The Auction

Description

The Auction

Following the suspicious death of Baroness Audry von Munchen, the fabulous von Munchen relics are to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. In the absence of a legal heir, it looks like all the proceeds will go to her favourite charity – unless a claimant comes forward at the last moment. What is the truth behind the Baroness’s death? Only those who attend The Auction will find out…

At “The Auction” you will play a character in a fascinating plot of mystery, double-dealing, bribery, blackmail and intrigue. You will not just be watching, you will be completely involved in the wheeling and dealing. Can you outbid the opposition, keep your dark secret quiet and unmask the murderer? Or maybe the murderer is you!

In their invitation to the “The Auction”, the guests attending receive the front page of “Yesterday’s News” – an antique dealers’ magazine. This describes the background to the plot, the unfortunate death of Baroness Audry von Munchen and the relics found on her last archaeological expedition. There will also be a copy of the guest list with a brief description of everyone attending the auction, including the character you have been given. This might be a lord, lady, the butler, a priest or even a spy!

At the event, the organiser plays the role of the solicitor of the late baroness. When everyone has arrived, the solicitor calls the gathering to order, welcomes the guests and introduces Inspector Clu d’Eau. As the events start to unravel, everybody gets to read their own personal character information and finds out what they have really been up to.

No one is free of suspicion as people start questioning, bribing and blackmailing each other. Towards the end, the auction itself takes place. All the deals and manoeuvering come to fruition in a competitive flurry of bidding. Inspector Clu d’Eau announces that he/she has solved the mystery of who has murdered the baroness. Others make their accusations before the inspector reveals all.

More than just a boxed version of a murder game, “The Auction” provides you with all the printable material you need to run a fun, participative event for 12 to 40 people. We have been running the game since 1989 for a wide range of companies, businesses and private groups.

CONTENT NOTE

Free immediate delivery  Our games are accessible as downloadable PDF files very soon after purchase. If your printer is not ready, don’t worry – you can always print the game off later.

What do I do next? If you have read the free Introduction (a PDF file which also forms part of the game) and you have decided this is the game for you, click the “ADD TO BASKET” button on this page and then checkout. If you’ve already bought the game and need to access it, you can do so here (version with drug references) or here (version without).

Modern Day or Period Drama

This plot is set in the modern day. However, if you’d like to pretend it takes place in a previous era, please feel free to do so. Just let people know which period you’ve chosen and invite them to overlook the small number of modern-day references they may find in it.

Please visit the Costume Guide on our UK site for advice and help on how to dress for whichever period you choose.

Age Groups This Plot Suits

We now have two versions of this game. When you buy it from us, we’ll make both versions available to you as PDFs.

Drugs feature in one version and the murder victim is killed with an overdose of heroin. Because of the drug references, we think this version is suitable for people aged 16 and over. If you’ve already bought the game and need to access this version of it, you can do so here.

In the other version, the drug references have been removed and replaced. The characters aren’t angels by any means but this version is a safer choice for groups containing people who might be offended or upset by drug references. We believe it is suitable for people aged 12 and over. You can access this version (after buying it) here.

Hire an actor

Our company is based in the UK in London and this is where most of our actors also live. If you want to hire an actor to run your event or get us to put together and manage everything for you, we’ll be delighted to do so.  Please go to this page for more about how this might work.

Copyright Protection and Terms and Conditions

Our games are mainly intended for private groups and are bought under license to be played once. If you are a private buyer, please see our Terms and Conditions. If you’d like to raise money by running one of our games either as a charity or as a business, please see our Note on copyright at the bottom of this page.