Murder Mystery Games in Detroit & Dearborn

The Henry Ford Frenzy Scavenger Hunt

  • private
  • adults
  • kids
  • indoor

The hunt with something for everyone!

Uncover the most surprising secrets and the most unusual details of the vast collection of Americana inside Dearborn’s Henry Ford Museum of Innovation. On teams, you’ll explore the museum’s treasures by following a trail of clues and collaborating to answer fun and funny questions.

Your quest might include…

  • President Lincoln’s seat from Ford’s Theatre—yes, that one!
  • The actual bus on which Rosa Parks made a stand by sitting
  • An unearthed treasure trove for gamers that Atari didn’t want you to see
  • A surprising news flash from Sesame Street
  • Amusing views of the future provided by comic books, toy robots, lunch boxes, and more pop-culture relics from the recent past

Plus, Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk, limousines presidents rode in, and actual full-size historic planes, trains, and automobiles. You don’t need any prior knowledge to do well on this hunt: you just need to keep your eyes open and work well with your team. 

A Murder Mystery Edition is also available, in which your group of sleuths will have to catch a killer in order to ward off a potentially catastrophic international incident. 

We offer Kids Editions, too, for ages 7 and up.

If you’re looking for a great activity that will entertain a diverse group, you’re welcome! Groups of all kinds have enjoyed our hunts on corporate outings, birthday parties, social-group get-togethers, school trips—you name it.


The Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt

  • private
  • adults
  • kids
  • outdoor

Beware: there’s a killer in your midst

Someone playing this game with you is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. His or her good side knows nothing about the evil side—and the evil side has challenged you to prevent your own murder. Everyone in your group has been poisoned, and the clock is ticking down on your time left to live. To reveal the killer’s identity, you’ll have to complete a series of photo challenges, solve interlocking puzzles, decipher coded text messages, and more. If you succeed, you get the antidote. If you fail…well, you know.

If you love escape-room games, you’ll love this murder mystery scavenger hunt. But even better, you won’t be locked in a room for an hour: this game can be played almost anywhere. 

An in-person murder mystery for any location!

We have a variety of versions, depending on where you want to play. Such as…

  • A city, town, or neighborhood
  • A science, history, or entertainment museum
  • A zoo or aquarium
  • An office building
  • A school or campus
  • A botanical garden or park

A murder mystery scavenger hunt perfect for team building

Here’s a game that will help you solve the mystery of how to entertain a diverse group of people while boosting morale and teamwork. It’s perfect for any private party or a corporate team-building outing of any size. Our clients who have enjoyed this game include T-Mobile, TD Bank, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Michigan in Washington, and others too numerous to mention.

The hunt’s afoot! Contact us to learn more—and find more team-building fun anywhere!


The Murder at the Detroit Institute of Arts Scavenger Hunt

  • private
  • adults
  • indoor

Can your team of sleuths catch a killer?

You didn’t expect an ordinary old museum tour, did you? Good, because you won’t get one here. Instead, you’ll be challenged to solve the murder of a Watson Adventures staffer who’s been found dead in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

It turns out that the dead man created a hunt for your group that is full of secret codes and an “emergency message.” We need your team to do the hunt and see if it provides clues about who wanted him killed and why. You’ll start to uncover the secrets of his treacherous double life—and possibly head off an international incident with far-reaching consequences.

Along the way, you’ll also uncover secrets about amazing works of art, where many a surprising detail turns out to be part of a cryptic code. No previous knowledge of art, or the museum, is required: you just need sharp eyes and good teamwork. The fate of the free world just may hinge on your group’s ability to work together.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in Detroit!


The Killer Trivia Quiz: A Murder Mystery Game

  • private
  • adults
  • indoor

Solving a murder is not a trivial pursuit

We need your help to catch a killer. Shortly after writing a trivia quiz, a Watson Adventures staffer was murdered. Before he died, he drew a star on the ground with his own blood. What does this mean? It turns out that he lived a dangerous double life. Can your team of sleuths piece together the puzzle he left behind in time to head off an international incident with catastrophic consequences?

