Rasheena’s Backstage Business party
Backstage Business is my 3rd murder mystery from Freeform Games. I have to say, it was the best one yet!
Backstage Business being set in 1986 gives such an amazing nostalgic feeling for the participants and if you are younger, it’s such a fun decade! Each detail was true to the times, all characters, items and scenarios, truly made you feel like you were backstage at the Roxy!
For me, the best part was the multi-layered characters. The game begins without a murder announcement. Leaving all characters, the first 30 minutes, to mix and mingle in an attempt to accomplish a goal. Once the murder is announced, players receive a different set of goals! That’s when it all gets crazy. As the host, it was hilarious watching my friends’ scheme and plot, building alliances and shunning people from joining their band.
Each character is well thought out, and their built-in interactions with others make the game interesting. You won’t be able to accomplish much on your own, it forces your players to think before they make a move and wonder just who will bring the most star quality to your band. Or even if you prefer star quality over talent. My friends worked hard trying to build the perfect band. You just may screw yourself over by aligning with the wrong person. The goals and abilities allow for many possibilities and many alliances to form. I love that it is not too rigid on what can and cannot be done.
I also appreciate how this led everyone to focus on having fun (with their abilities) instead of trying too hard to solve the murder. This being an adult-only game, was a plus! There was a moment where my friend got so frustrated and yelled at me “Look, I know you know…WHO HAS THE DRUGS”! I laughed for so long, I almost forgot I was hosting.
My suggestion as a host is to make sure to reiterate throughout the game which characters are not there. Some players spent a chunk of their time attempting to find people who were not there. Accusing characters of lying about their identity (which does occur). I planned the event with all 22 characters, but a few people dropped out the day of. I made adjustments and had to remind them who was not present. Also, encourage your participants to really dive in and dress the part. Just because it says “black turtleneck” doesn’t mean they can’t jazz it up a bit.
I give Backstage Business a 10/10, highly recommended.Rasheena
