When we think of team building events for remote employees, we often imagine common activities like Family Feud or word games.

However, there’s one fun and thrilling option that tests everyone’s logic skills while promoting better communication and teamwork: a digital murder mystery game as a team-building activity. 

Though some believe that murder mystery games can only be done in physical spaces, there are ways to play it virtually while maintaining the suspense and mystery of an unsolved crime. 

Let us explain murder mystery games, how they benefit online teams, and why they are a great game to play in your next online team-building event. 

What are Murder Mystery Games?

Murder mystery games are role-playing activities in which players need to find the murderer.

Murder cases in this activity can have a range of scenarios, from a seemingly accidental death to a graphic one with many twists and turns. Each game is timed to reach 90 minutes, giving everyone enough time to deduce who the culprit is. 

Each player is given a case file with details like the following:

• Details about the victim
• Cause of death
• Possible suspects

By interviewing the suspects and studying the case’s details, each team has to race against time to identify the correct killer and motive. 

The clues given to the players are not limited to typewritten facts, either. In order to better emulate the feeling of untangling a crime, there are different varieties. 

Clues may include:

• Voice memos
• Photographs
• Physical evidence

If your team members love true crime stories or want to test each other’s logic and deduction skills, digital murder mystery games are a new way to strengthen teamwork and collaboration.

Popular Digital Murder Mystery Game Themes

While all murder mystery games revolve around solving a mysterious death, the beauty of it lies in the fact that every mystery has different themes and challenges. 

Listed below are some examples of popular murder mystery game themes.

One game is set in the Prohibition era of the 1920s, where a rich man mysteriously dies with five suspects on the list. 

Another popular murder mystery game is set in Ancient Egypt, where team players have to bring out their inner Indiana Jones to uncover clues hidden within ancient artifacts and Egyptian mythology. 

There is even one popular digital murder mystery revolving around a rock star’s mysterious death in the 1960s. 

Whatever theme you choose, the murder mystery’s event planners go above and beyond to make it highly immersive for everyone involved. 

Benefits of Digital Murder Mystery Games for Online Teams 

Here are some of the benefits of digital murder mysteries.

Lets All Team Members Contribute

One of the struggles of remote work is a feeling of separation between most online teams.

Though they may regularly communicate through various online work channels and meetings, many remote workers struggle with isolation from their team.

However, this isolated feeling quickly disappears when teams play a digital murder mystery game. 

The biggest factor that helps a team solve the murder case is collaboration, and introverted employees gain a chance to speak up and contribute.

Teams understand each other better as they work together to interrogate the suspects and piece together clues. 

Throughout the game, each player understands the strengths and weaknesses of the other members, finding ways to use them to win.

Brings Out Leadership Qualities

If a team does not have a natural leader member, the game brings out the inner leader within all of them. 

With clues and cases that simulate real murder cases, everyone gets an opportunity to grow into their detective role, removing any awkward feelings previously felt. 

With a handful of clues, suspect testimonials, and a time limit in mind, every team player immerses themselves in the mystery. It brings out their inner leader and collaborator, creating new memories and stronger unity within every team. 

Can Improve Intra-Team Communication

Any team needs great communication to progress through tasks and contribute to a company’s overall success. 

Digital murder mysteries enhance this skill for everyone as all members can share their suspicions or question one another. 

However, not all the benefits of digital murder mystery games focus on their impact on the team. One of the best features of this activity is how everyone gets to be a part of the story, not just a spectator. 

How to Play a Digital Murder Mystery Game 

Digital murder mystery games can be played on video conferencing programs like Zoom. An event planner collates the murder case details with real actors playing suspects. The host then creates a secure Zoom link for the game. 

These games are playable for both smaller and bigger teams. Bigger teams can separate into breakout rooms, while smaller teams may stay in one main call. 

Each person receives a copy of the murder’s case files, showing the gruesome details surrounding the victim’s death. They are introduced to actors playing the suspects and various evidence and additional details surrounding the case.

Each team member has a chance to approach the case in various ways. They may focus on a logical approach, studying the case’s details and asking various questions. Others may embrace their role even deeper with more aggressive questioning.

Regardless of how each team approaches the mystery, everyone can speak up and share their thoughts on the possible suspect and motive. If another team member does not agree with a deduction, they may even counter it and add their thoughts.

The team gathers and compiles all their deductions and thoughts between interviews with the suspects. They will have to decide who is lying or who is the most probable suspect.

After deliberations and interviewing the suspects, all the team players gather and share their findings. The host reveals the correct answer and the hidden motives, showing which team solved the crime correctly. 

Conclusion 

While classic team building games are great fun, digital murder mysteries provide a new level of excitement, thrill, and tension within a remote team that greatly strengthens their bonds.

Whether they immediately find the correct suspect or run into stumbling blocks, each remote team will learn more about each other and how to support their team better. 

They can take the lessons from this activity and apply them to their daily work. 

Suppose you want to bring out the inner Sherlock Holmes within your teams while strengthening collaboration and teamwork. In that case, digital murder mysteries are a great way to foster tighter bonds between everyone.