To crack the case, you’ll need to get into teams and work your way through the dead man’s trivia quiz. Our entertaining host will guide you through several rounds of captivating questions, which often have ways for you to figure out the answer even if you don’t know it at first. The unusual array of challenges includes a music round, a movie-stills challenge, and even a scavenger hunt.

Along the way, you’ll discover how the answers point to a cryptic code. You won’t just solve a crime—the fate of the free world might depend on your ability to work together!

This devilish trivia game can be played pretty much everywhere—conference rooms, special-event spaces, private rooms in restaurants or bars, even your home. You just need enough chairs for participants to sit together in teams. Leave the rest to us.

What players are saying about this murder mystery trivia game

“Thank you so much for the incredible work you all did in making and hosting this trivia game for our retreat. I have been getting compliments all weekend about how much fun Watson Adventures was. [Game hosts] Andy, Greg, and Serena were the BEST! It was a truly engaging and fun experience. It’s not easy to get a room full of 150+ prosecutors and detectives interested in a team building exercise, and you guys nailed it with this murder mystery. Thank you for your inspired professionalism and patience with us while working out the details. I am truly grateful for you all, and I’m sure we will work with you all again soon!”

Have any non-trivial questions about the Killer Trivia Game? Contact us to learn more—and find more fun wherever you need a bit of mystery!


The Murder by Team Building Game

  • private
  • adults
  • teens
  • indoor

The murder-mystery game you can play anywhere

Terrible news! A Watson Adventures host, David Park, was on his way to lead your team-building activity today, but he was found dead in the parking lot. We need you to go through David’s backpack of game materials and see if you can figure out who would want him dead and why.

On teams, you’ll play the game that David created, answering trivia questions, solving fun puzzles, and—spoiler alert!—uncovering secret messages that reveal that David was leading a double life. There might even be a spy in your group!

We’ll send you the backpack full of game materials, and a Watson Adventures host will get the game started, then answer questions (and offer hints) as you go along.

You can choose whether you would like our Host to lead your group remotely, via Zoom or a similar platform, or you can opt for an in-person host, live in your office.

The game requires one hour and can be played in any room where you need to provide a break for your group, ramp up the fun, and get people to bond and work together in a whole new way.

Do you need a hybrid solution to bring together players working from home and in the office? Check out the Murder by Team Building Game: Virtual Edition.

A Teens Edition is also available.

What players are saying about the murder mystery game

A 5-star review on Google: “What fun we had! Josh was an amazing guide and I would recommend Watson Adventures!!”

Contact us to learn more about this murder mystery game—and find more fun!


Puzzled to Death: A Virtual Game of Murder Mystery Puzzles

  • private
  • adults
  • indoor

You can escape a room, but can you escape a vintage game store?

As part of his acclaimed new book, The Puzzler, best-selling author A.J. Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically, The Year of Living Constitutionally) partnered with Watson Adventures to create a devilishly fun murder mystery game packed with puzzles. In his book he describes the experience of creating the game—now it’s your turn to play the game! But first…

Shocking news! The owner of a local board-game store has been murdered! Authorities are baffled by the mysterious killing, and they have called in you and your team of expert puzzle-solvers to crack the case.

The killer has hidden clues to their identity in games scattered around the store. It’s up to you to solve a series of puzzles and piece together the name of the murderer. Clearly the murderer loves to play games—but in a gaming store, that doesn’t narrow things down much!

On teams, you’ll tackle up to 10 mini-games that are inspired by classic games—but with humorous twists. Each challenge you solve will lead you a step closer to unmasking the murderer. Can your team unravel this mystery, catch the culprit, and show the villain that they toyed with the wrong people?

What players are saying about the virtual puzzles game

A 5-star review on Google: Fun and engaging game for our remote team. The host was energetic and kept everyone participating. I will definitely book them again for another corporate event.”

Contact us to learn more about this online murder mystery game—and find more virtual fun!


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