Murder Mystery Games in New York City

Can your team solve this murder mystery scavenger hunt?

Fans of murder mysteries and The Da Vinci Code will enjoy this unusual adventure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge, and treachery—all revolving around the museum’s planned multi-million-dollar purchase of a rare painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

Even if you’re not a murder mystery buff, you’ll have plenty of fun spotting unusual details in art, piecing together the story, and laughing at some of the surprising discoveries. No knowledge of the museum or its art is required—you just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and good teamwork.

What are players saying about the  at the Met Museum Murder Mystery Game?

“We had a fantastic time yesterday. Thank you for all your assistance! Our Hunt Host was a lot of fun and kept us interested in the story line—which is just juicy and scandalous enough to have kept everyone interested. We had a really great time as individual teams working together as well as competing against each other.” –Jessica Park, Office Manager, Black Mountain Systems

“Our team had a great time. Don and Shannon are wonderful hosts and I have to say that the entire group was super into the hunt—I consider this a great success for our group (lol).
Thank you so much for making the process so easy and seamless. I was super impressed from start to finish. Thanks again!!!!” —an organizer from a pharmaceutical firm

A 5-star review on TripAdvisor: “We loved our Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt. What a great way to see a museum. The questions were tough and we loved the challenge. Our family loved it—millennials and baby boomers. Kim was a great [hunt host]. We will definitely do another/different Hunt. Highly recommended!”

Click below to see the weekend public hunt schedule or contact us to learn more about booking a private Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt for your group—and find more fun in New York City!

Can you figure out who did it?

Someone—or some thing—has been bumping off museum staffers involved in acquiring a sacred Egyptian relic. Is it the dreaded Curse of Ahtchu? Or is a serial killer on the loose? Your team of sleuths will have to crack a hieroglyphic code and uncover the museum’s secrets to stop the killings.

While solving the crime, you’ll get an amazing whirlwind tour of the American Museum of Natural History. From the giant blue whale on the lower level to the T. rex on the top floor, anything could be a clue…and everything is a suspect.

Are your sleuthing skills up to snuff? We recommend at least three players per team.

What hunters are saying about our Museum of Natural History scavenger hunts

A 5-star review on Google: “We completed a scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures at the American Museum of Natural History for a work end of year team celebration. This was a great activity for a large group and everyone really enjoyed themselves! I cannot recommend it enough!”

“It was fantastic! Everyone in the group had a great time and they said they don’t know how we will top our summer event for next year!” —from a law firm

Get in the game!

Buy tickets below to a weekend hunt for the general public, or contact us about a private murder mystery scavenger hunt for your group—and find more fun in the American Museum of Natural History!

A crazed killer is on the loose in the Met Museum

And it’s up to you to stop him! The clever criminal has created a scavenger hunt at the museum, and if your team can solve its puzzles, you’ll discover his name, the weapon he used, and where he hid the body in the museum. The police need your help.

By following the trail of clues and answering tricky questions, you’ll narrow down the list of suspects, weapons, and possible crime scenes. Your goal: to provide the authorities with the evidence they need to catch and convict the killer. Can you figure out whodunit?

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary. You just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes. This hunt is an easier alternative than the more challenging Murder at the Met Scavenger Hunt.

What players are saying about this murder mystery at the Met

A 5-star review on Google: “Our team truly enjoyed our scavenger hunt at The Met! We did it as a team building activity as part of our staff retreat. Folks had a lot of fun. Our host was fantastic!…Thanks for a great time!”

“The team had a brilliant time, thank you so much! ‘One of the best team outings’ we’ve done 🙂 ”—the organizer of a corporate group outing

Another 5-star Google review: “We booked a murder mystery scavenger hunt for my husband’s birthday and it was INCREDIBLE. Mia was a fantastic host, and we got to explore parts of the museum I’ve never been in (and we’ve been members for over a decade). I can’t recommend them more highly.”

“It was AWESOME! The team absolutely loved it and we are already trying to figure out a date where we can sign up for another. Also Andy was a great host. Thank you again for all of your help in organizing, was absolutely perfect.” —from a hospital group

The hunt’s afoot! Click on a button below to contact us about a Met museum scavenger hunt for a private group or to buy tickets to weekend hunts for the public—and find more fun in NYC!

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

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!

Uh-oh! A killer lurks among you…

…and they’re about to interrupt an otherwise normal team-building outing to your favorite history museum. Someone in your group—possibly on your own team—is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde, and they’re plotting to make you history.

Fortunately, this game gives you a fighting chance to prevent your own murder. Everyone in your group has been secretly poisoned, and the clock is ticking down on your time left to live. To save yourselves and get the antidote, all you have to do is complete various fun challenges and reveal the killer’s identity.

