I am a big fan of the "How to Host a Murder" series of mystery party games by Decipher.This review is for the original, old "white boxed" set, as opposed to the revised colored boxed set.(I don't know if there are any differences in the material, I assume it was just repackaged).I have played this game twice, with two different groups of people and both times my guests enjoyed themselves.Be warned, of all the games in this series, "Hoo Hung Woo" is the most difficult to solve, as there is quite a bit of side plots and red herrings.In addition, the names of the characters, while always amusing and funny, are very similar.Looking it over, I feel this was done intentionally, to confuse as well as amuse.If you use the name tags provided, it will certainly help your game.I've added a few hosting tips afterwards.All "How to Host a Murder" games are written for 8 suspects, (4 male roles and 4 female roles).In the set, each suspect has a player clue manual that contains all the information they will need to play the game on the night of the party.In addition, you get the host's guide, which explains how the game is played and how you should run the evening, as well as a sample menu if you are going to host the game as a dinner party.You also get some costume and decorating suggestions.You also get a map of the area involved, in this case the game takes place in Ancient China in the 8th century, on a small group of islands.The islands are named the "Hoo-Hung-Woo" islands and they are in the middle of a great river, in a district of China that is bordered by the Great Wall.In addition to a map of the islands, there is a drawing of the Chinese Mansion the game takes place in.All very nice to add some mood and to help when referencing the various clues as the game unfolds.(Each character booklet has a copy of the island map in them as well).You also get 6 secret clues that various guests will reveal during the coarse of the game.(These usually take the form of documents, letters, maps, etc.)You also get one large sheet which is a summary of the crime that your guests will investigate, (handy to use as another reference to keep the facts clear).You also get eight invitations and envelopes, which set the scene and give your guests information about the characters they will play.(One thing, as this is an older game, the invitations don't include the costume suggestions which are included in the host's guide, so you may want to send a photo copy of that page with your invites.I believe the later revised games added the costume suggestions to the invitations).And lastly, as this is an older game, you get a cassette tape which reveals the details of the murder.Be warned, if you want to have more than 8 guests, they will have very little to do but watch the action and ask questions.They aren't given any roles, and they will be more of an audience to your group of eight players.However, if you have friends or family that like this sort of thing, then by all means invite them.But I find that the extra players are usually left out of the action and not very involved.(You could create characters for them, but this will add more time and energy.I have done this and it's fun, but you may not enjoy this sort of thing).The game is played in 6 rounds.The first round is an introductory round, in which the players read their character backgrounds and learn their dirty little secrets, (motives for the upcoming crime in question).Each guest then introduces themselves, in character, using only the information they wish the others to know, (keeping your juicy secrets to yourself for the time being).After introductions, the host reads the rules and the scene, and then the cassette tape is played.In this game, the tape has the Grand Inquisitor on it, who explains the reason for his arrival and details the information about the murder he has discovered.This sets the scene and explains the various crimes that the guest will have to explore and sift through.(You should note that if you don't own a cassette player, this information is only briefly summed up on the summary paper.I don't think it's enough though and it may be hard to use this game if you can't use the cassette tape).After the introductory round, the game is played out in four rounds of play.The players are given secret information about their characters that they must try to keep to themselves, and facts about the other suspects that they must reveal during that round.The game is played in a conversational manner, using the facts in your booklets as prompts to question the other suspects.What I like about this line of games is that it isn't scripted.Your players will have to put the facts they have in their own words and use them to create questions for their fellow suspects.In addition, the rules state that when questioned, you cannot lie about the facts you learn, but you may be evasive about things or try to change the subject.Unlike a scripted response, the guests will have to be a bit more spontaneous.It also may get confusing, especially if someone doesn't reveal the information correctly.(This is both a good and bad point to the game.I like the fact that your guests must come up with their own questions and answers, and they get to judge how much information they reveal, but first time players may get confused or not know how to proceed so keep this in mind if you're trying this game for the first time).The final round is used for final accusations, as your guests make guesses as to who they think committed the crime and how it was done.Then the solution is revealed on the final page, as your players read their solutions in numbered order from 1 to 8.This is how all of the "How to Host a Murder" games are played.Pros:These games, especially this one, are very detailed.I like the relationships and secrets between the characters.Some of the other line of mystery games are very simplistic, with each suspect having a motive on their own.HtHaM takes many of the characters and twists their back stories together with some of the other suspects.True, some secrets are more obvious than others, but I still think these games are well written.The plot is very detailed as well and the facts are filled with many in-jokes and innuendos that are highly amusing.The game takes about 4 or 5 hours, so don't plan on this game being in addition to your party, the game should be the reason for the party itself.If you're looking for something lighter, try a different game line.And though confusing the solution does make sense.I also like the fact that the setting is very unique.Something different.And unlike other reviews, I didn't think costumes were hard.As the host guide states, if you have a bathrobe getting dressed up is really easy.Many of my guests used flowered robes and the ladies put their hair up in buns.It was very amusing.Many people didn't like the menu suggestion in the booklet, but I made the "Hoo Hung Woo" casserole.It was easy to make and the guests enjoyed it.I also ordered various Chinese food, served tea and had almond cookies and orange ice and fruit for dessert.Cons:Because the plot is so intricate, it can be hard to follow.In addition, the character names are intentionally confusing and this will only add to your guests confusion.Another aspect of this game, is that due to the nature of the plot, the guilty parties aren't told they are guilty.The game scripts also make each suspect think they may be the guilty party, without spelling it out.As you can see, unless you have a bunch of people who really love to delve into mysteries, this might not be the game for them.Hosting Tips:Unless you really want to play, I would advise the host to read through all the materials (it does take a few readings to understand it all) and then simply play the host or master of ceremonies.This way you will know what's going on and be able to help guide the conversations.You could also play the Grand Inquisitor yourself.Instead of using the tape, you reveal your findings and list the various clues.After each round, like some of the more modern games, make a list of facts the players have learned for that round and do a summary of events to keep everyone on track.And finally, at the end of the evening, you can reveal the solution instead of having the players read through it.This, of course, will take a lot of prep work and you may not be so inclined to do that.If you decide to play the game cold turkey, I would advise that you just take it slow, recap everything after each round and just have fun with it.Though some people may get frustrated at how complicated it is, my guests and I actually laughed even more by how lost and confused we got.In the end, we had a great time playing the game (both times), and enjoyed ourselves and that's the main point of playing these games.
