Games for 13-24 are usually very difficult to find. The reason for this is that this number is too small for most large group games, and too large for most small group games.
Why?
Small group games are interactive games and are written so that all characters have a motive and something to contribute. With a 12 player game, a game can take anywhere between 2 and 3 hours. If a game were to run on a similar basis for a larger number of players the game would simply be too unwieldy. People would lose track of information (as well as the will to live) and they would take far, far too long!
So how can I run a game for this number?
If you only need 13 players, then a simple fix is to have a real inspector on the night. All our 12 player games come with a character booklet for the inspector part as well as the sound files for just such an eventuality.
For numbers larger than 13 there are three options available.
Option 1: is the one that most game sites use, and that is to advise you to simply double up on characters; inviting two people as the same person, allowing them to share the questions and answers and scripted dialogue. This is usually fun as you get two takes on the same character and it is the easiest option available.
Option 2: is to give the additional guests a new role which they can ad lib. Keep the plot line entwined and invite them as a supporting character to the game, e.g. Tina Turnaround’s PA.
To help these guests take part in the game, our large group adaptations of the small group games provide clues for rounds 2, 3, and 4 which can be distributed to the additional characters for the purpose of the game, leaving the original characters with scripted lines and answers only.
If you have a good acting crowd, then they can ad lib their own introductory and concluding speeches and ham things up as much as they like!
Option 3: is much more complicated.
As before you must give your additional guests characters based on the game characters, like PA to Tina Turnaround, or backing singer etc, so that they are entwined with the original plots; but instead of leaving them ad libbing, you provide them with introductory speeches and concluding speeches as well as transfer the questions in rounds 2,3, and 4 to them, leaving the original characters with the answers only. This way everyone truly takes part, but only the original characters are suspects and the game takes about the same length of time.
Unlike simple fixes – something like this takes a lot of time for an author or host to put together. So we usually give you two options. Either we can send you the character booklets in MSword so you can modify them (and create new ones for your additional guests) yourself, or we will see if the author who wrote the game will do it for you for an additional fee (£50-150 on top of game price depending on the number of characters involved).
Like all custom requests we need at least a month’s notice for something like this, and availability is dependant on the author’s time.
However – don’t forget, if you have a number between 18 and 24 then you can always use the 6 cast version of the large group adaptations with 3 or 4 guests sitting at a table with a character. Guests can come in costume but only have the role of detectives on the night. Instructions for how to do this are within the large group games.
