “for his own good.”

SALOON GIRLS:

The saloon or dance-hall girl’s job was to brighten the evenings of lonely men starved for female companionship.

Contrary to what many might think, the saloon girl was not a prostitute. Their job was to entertain the guests, sing for them, dance with them, talk to them and perhaps flirt with them a bit – inducing them to remain in the bar, buying drinks and patronizing the games.

Most girls were refugees from farms or mills, lured by posters and handbills advertising high wages, easy work, and fine clothing. Many were widows or needy women of good morals, forced to earn a living in an era that offered few means for women to do so.

Earning as much as $10 per week, most saloon girls also made a commission from the drinks that they sold. Whiskey sold to the customer was marked up 30-60% over its wholesale price. Commonly drinks bought for the girls would only be cold tea or colored sugar water served in a shot glass; however, the customer was charged the full price of whiskey, which could range from ten to seventy-five cents a shot.

In most places the proprieties of treating the saloon girls as ladies were strictly observed, as much because Western men tended to revere all women, as because the women or the saloon keeper demanded it. Any man who mistreated these women would quickly become a social outcast, and if he insulted one he would very likely be killed. While they might have been scorned by the “proper” ladies, the saloon girl could count on respect from the males.

And as for the “respectable women,” the saloon girls were rarely interested in the opinions of the drab, hard-working women who set themselves up to judge them. In fact, they were hard pressed to understand why those women didn’t have sense enough to avoid working themselves to death by having babies, tending animals, and helping their husbands try to bring in a crop or tend the cattle.

In the early California Gold Rush of 1849, dance halls began to appear and spread throughout the boomtowns. While these saloons usually offered games of chance, their chief attraction was dancing.

The customer generally paid 75¢ to $1.00 for a ticket to dance, with the proceeds being split between the dance hall girl and the saloon owner. After the dance, the girl would steer the gentleman to the bar, where she would make an additional commission from the sale of a drink.

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  • Costumes

    Click below for some period-friendly ideas on what to wear, how to accessorize, and more!

Saloon Girls

You can always accessorize with:

  • Feather boas
  • Long beads
  • Fake eyelashes
  • Fishnet leggings
  • Other stockings
  • Saloon girl dresses
  • Beaded headband
  • Feathers
  • Garter (gun optional)

Find your perfect dress or accessory below

Debutantes and Southern Belles

Ideas on what to wear and how to accessorize!

  • Extravagant dresses
  • Hoop skirt
  • Petticoat
  • Umbrella
  • Fan
  • Lace gloves
  • Big hats
  • Victorian style dresses
  • Ruffles and bows

Check out these dresses and accessories!

Cowboys and Cowgirls

Some ideas of what to include in your outfit are:

  • Boots
  • Spurs
  • Shoestring tie
  • Vest
  • Cowboy hat
  • Mustache
  • Holster
  • Guns
  • Bandanas
  • Belt Buckle (the bigger the better!)
  • Facial Hair

<<Click on tabs to the left for more ideas<<

Gents

Some ideas for accessories include:

  • Hats (bowler, derby, slouch, gambler and more)
  • Vest and Coats
  • A Timepiece
  • Mustaches
  • Ascot Ties
  • Suit Coats
  • Bow Ties
  • Suspenders

<<Click on tabs to the left for more ideas<<

Check below for some Men’s Costumes

Hats

Hosting Tips

  • All of the information regarding how to run your Murder at The Deadwood Saloon party can be found online at Night of Mystery. We highly suggest that you take time to look over our website and download the Murder at The Deadwood Saloon preview file. Upon reading the introduction file, it will give you a better understanding about how the parties are run and what to expect once you purchase a full mystery file.

    If you still have question, the Frequently Asked Questions page at Night of Mystery is a great resource or you can contact us.
  • Since our games are custom written for the size of the party (ie, we don’t just create a mystery with 8 characters and then keep adding more characters to it), each mystery size is unique unto itself. That being said, going from 10-15 version to 15-20 version, will not only add in more characters, but it will change the storylines of the existing characters, and vice-versa in going from a larger version to a smaller one.

    Because of this, WE STRONGLY SUGGEST you get a guest count before formally ordering. You can do so by downloading an invitation, inviting your guests and then purchasing your mystery once you have a more accurate number of people attending. Unfortunately, if you find yourself purchasing the wrong sized party, you will have to purchase another version of the mystery for the size you want unless you are moving from the 15-20 version to the 20+ version.

    You can download an invitation here before ordering.
  • Check out this well-thought out blog on "How to host a mystery."

