Murder Mystery Games in Los Angeles

Can your team catch a killer?

A famous, controversial art critic has been murdered, and this dead man tells tales—if you can figure them out, that is. He left behind a series of cryptic clues connected with art at the Getty Center, and they all lead to the museum’s planned multi-million-dollar purchase of a Leonardo da Vinci painting. As your team answers tricky questions about the masterpieces you find, you’ll uncover the greed, lust, and betrayal that got him killed and deduce which of the four suspects committed the murder.

Four suspects, one murder mystery scavenger hunt

Round up the usual suspects for your team: this is one of the more challenging hunts, so we recommend hunting in teams of three or more. But no knowledge of the museum or art is necessary: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes. The hunt’s afoot!

What are sleuths saying about the Getty murder mystery game?

“We had no idea what to expect going into the scavenger hunt and it ended up being a blast! It was a great excuse to all get together, have fun, and team build in a way that didn’t feel forced. And one of the best parts (coming from someone who coordinates a lot of events) was all we had to do in preparation was show up 🙂 ” —a corporate group

“Our team had a wonderful time, definitely recommending these hunts to anyone who asks. [Hunt Host] Joshua was also a wonderful emcee for our event.” —a streaming service

“We all had an absolute blast for the scavenger hunt!” —a market research company

A 5-star review on Yelp: “Looking for a fun and new way to explore some of LA’s most popular attractions? Then look no further and give Watson Adventures a try! A small group of friends decided to solve a murder mystery in competition with other random groups….As we were provided clues to follow and solve, we explored most of the different galleries at the Getty. I’ve never been much of a history buff but the clues basically force you to learn about the different artifacts throughout the museum…By reading the different placards our group was able to piece together a riddle to determine ‘who done it.’ I found the experience to be quite fun. Overall, this adventure was fun and entertaining. I could totally see a corporate event with Watson Adventures. Looking forward to my next Watson Adventure!”

Click below to see the schedule of weekend scavenger hunts for the public, or contact us to learn more about a private murder mystery scavenger hunt at the Getty for your group—and find more fun in Los Angeles!

The Police Have Made a Disturbing Discovery at the Natural History Museum of L.A.

…and you’re at the center of the crime scene. Help them figure out who killed a Watson Adventures staffer who left his secrets hidden inside a tricky scavenger hunt.

A Watson Adventures staffer has been murdered, and it’s up to you to find the culprit. As you investigate, you’ll learn the victim’s dangerous secrets and try to head off an international incident that could have deadly and far-reaching consequences.

Along the way, you’ll also uncover the museum’s secrets—from dinosaurs to diamonds, planets to penguins. Highlights include Megamouth the shark, a life-size African watering hole, Zuni fetishes, unusual moments in California history, and much more.

Put the hunt in The Huntington

Don’t call it a library. Call it an eye-popping mansion filled with wonders! Call it a treasure house of amazing art! Call it a botanical garden of spectacular specimens—or a conservatory of exotic micro-climates, with a rain forest and a cloud forest!

Railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington spared no expense in creating his personal Eden, and we’ve created a hunt that reveals all of the quirks and secrets of his former mansion and grounds. On this team-building tour of the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, you’ll tackle tricky, amusing questions to discover the most amazing items in the collection, from art masterpieces (hello, Blue Boy and Pinkie!) to nature’s marvels (no thanks, orchid that mimics a fly’s hairy abdomen!).

You don’t need to be an art historian or a botanist to do well on this hunt. Just keep your eyes peeled, work with your team, and make sure to wear some comfy shoes.

The Huntington is a great location for any kind of group outing, from corporate team-building events to birthday parties and other celebrations. You’ll be amazed and delighted at the results when your group collaborates and pulls together. A special Murder at the Huntington Edition is also available.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in the greater Los Angeles area!

To catch a killer, get a clue!