The killer has hidden their identity in a scavenger hunt at the history museum. Your team will solve a series of interlocking puzzles, decipher coded messages, and meet the conditions of creative, collaborative photo prompts.

Along the way, your team might…

• Act your age with age-old artifacts.
• Put your patriotism on display for all to see.
• Interrogate sculptures and statues for clues.
• Gape in wonderment at outdated technology.
• Tackle a trivia quiz about famous murder mysteries.
• Identify murderous movies and snippets of killer songs.

If your group loves escape-room games, they’ll love this history museum scavenger hunt. The game will also help you entertain a diverse group of people while boosting morale and teamwork. It’s perfect for a private party or a corporate team-building outing of any size.

A Kids Edition is also available, in which kids age 7 and up work with adults. It’s a great activity for a school field trip, birthday party, and more.

Contact us to learn more about the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunts—and find more fun!

Beware: there’s a killer behind that panda…

Your perfectly delightful team-building outing to the zoo is about to be spoiled: someone in your group is plotting to feed you to the lions, or have you hugged by a cobra, or perhaps sat on by a hippo. Because this person—possibly on your own team—is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde.

This person now challenges you to prevent your own murder. Everyone in your group was fed a deadly venom with your lunch, and the clock is ticking down on your time left to live. To save yourselves and get the antidote, all you have to do is reveal the killer’s identity.

Easy, right? Not so fast: the killer has hidden their identity in a series of puzzles that are part of a scavenger hunt at the zoo. Your team must solve a series of interlocking puzzles, decipher coded messages, and meet the conditions of tricky photo challenges around the zoo.

Along the way, your team might…

• Play monkey see, monkey do with a monkey.
• Blend in with an animal known for camouflage.
• Tackle a trivia quiz about famous murder mysteries.
• Identify snippets of songs that feature animals.
• Twist, and maybe shout, with snakes.

If your group loves escape-room games, they’ll love this zoo scavenger hunt. The game will also help you solve the mystery of how to entertain a diverse group of people while boosting morale and teamwork. It’s perfect for a private party or a corporate team-building outing of any size.

A Kids Edition is also available, in which kids age 7 and up work with adults. It’s a great activity for a school field trip, a birthday party, a family reunion, you name it.

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

Can you deduce whodunit?

A Watson Adventures staffer has been found dead in Grand Central Terminal, and we need your help to catch his killer. Before he died, he drew a star on the floor with his 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?

Along the way, you’ll see the best sights from our Secrets of Grand Central Scavenger Hunt—but in this game, surprising details turn out to be clues to a cryptic code. The fate of the free world may depend on your teamwork.

What delighted detectives are saying

A 5-star review on Google: “Birthday celebration: scavenger hunt/murder mystery through Grand Central Station. We had 3 teams, the hunt was challenging, & fun. ‘Got my steps in for the day. :-)’ Everyone had a good time. Our Watson [hunt host] was great. I would highly recommend Watson Adventures to friends, family & co-workers.”

Contact us to learn more about this Grand Central murder mystery—and find more fun in NYC!

It’s do or die in FiDi

Can you figure out whodunit before it’s too late? A Watson Adventures staffer has been found dead on Wall Street, and we need your help to catch his killer. Before he died, he drew a star on the ground with his own blood. Can you and your team of sleuths solve this mystery and piece together the rest of the puzzle he left behind in time to prevent a potentially disastrous international incident?

You’ll also uncover secrets on this lower Manhattan scavenger hunt, from Wall Street down to Battery Park, where surprising details turn out to be part of a cryptic code. Your teamwork skills just may save the world.

On this unusually fun team-building exercise, you’ll get the best of the Secrets of Wall Street Scavenger Hunt while also solving a murder mystery. Our Hunt Host will set you up at the start, surprise you with a special challenge along the way, and award the winners at the finish line.

Contact us to learn more about this FiDi scavenger hunt—and find more fun in downtown NYC!

Solve a murder at the Met? Get a clue!

In this mischievous mystery, kids and adults team up to search great works of art to expose a killer. The villain has created a scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if you can solve it, you’ll reveal his name, the weapon he used, and where he hid the body.

You’ll get images of suspects, weapons, and possible crime scenes that are all on display in the museum. By following the trail of clues and answering tricky questions, you’ll get closer and closer to solving this deadly puzzle, helping the police—and earning bragging rights for your team.

Discover one of our most popular Met Museum activities for kids

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary: just bring your love of mystery and your teamwork skills. This hunt is for ages 10 and up. Each team must include at least one kid and one adult, with a maximum of six participants per team.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun for kids in NYC!

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-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!

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!