    Additionally, you can always look online at our galleries for picture references OR our Party of the Month Blogs to see what other hosts and hostesses have done for their parties and learn from their experience.

    Along with those tips, you can check out this blog post on how we created our own saloon decor.
  • For even more party planning ideas, check out our Murder at The Deadwood Saloon Pinterest Board here. It is s filled with ideas for recipes, costumes, decorations, etc. for the perfect Murder at The Deadwood Saloon!
  • Provide an assortment of accessories to help your guests "get into character" including: cigars, cowboy hats, boas, beads, headbands & feathers, bowler hats, eyelashes, moustaches & sideburns for disguise and water pistols for self defense.
  • Find recipes, templates and directions to make all the western goodies pictured above easily and affordably when you buy Murder At The Deadwood Saloon.


    Includes:
    Ideas, directions and templates on how to make WANTED, Reward and Tournament posters, saloon signs, beer & sarsaparilla (root beer) labels, a personalized menu, gold, money bags, bandana napkins, more elaborate nametags and recipes for various western-themed foods, and more!!!
  • Each month we highlight one of our customers who has posted on our blog and award them a FREE party!

    To get your $5 coupon AND be entered in the Party Of the Month contest for a chance to win a FREE party, please email nompartyofthemonth@gmail.com

    Don’t forget to add all the important details and party highlights that made your party one to remember! We love to hear about all of the hard work you, as host, put into your party. From the decor, to the food, costumes, whatever. As well as how you and your guests acted (and reacted!) throughout the night! Everything that made your party one your guests will never forget — tell us about it! And be sure to attach some pictures!!!

    Upon submitting, we will email you back a coupon to use for $5 off your next party AND enter you in our “Party of the Month” contest, where you could win a FREE party! One submitted, you will not have to resubmit, but will be entered EVERY MONTH until your party wins!

    Check out some of our past winners here! Night of Mystery POM Blogs

    Thanks again for hosting with Night of Mystery and we can’t wait to hear all about your party!!!
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Testimonials

I bought the Murder at Deadwood Saloon for 20 to 80 people. Having thrown a few mystery parties in the past I have to say this was much more detailed. Friends loved that they got some character info before hand. The only problem I had was I didn’t plan accordingly for the timing on the actual Murder. I hosted it outside in daylight and we were instructed for the lights to go out! Well we made it work! And it was still a blast!! Must read the host info carefully on prepping and what to do next. And there is a lot of printing to keep in order for a big crowd . But very throughout! Everyone dressed the part so perfectly! Can’t wait to do the next one!

- Barb Saling

I have played/hosted both Murder at the Juice Joint and Deadwood Saloon and had a grand time for both experiences. The murder mysteries are well-written, the characters are memorable, and myself and my guests both enjoyed dressing up, acting the part, and learning new things from each other through the experience. Night of Mystery is also unique in that no one knows the murderer until half way through; it's also nice being provided with clear objectives each player must meet during both halves of the game and still having room to improv and interact with different characters. The research and resources provided are also great. Always a memorable time.

- Shannon Brayshaw

I threw a "Deadwood Saloon" murder mystery party for high school kids. I am a teacher at a school for students with diagnosed learning disabilities. Most of them have diagnoses such as dyslexia, ADD, language processing disorder, etc. I helped them to understand their roles and the scenario. My group of teenagers love to role play and use their imaginations! During the party, they played card games and we had saloon music on. We really transformed the high school into a Western Saloon. Students wore bandanas, hats, and boots. This game was a fun way for them to use their planning skills and social skills. They still talk about that party and we will definitely be doing it again!

- Heide Schweers

We had a great time at our second annual Night of Mystery party, which has been a birthday celebration for our daughter. Last year we played TRAILER PARK TRAGEDY and this year it was MURDER AT THE DEADWOOD SALOON. Both mysteries were well-developed and so much fun to play! The preparation is almost as much fun as the party! Almost, because the parties are a blast!! It’s true that if you dress your part, you will really get into the character! I can hardly wait for the 3rd Annual Murder Mystery Party!!

- Vickie Wippich

Super fun night. I was very nervous about this actually working, but the kit comes with EVERYTHING - made for dummies. The plot was so funny. Everyone was very entertained and enjoyed the murder mystery very much!

- Tracey Johnson Cullen

Purchase Murder at the Deadwood Saloon

Murder at the Deadwood Saloon includes:

Mystery PDF that includes: A Host Guide, A Schedule of the Night, An Introduction, Designed Invitations, Background Information, Character Descriptions, Character Objective Sheets, Name Tags, Evidence, Accusation Sheets, a Detailed Solution, Award Certificates, and more!

Download Intro