Not only is a killer on the loose—he’s also taunting the police with a scavenger hunt that he created, which could reveal his (or maybe her!) identity, the murder weapon, and the scene of the crime. The police need your help sifting through the hunt for its secrets. You’ll follow a trail of clues, answer tricky questions, and use close-ups of art to find the originals, all to gather the evidence you need to lock up the killer. Is your team up for the challenge?

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and decent detective skills. The hunt is a somewhat easier, and shorter, alternative to the Murder at the Getty Scavenger Hunt, which makes it the perfect team-building or birthday-party activity for groups looking for unusual fun.

A version of this game for kids and adults to play together is also available. It’s suitable for ages 10 and up. The family that sleuths together has a blast together!

What happy hunters are saying about the Getty scavenger hunt

“Thank you so much. It was an EXQUISITE TIME! I loved it so much, and the group was beyond happy. Thank you so much, and especially to our wonderful host, Joshua. He was phenomenal. Looking forward to doing another adventure with you soon!” —a group that booked a private hunt

Join us for a weekend public hunt or contact us to learn more about a private murder mystery scavenger hunt for your group—and find more fun in L.A.!

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 or history museum
• A zoo or aquarium
• An office building
• A school or campus

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.

What delighted clients are saying

“Everyone had a great time at the hunt! We are all still talking about it.” —an electrical engineer whose group played the game at the Houston Zoo

“A HUGE THANK YOU. Everyone had a BLAST and your hosts were FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for another great event!!” —an office coordinator in Los Angeles

“We had an amazing time and will be in touch for the next hunt we’d like to do in the near future! Tokia [the hunt host] was amazing, and we’d love to work with her again!!!” —an organizer for a group in Washington, DC

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

Holmes and Watson solved a similar mystery—can you?

In this whodunit based on a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, you and your teammates play detective to solve a murder. When wealthy businessman Hilton Cubitt is fatally shot at his home, police suspect his wife, Elsie. She too was shot, but the police believe she turned the gun on herself after gunning down her husband.

But wait! A week ago, Hilton had approached the Watson Adventures code-breaking experts for help. Elsie had received disturbing e-mails that contained images of dancing stick figures, but she’d refused to talk further about them.

Found at the crime scene: a crumpled copy of a scavenger hunt involving nudes in the Getty Center, where Elsie works on ancient manuscripts as a cryptographer. If you can figure out how the scavenger hunt is linked to the e-mails, you can clear Elsie’s name, figure out who murdered Hilton Cubitt, and learn the secret of the dancing nudes. A woman’s life hangs in the balance, and the clock is ticking!

No knowledge of art or the museum is necessary to crack the case. You just need sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and great teamwork. It’s elementary, my dear…well, you know.

What players are saying about the Sherlock Holmes murder mystery scavenger hunt

A 5-star review on Yelp: “Tried this out for the first time and did the Sherlock Holmes at the Getty hunt. It was awesome!!! Normally, art does not interest me, but the hunt made art fun. The clues were clever and tricky and get you to really examine artwork in detail and learn about the pieces. The hosts are energetic and engaging and of course, The Getty is a beautiful museum to explore. I loved it and would definitely want to try one of their other hunts.”

“Recently did the Sherlock Holmes murder mystery scavenger hunt at the Getty Museum. I really did have a lot of fun with my team, ‘The Sign of the Three,’ running around and finding answers to questions. We got to see quite a lot of the museum. I would definitely do another one!”

Contact us to learn more about the Sherlock Holmes at the Getty Museum Scavenger Hunt—and find more fun in L.A.!

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!

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 a 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.

What delighted clients are saying

“Everyone had a great time at the hunt! We are all still talking about it.” —an electrical engineer whose group played the game at the Houston Zoo

“A HUGE THANK YOU. Everyone had a BLAST and your hosts were FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for another great event!!” —an office coordinator in Los Angeles

“We had an amazing time and will be in touch for the next hunt we’d like to do in the near future! Tokia [the hunt host] was amazing, and we’d love to work with her again!!!” —an organizer for a group in Washington, DC

PLUS check out Watson Adventures on Google to see hundreds of 5-star reviews from delighted clients!

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

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!